News Sweet Tooth Sweet Tooth Season 3 Trailer Heads to Alaska and Will Make You Cry (Probably) The last season promises to be darker than the first two By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 17‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share All roads lead to Alaska in the new trailer for the third and final season of Sweet Tooth‚ and it looks like things might get pretty dark for at least part of the upcoming episodes.   “Sweet Tooth showed me you got nothing to live for‚ until you got something to die for‚” Jeppard says in the trailer. I’m sure that means that everything will be fine and nothing that makes you cry will happen. Here’s the third season’s official synopsis: Having defeated General Abbot in the battle at Pubba’s Cabin‚ Gus (Christian Convery)‚ Jepperd (Nonso Anozie)‚ Becky (Stefania LaVie Owen)‚ and Wendy (Naledi Murray) embark on a journey to Alaska in search of Gus’s mother‚ Birdie (Amy Seimetz)‚ who has been working to uncover the mysterious origins of the deadly Sick. Along the way‚ they are joined by Dr. Singh (Adeel Akhtar)‚ who may have his own dangerous beliefs about Gus and his role in reversing the virus. Meanwhile‚ a new threat emerges in the form of Helen Zhang (Rosalind Chao)‚ her daughter Rosie (Kelly Marie Tran)‚ and the ferocious Wolf Boys‚ who seek to restart human birth and view Gus as the solution to their plans. As they navigate through perilous terrain‚ Gus and his group of friends find refuge at the Outpost in Alaska‚ where they meet a new ensemble of characters including Siana (Cara Gee) and her hybrid daughter Nuka (Ayazhan Dalabayeva). With the clock to find answers running out‚ alliances are tested and destinies intertwine‚ all leading to a thrilling climax that will determine the fate of humanity and hybrids. “[It’s] another road trip story like Season One‚ but in a very different way‚” showrunner Jim Mickle told Netflix’s website‚ Tudum. “Season Three is an Arctic story with exciting new adventures and what we hope will be a satisfying conclusion to this epic tale. Gus is going to see a side of the world and humanity that he didn’t see in Season One or Two.” Tudum also confirmed that season three will be darker‚ and Mickle added that “in Season 3‚ everybody is dealing with some kind of wound or emotional loss‚ whether that was somebody in their life or a part of themselves. Everybody is looking inward and looking to move on and ultimately learning that life doesn’t stop. You have to keep putting one foot in front of another.” The third season of Sweet Tooth premieres on Netflix on June 6‚ 2024‚ which gives you plenty of time to stock up on tissues. Check out the trailer below. [end-mark] The post Sweet Tooth Season 3 Trailer Heads to Alaska and Will Make You Cry (Probably) appeared first on Reactor.

News Longlegs Longlegs Wants You to Follow Some Spooky Clues Leading Up to Its Release See if you can solve the enigmatic marketing puzzle By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 17‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Neon‚ the distributor of the upcoming horror film Longlegs‚ is going all in on enigmatic marketing for the movie. Today‚ the company sent out a press release that was purposefully confusing and undoubtedly holds some secret code or something for people more motivated and/or clever than me to figure out. Below is exactly what was shared in that email. Make of it what you will&;#33; First‚ they shared this poster‚ titled “Sweet Part One”: Then‚ they shared this teaser video‚ titled “Sweet Part Two”: The clip is short‚ full of spooky scare vibes‚ and has a voiceover of a woman saying she never said her prayers because she was afraid to. There’s more there‚ of course‚ including some enigmatic phrases that I’m sure Mean Something and I invite you to watch it yourself and take notes. Lastly‚ the email had the following “checklist”: What does this mean&;#63; I have no idea&;#33; It seems like it’s a list for those who want to join or be recruited into… something&;#63; What that something is I have no idea‚ but I bet it’s spooky af. Here’s what I do know about Longlegs. It stars Maika Monroe (It Follows) and features Nicolas Cage in an unknown role. It comes from writer-director Osgood Perkins‚ who is also the person behind the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s short story‚ “The Monkey.” The film will hit theaters on July 12‚ 2024. Hopefully (probably) we’ll get more disturbing clues before then&;#33; [end-mark] The post Longlegs Wants You to Follow Some Spooky Clues Leading Up to Its Release appeared first on Reactor.

News Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps Trailer Gives Us the Fantasy Romcom We Apparently Need With a supporting cast that includes Christopher Lloyd‚ Shohreh Aghdashloo‚ Eddie Izzard‚ and Sean Astin‚ we’ll undoubtedly have fun watching this one By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on April 17‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share The trailer for Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps suggests that the film is a fun fantasy romp‚ where a man goes to a witch to ask her to give him a wife‚ and the witch gives him three impossible tasks to do before she grants him his wish (which‚ I’m guessing‚ is that the two get together). Here’s the official synopsis: Tami Stronach‚ the iconic Childlike Empress in The NeverEnding Story (celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year)‚ makes her long-awaited return to the big screen in the new fantasy film Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps. When a lonely goatherd discovers that he has been cursed at birth to never take a wife‚ he makes a bargain with a reclusive witch to reverse the spell‚ only to find that if he can’t complete her three impossible tasks‚ he will never find true love.  In addition to Stronach‚ Man and Witch stars her real-life husband Greg Steinbruner as her co-lead‚ as well as Sean Astin‚ Christopher Lloyd‚ Eddie Izzard‚ Jennifer Saunders‚ Shohreh Aghdashloo‚ Michael Emerson‚ Bill Bailey‚ Daniel Portman‚ Stuart Bowman‚ and Martha West. It’s directed by Michael Hines and written by Steinbruner. That’s quite an A-list supporting cast&;#33; The film will be in theaters nationally only for a short time‚ on July 28 and July 30‚ 2024. You can learn more about the movie by heading to ManAndWitch.com. Check out the trailer below. [end-mark] The post Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps Trailer Gives Us the Fantasy Romcom We Apparently Need appeared first on Reactor.

Excerpts Young Adult Read an Excerpt From S.K. Ali’s Fledgling The start of a new dystopian duology by S.K. Ali‚ set in a fractured world on the brink of either enlightenment or war. By S.K. Ali | Published on April 17‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from Fledgling by S.K. Ali‚ the start of a new dystopian young adult duology—out from Kokila on October 8th. Would you trade love for peace&;#63;Raisa of Upper Earth has only lived a life of privilege and acquiescence. Ever dutiful‚ she accepts her father’s arrangement of her marriage to Lein‚ Crown Prince of the corrupt‚ volatile lands of Lower Earth. Though Lein is a stranger‚ Raisa knows the wedding will unite their vastly different worlds in a pact of peace: an infusion of Upper Earth technology will usher in the final age of enlightenment‚ ending war between humans forever. Or is justice more urgent&;#63;Newly released from imprisonment‚ Nada of Lower Earth has found her own calling: disrupting the royal wedding. Convinced her cousin Lein’s alliance with Upper Earth will launch an invasive‚ terrifying form of tyranny‚ Nada sets out undercover to light the spark of revolution. When Raisa goes missing a week before the wedding‚ all eyes turn to the rebels‚ including Nayf‚ Nada’s twin brother‚ a fugitive on the run. In Nayf and Raisa meeting‚ the long-simmering animosity between their worlds slowly burns away into something unexpected.But the Crown Prince wants his bride—and future—back. And he will go to the ends of the earths to reclaim them. For the future of our world‚ he has to fall in love with me. But at the party Papa orchestrated for this to occur‚ Lein has yet to glance my way. Lein didn’t even look at me when we were first introduced‚ pride swelling Papa’s voice. “My daughter‚ Raisa. Raisa‚ may I present to you Crown Prince Lein‚ soon to be a guardian representing Lower Earth.” With his hand firmly clasped in my father’s‚ Lein merely nodded at Papa’s announcement and then moved on—to shake hands with the other men in the receiving line‚ to lift the hands of the other women to his bent forehead‚ ever a model of perfect Upper Earth customs despite his Lower Earth breeding. For the rest of the evening‚ my eyes trail him. I can’t help it. Papa prepped me for this introduction for months: I read the dossiers on Lein transferred by Alet‚ Papa’s assistant; I practiced the scripts Alet composed‚ full of warmth and wit‚ in attempts to win Lein over‚ in attempts to overcome my supposed aloofness when meeting new people. The latter task was hard work‚ to be truthful. For ALIGN’s sake‚ I even deigned to dress in his favorite color. But I’m left nursing an unsipped drink‚ wearing what Dame Kizuwanda assured me was a gorgeous dark emerald dress‚ standing at the outskirts of the party alongside whoever makes their way to