Relentless inherent contempt

An endangered bird known as a “mosquito king”, certainly a species we’ll miss if it’s extinct, is part of another Bush Administration scandal.

The Fish & Wildlife Service has stepped in to review the behavior of deputy assistant secretary Julie MacDonald. She’s resigned after found pressuring scientists to alter their findings about endangered species and leaking information about them to industry.

Political tinkering with science
While only a third of the misconduct cases are being reviewed, perhaps 100 endangered species-related decisions – and goodness knows what else – deserve further scrutiny. [story]