We’re back with the wildest headlines in politics. This week brought us suppressed science, racial profiling rulings, and a shooting that’s got the internet in mourning and outrage. Strap in. Read ‘WTFGO in Politics’ this week inside.
Trump & RFK Jr Accused of Burying Study Linking Alcohol to Cancer
A study that shows drinking alcohol (even in moderate amounts) has strong ties to cancer was quietly commissioned in 2022 under the Department of Health and Human Services. According to Blavity, scientists say the final draft was turned in months ago. Yet, the Trump administration reportedly chose not to publish it. Critics (including health experts) are saying this isn’t just bad PR, but it’s a public health concern. The very info set to shape new national dietary guidelines might be buried because it makes “Big Alcohol” nervous.
Supreme Court Opens Door for ICE to Use Racial Profiling in LA
Blavity also reports that in Los Angeles a judge had placed limits on ICE raids that used race, language, job, and location to target people, but this week SCOTUS threw those restrictions aside. The decision, made under emergency review, means ICE agents can more freely make immigration stops that many believe amount to outright racial profiling. Civil rights groups are sounding the alarm, saying this could cause serious harm to Latino and immigrant communities who already live in fear of overreach.
Charlie Kirk Shooting Prompts Discourse Online
This week also saw the shocking death of right-wing podcaster, Charlie Kirk, during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Video of the shooting immediately went viral, creeping into feeds with few content warnings. Platforms scrambled with some restricting, some removing content, and many allowing it to spread. NY Times reports that experts warn it’s a reflection of how content moderation is failing when it matters most.
The reaction online has been mixed. Some condemn the violence and the viral spread of graphic footage, others use it to push political narratives. Parents raised concerns because teens are seeing the content. Meanwhile, Roblox removed over 100 game experiences tied to the shooting, underscoring how video games, social media, and streaming platforms are all part of the problem now.
The groups of people, who were directly affected by the narratives Kirk pushed online before his death, are uninterested in the chatter and news around him.
From public health being sidelined, to civil rights getting rolled back, to people dying and their deaths becoming memes, it’s a wild landscape out here.