me‚ my eyes darting to find him again and again as he flits about the hall‚ laughing with some‚ speaking low and serious‚ head bent‚ with others. I locate him easily whenever he pauses to scan the room before moving on with purposeful long strides to work another corner of the Visionaries Ballroom‚ built in the stuffy baroque style of centuries past. Never‚ in any of those sweeping scans‚ does his gaze register my presence in the slightest. “Raisa‚ you’re not listening.” Suzume tilts her head—I can’t tell if it’s to check the left side of my forehead‚ to see whether my link is activated‚ or if it’s in judgment. “It’s a scalplink-off event.” “I’m not knitted.” I keep the unease from my voice—access to the information a scalplink provides would make this event easier to navigate. But our social events are increasingly scalplink-free to encourage stronger connections between us. I don’t bother to tilt my own head to prove to Suzume that my link is idle. She holds back a laugh. “I was hardly suggesting you were.” “You were talking about pomegranates.” “Did you notice the lack&;#63; No trace of pom in our drinks‚ no pom molasses dip for the amuse-bouche. How can this be the status at the Autumn’s Eve Gala&;#63; All the guardians are here‚ and not just the Uppers.” She leans over to whisper‚ the long trails of tiny diamonds on her scalplink falling over one eye like shimmery bangs. “Even the new guardian of Lower Earth is here. If the council itself and their guests cannot be provided with offerings from the best of the harvest‚ what does that mean for the rest of us.” She ends in her typical way of speaking‚ a question uttered flatly‚ unquestioningly. Buy the Book Fledgling S.K. Ali Buy Book Fledgling S.K. Ali Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget I nod‚ keeping my opinions to myself. Suzume is my closest companion—I would never say confidante—and she knows better than to ask such questions with any note of inquiry. She knows that as I’m the chief guardian’s daughter‚ I likely know the reasons behind every decision made for this gathering‚ or any others organized by the guardians. Perhaps she’s waiting for me to slip and reveal a small kernel of truth. But I only reveal what my father tells me to‚ intentionally planted seeds of information—or misinformation—that strategically spread from Suzume through the upper echelons of our society. I absolutely know that our carefully managed Upper Earth existence will only last at the most twenty more years‚ that the future of the Bridge‚ the land mass on Lower Earth that we’re connected to‚ is projected to be even shorter—perhaps another decade. That all the years of working to establish peace and safety on the remnants of our planet after the Great Catastrophe are being undone by this latest agitation by the brutes of Lower Earth‚ growing in severity and violence in the last ten years. Our food security is under the greatest threat at the moment as the brutes double their efforts to disrupt the flow of goods from Lower Earth farms to the Bridge processing plants and launch sites‚ gleefully seizing on this horrendous way to hurt us. Crown Prince Lein’s father‚ Amir Gauis‚ not at the gala‚ governs Lower Earth but with increasing ineffectiveness. After a short period of iron-fisted rule when the agricultural and mining operations were in full swing‚ he gradually lost hold of the small towns and villages of Lower Earth. Forget about the mission to track and control the brutes—that fell to us in Upper Earth and the Bridge‚ to our commissaries‚ our experts‚ our spies. A drunkard and womanizer‚ the dossier on the palace revealed‚ Amir Gauis lives in a constant state of stupor‚ only revived by the periodic smuggling of new women into the palace or his excursions to visit the bride markets. His rulership‚ once seen as a hopeful replacement of the previous leader‚ is now a security threat to ALIGN. Resources and support must be shifted to his son Lein‚ who‚ by all accounts‚ is more sophisticated in both lifestyle choices and world views. The sophisticated Lein is now laughing at something Moineau just shared‚ her porcelain-smooth face upturned to his own olive-tinted one. He appears taken by her‚ which isn’t surprising. She’s a tiny thing‚ aptly named sparrow in French‚ one of the three languages of Upper Earth. She tells everyone she meets everything in her brain‚ which are often quite fanciful observations connecting the happenings around her with something she just read. She reads a lot. I wonder if her scalplink‚ dressed up tonight via stems of gold reaching to the center of her forehead‚ is idle now‚ or whether it’s offering facts to share with a rapt-faced Lein. I recall what I read this morning: Lein has great respect for the accruement of knowledge. He believes in access