Last week the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released updated evidence that the Bush administration continues to manipulate and control science for political reasons. UCS has now collected the signatures of more than 4,000 scientists supporting a statement urging the Bush administration to discontinue these troubling practices, and to restore scientific integrity in federal policymaking. The prestigious list of scientists taking this unprecedented stand includes 48 Nobel laureates, 62 national medal of science recipients, and 127 members of the National Academy of Sciences.

While it is disappointing that the Supreme Court declined to take this opportunity to embrace the principle of openness in Cheney v. United States District Court, it is heartening that the Court did not side with the administration, and instead remanded the case to the lower court.

National Park Service (NPS) superintendents now must adhere to agency-prescribed "talking points" when speaking with the media. According to a May 12 press release by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), the talking points try masking budget cutbacks by painting a rosy picture of national parks under the Bush administration.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expediting a review of its policy concerning links from the agency’s website to external sites. EPA had originally scheduled the review for January 2005, but moved it up in response to a letter from Reps. Cubin (R-WY) and Gibbons (R-NV). The letter accused EPA of inappropriately linking to extremist groups. OMB Watch and Environmental Defense are among the specific groups the congressmen were referring to.