Has Twitter (X) devolved into a misinformation cesspool? Once scientist says yes. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) claims schools near farms could put students at risk of pesticide exposure. It's another evidence-free scare story. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says drug companies are neglecting chronic diseases to protect their profits. Is this a scandal in need of a solution, or just campaign-trail rhetoric?

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 243 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

* Twitter/X’s race to the disinformation bottom: Are we losing a valuable forum for rational discussion?

After Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, the popular social media platform, now dubbed "X," reverted to a digital wild west. Once-banned users were allowed back on the site, and X liberalized its moderation policies. Evidence also emerged that Twitter had collaborated with both Republican and Democratic presidents to suppress ideas their administrations found objectionable. Free speech advocates have generally celebrated the changes under Musk's leadership, though some critics allege X is now home to the wildest conspiracies, scientific misinformation and other forms of misleading and even harmful content. Have we lost a forum for rational discussion, or is X better as a freer platform?

* Viewpoint: Dark money and tort-lawyer-funded Environmental Working Group (EWG) launches new campaign to scare public about ‘dangerous’ pesticide spraying near schools

EWG has launched a campaign warning parents that their children's schools may be adjacent to farms that utilize pesticides. This bit of geography trivia has no bearing on public health—pesticide use is tightly regulated to protect us from harm—but it's a typical example of how activist groups abuse factual information to bolster their ideological goals. Let's take a closer look at EWG's claims about pesticides and schools.

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* RFK, Jr. accuses drug companies of ignoring chronic diseases and focusing on ‘money-making infectious diseases’ like measles and COVID, vows to reverse NIH policies if elected

As he tries to lure voters away from his rivals in the 2024 presidential r...