to information for all. He is committed to the importance of knitting the population of Lower Earth into the streams of civilizational scholarship ALIGN has preserved. He believes in the immediate implementation of the Enlightenment Project. “He doesn’t appear to have Lower Earth ways‚ that’s certain.” Suzume is also observing Lein now‚ as he continues to bestow Moineau with amused attention. “I would have sworn he grew up here with us. His manners are beyond reproach.” We watch Lein’s face—dark eyes under dark groomed eyebrows‚ a straight nose‚ and a wide mouth‚ one that bursts into smiles just as easily as it closes into a thoughtful line‚ framed by an impeccable jawline and a high brow—transform as he leans closer to Moineau. She puts a hand on his arm and says something into his ear earnestly‚ at which he draws away to indulge her in a beautiful smile. Even from across the room‚ I can read what his lips say in response. “I’ll keep your secret‚ not to worry.” Moineau is also wearing green; but hers is a short‚ sleeveless‚ simple sheath that emphasizes her ingenuousness. It’s not like the long fulsome gown I wear on my tall frame. The dossier suggested Lower Earth men prefer outward modesty. Moineau may beg to differ with the dossier. I suddenly feel stuffy. The gown I’m wearing at first felt elegant and now feels overdone. A gaudy ornament hung among refined jewels. The familiar fear washes over me again: I am a pretender in this world. I leave the cheery sounds of tinkling glasses being lifted from or set back on serving trays‚ lilting laughter‚ buoyant conversations‚ the full orchestra providing a symphonic background to it all‚ and find my way to the Hall of History‚ quiet and dead. Unknitted‚ I feel the panic coming on: I’m failing at Papa’s assignment‚ failing at securing our future. Simply failing‚ like I always seem to do. * * * From my earliest memory‚ I knew I was different‚ and those differences were shortcomings on Upper Earth. Though I tried to mimic the other kids as much as possible‚ my efforts were to no avail. I couldn’t ever achieve their sunny‚ even-keeled dispositions. I couldn’t ever accept the losses that came my way without throwing a tantrum‚ without bursting into tears and descending into depressive episodes‚ without acting out my frustrations. I cannot lie and say my peers rejected me; that wasn’t true. They loved me through my maladjustments—but not because they were saints‚ nor because I was lovable. It was because of my mother. She was the first pre-centenarian term death recorded in Upper Earth files‚ having died at thirty-three‚ when I was nine years old. No one else here has had anyone die so early in their families. I sit now on the sole bench‚ a round orange one‚ in the middle of the Hall of History and activate my scalplink with three rapid blinks. The bare gray walls come to life‚ and I flick my fingers in the air to find the beginnings of recent history. I zoom in on the part of Earth called the Bridge‚ the inhabitants of which joined an alliance with Upper Earth ten years ago. When I was nine and my mother was thirty-three. I watch the explosion with morbid and philosophical fascination—how can anyone extinguish human life without a second thought&;#63; My mother was killed by the brutes who took the air carrier she was in hostage‚ as a way to disrupt the merger of the Bridge and Upper Earth‚ to prevent ALIGN from growing. I’d already gone up to Upper Earth with Papa‚ while my mother had stayed behind to help with the process of knitting Bridge residents into our systems. They blew her up on her way to join us. My scalplink‚ attuned to my bewilderment on this topic‚ feeds me background by providing the brutes’ ethos: The brutes despise our way of life. They detest our freedoms. They fear the equality of men and women‚ and they reject the fraternity of all people. They despise ALIGN. I wonder if this is where the seed of my disturbance was planted: in the story of my mother’s death. Papa said the brutes were angry because they believed my mother was a traitor: Since she was born into a family on Lower Earth‚ her work to increase the scope of ALIGN was a betrayal. I also wonder if my temperament is because I’m not purely of Upper Earth‚ like Papa is‚ like most everyone around me is. Because I am of Lower Earth too. Because working extra hard to show up with the “natural elegance” expected of me is exhausting‚ and sometimes I just can’t do it any longer. But those wonderings are surface ones. I turn off my scalplink and slide it off my head completely‚ feeling my jaw slacken as the probe loosens its connection to my left temple. Cradled in my hands‚ the green jewels Dame Kizuwanda clipped onto my link for the event sparkle in the recessed lights running along the edges of the ceiling. The truth is something I can reflect on only with my scalplink off‚ in case Papa sees the extent of my anguish. He often checks in on my emotional state if I’m knitted. He can’t know. He might not trust me again with the tasks he assigns me‚ tasks that affirm his belief in me‚ that he doesn’t hold me responsible in any way for— I’m a mess inside because my mother died because of me. She was meant to stay longer‚ finish her mission on the Bridge‚ wait to board a heavily fortified carrier from the Council of Guardians‚ but because I’d cried every passing day‚ begging for her to join us in Upper Earth‚ which was then a strange new world for me‚ she left earlier. She died in compliance of my yearning for her. She no longer lives‚ because I couldn’t live without her. * * * But I must remember I still have Papa. And Papa has a plan: Once Lein agrees to a strategic marriage with myself‚ Raisa‚ daughter of Aeon‚ the chief guardian of the Council of Guardians of ALIGN‚ a child of both Earths‚ we will tour Lower Earth to celebrate our wedding and to usher in Enlightenment‚ the process of transferring the knowledge streams into the inhabitants below via scalplinks. The final hope for peace: the rest of humanity knitted into the ALIGN system willingly. Since my mother’s death‚ this has become my primary fascination‚ the focus of my life: I want to finish my mother’s work for peace—the work I cut short with my cries for her. The first step toward my goal is through Lein’s heart. Birdsong floats from the Visionaries Ballroom‚ announcing dinner. Recorded birdsong‚ as‚ while many bird species survived the Great Catastrophe‚ there are none that could live so high on Upper Earth—though many attempts were and are still made to bring them up here. People buy them in cages from the Grand Market on Lower Earth‚ in hopes they’ll be the lucky ones to keep them alive. But they all end up dying eventually. And our scientists have never been able to breed them in the atmosphere artificially engineered to sustain us and our other pets. Birds flying free are the only things we miss in Upper Earth‚ and so everything avian is highly prized. As the chirps from the ballroom die down‚ I slide my scalplink on and activate it‚ a momentary but necessary rebellion‚ and brace myself for the zing of conduction‚ the probe rejoining my mind. It always takes a few seconds to get used to the linking pressure‚ but as soon as it happens‚ my spirit lifts as it reconnects me to the world. Back on‚ I quickly switch my scalplink to mirrormode and look at myself on the wall across from me in the Hall of History‚ while knitting into the palace dossier to prepare myself to be in Lein’s vicinity again at dinner. Lein likes petite and fair women. His last love interest‚ Clure‚ had blond hair and blue eyes‚ a small nose‚ and a rosebud mouth. He would have made her his partner if it weren’t for the fact she was a castoff from one of his father’s bride-market purchases. He understands the peril this brings‚ to introduce instability into his bloodline‚ as his constituents in Lower Earth would see it. He is aware of the need for a propitious match. My skin is brown; my mouth is full; my nose is long; my stature is tall and healthy. I look like my mother‚ and I won’t apologize for it. I straighten and blink thrice to flick my scalplink idle before making my way to dinner. * * * I sit across from the eldest Upper Earth guardian on the council‚ Wilfred‚ 120 years old. On the way in‚ I saw a switch had taken place—instead of my nameplate‚ the charming Moineau’s now sits across from Lein’s spot. I can’t imagine poised Moineau doing such a thing—it must have been him‚ completely besotted by her—so I ponder taking a moment to turn my scalplink to thinkmode to record the failure to secure this evening’s goal. Perhaps if Papa knows the loss of this opportunity early‚ we can try some sort of intervention before dessert. I glance to the head of the lengthy table‚ where Papa presides‚ with the head guardian of the Bridge at his right arm‚ and after him the other Bridge guardians are seated in order of importance. Papa’s hair whitened when my mother died‚ and now it hangs neatly combed back from his head‚ falling slightly wavy to his shoulder. His beard‚ similarly white‚ is trim and edged precisely. He sees me and smiles encouragingly‚ blue eyes crinkling at the edges like they always do the moment they land on me. I smile back but look away quickly‚ afraid to reveal too much in front of guests. Maybe I should have saved my thoughts; the way I broke Papa’s gaze just now‚ he’s sure to check my thinkmode stream immediately to see what I’m upset about. He can’t stand to see me hurt. He often reminds me‚ Always record your feelings in thinkmode‚ so you can be helped to feel optimally at all times. We don’t need to waste time on unproductive emotions. Lein is standing‚ tucking in his dining chair. He makes his way behind the line of diners sitting‚ chatting‚ preparing themselves happily—flicking out napkins‚ straightening cutlery—for the arrival of the first course. I don’t care that I’m staring keenly. Maybe even shamelessly. I might make a bad spy‚ but I will never lose sight of someone I’m trailing. He stops behind Wilfred’s chair. He bends and whispers a few words into the old man’s ears. Wilfred gets up from his seat‚ holding his nameplate. Lein sets his nameplate down. Across from mine. Then he finally looks me right in the eyes. Smiles a smile I haven’t seen yet at this party. “At long last‚ I get to have some time with you‚” he says‚ his voice thrillingly low and smooth‚ superb‚ a tone it seems made only for me. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all night‚ Raisa.” Excerpted from Fledgling‚ copyright © 2024 by S.K. Ali. The post Read an Excerpt From S.K. Ali’s Fledgling appeared first on Reactor.

The Environmental Protection Agency should withdraw and reissue a proposed rule regulating methane emissions because it hasn’t provided enough information to verify the computer modeling behind it‚ Heritage Foundation researchers say.  By violating the modeling requirements in the Clean Air Act‚ the federal law designed to reduce air pollution‚ EPA is operating under a double standard—one for itself‚ another for state agencies and other regulated agencies‚ the two researchers explain in comments submitted to EPA. The researchers are Kevin Dayaratna‚ chief statistician in Heritage’s Center for Data Analysis‚ and Mario Loyola‚ a senior research fellow at Heritage for environmental policy and regulation who also is a professor at Florida International University. (The Daily Signal is Heritage’s news and commentary outlet.) In January‚ President Joe Biden’s EPA unfurled what it calls the Waste Emissions Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems. The agency’s stated purpose: to “impose and collect an annual charge on methane emissions that exceed specified waste emissions thresholds from applicable oil and gas facilities.” The overall objective is to impose fees on the largest emitters of methane to create an incentive for them to curtail what EPA describes as “harmful air pollutants.” If the Biden administration can make the case for a higher “social cost” of carbon‚ it would be in a stronger position to rationalize stricter regulations to combat climate change. But Dayaratna told The Daily Signal in a phone interview that the cost-benefit analysis underlying computer models used by EPA to simulate a real-world system is open to debate. “The real key here‚ the meat on the bones‚ is their quantifying of economic damages‚” Dayaratna said of EPA’s methodology. “Any government agency is entitled to use statistical modeling in cost-benefit analysis‚ but the problem here is they need to provide enough information so their calculation of the proposed damages is reproducible. But in my opinion‚ all they are doing is providing the [computer] codes‚ and the underlying assumptions of the codes they go into the calculations of damages aren’t reproducible.” In their comments to EPA‚ Dayaratna and Loyola burrowed into the legal problems the proposed rule is likely to encounter.  Federal courts have ruled that “it is an abuse of discretion for the EPA to fail to follow its own prior standards‚” the two  Heritage researchers write. They say the courts also ruled “that it is arbitrary for EPA to rely on models [the] reliability and predictiveness of which cannot be independently determined because of insufficient collection and correlation of empirical data.” Their comments focus primarily on EPA’s efforts to calculate the “social cost of methane‚” the greenhouse gas generated during production and transportation of oil‚ gas‚ or coal. By quantifying the social cost of carbon‚ which in combination with hydrogen creates methane‚ EPA seeks to attach a firm figure to effects on the climate that result from human emissions of methane.  But the two Heritage scholars said they see many problems with the associated computer modeling.  Some fundamental problems with one model‚ the “Data-driven Spatial Climate Impact Model” or DSCIM‚ stand out.  In their comments‚ Dayaratna and Loyola point to what they call “the unavailability of computer codes necessary to be able to reproduce the damage function coefficients in the DSCIM model.”   Dayaratna explained why this is a problem. “Without the code‚ there is no way to verify the accuracy of the model’s estimates which hinge on these coefficients‚” Heritage’s chief statistician told The Daily Signal. “Although we sent correspondence to EPA staff asking for the data needed to substantiate the modeling results‚ they simply referred us to another research group. The onus is on [EPA officials] to provide codes to reproduce the analysis they are using to justify the proposed regulatory policy.” The Daily Signal asked EPA’s press office for comment on the modeling concerns raised by the two Heritage analysts and‚ specifically‚ whether the agency would release the information they requested.  The deadline for public comments on EPA’s proposed rule was March 26 and the agency is reviewing the submitted comments‚ “including those from The Heritage Foundation‚” an EPA spokesman responded late Tuesday.  EPA has made mistakes before in calculations involving the social cost of carbon‚ Dayaratna and Loyola argue‚ so it is vital that the agency provide data it uses to promulgate a methane regulation with far-reaching ramifications. The two researchers identify “subcomponents” of the damage calculations affecting coastlines‚ agriculture‚ human mortality‚ energy‚ and labor. What’s the answer to potential errors in computer modeling and EPA’s unwillingness to share information&;#63; Dayaratna recommends strict adherence to the requirements of the Clean Air Act‚ so that regulations with wide-ranging ramifications for industry and energy consumers are rooted in hard facts. “The EPA staff don’t tell you where they get those numbers that they are essentially just multiplying and adding together‚” Dayaratna told The Daily Signal. “This is problematic because there could be a major mistake with the modeling‚ which we’ve seen in the past.” “These models could be the basis for potentially burdensome regulations‚” he added. “The EPA staff can’t just be waving their magic wand and have an agenda to regulate what they want. If they are going to claim there is a reason‚ they have to provide the reason and show that it is legitimate and valid. So far‚ I’m not convinced they have.” The post Researchers Fault EPA for Resisting Efforts to Verify Accuracy of Computer Models on Methane appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A low-profile case decided Wednesday by the Supreme Court could have big implications for employers’ diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion programs. Muldrow v. City of St. Louis was a case about a female police officer who alleged that she was transferred from one department to another because of her sex. She argued that the transfer violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act‚ which forbids “race‚ color‚ religion‚ sex‚ or national origin” discrimination with respect to employment “compensation‚ terms‚ conditions‚ or privileges.” She lost in the lower court because she could not show that the transfer caused her “significant” harm. The lower court held that the transfer “did not result in a diminution to her title‚ salary‚ or benefits” and caused “only minor changes in [her] working conditions.” A unanimous Supreme Court reversed‚ holding that any harm—whether significant or insignificant—satisfies Title VII. Writing for the court‚ Justice Elena Kagan said that the policewoman “does not have to show … that the harm incurred was significant. Or serious‚ or substantial‚ or any similar adjective.” The take-away is that the policewoman gets to sue‚ and so do a lot of other people. And not just over sex discrimination or transfers. The opinion covers a lot more. Title VII applies to all compensation‚ terms‚ conditions‚ and privileges of employment. If you have been fired‚ transferred‚ denied a bonus‚ or forced to attend (or excluded from) a training program‚ mentorship program‚ or retreat‚ on the basis of your race‚ sex‚ or religion‚ you can sue. And now‚ you need not prove that you suffered any significant sort of harm. As Justice Brett Kavanaugh explained in his concurring opinion‚ if there’s no floor on the amount of harm you must suffer‚ then the harm requirement is satisfied by any change in “money‚ time‚ satisfaction‚ schedule‚ convenience‚ commuting costs or time‚ prestige‚ status‚ career prospects‚ interest level‚ perks‚ professional relationships‚ networking opportunities‚ effects on family obligations‚ or the like.” The ruling applies to sex-based transfers‚ like the policewoman’s‚ but it also applies to many corporate DEI programs. It’s fashionable for corporate employers to create race- and sex-based employment conditions and privileges as part of their DEI initiatives.   Some cases are obvious and egregious. For example‚ Novant Health fired a white male executive in order to replace him with two women—one black‚ the other white. And Starbucks fired a former manager because she was white. Other cases are subtle yet ubiquitous. LinkedIn’s “employee resource groups” and mentoring and training programs for “systemically marginalized” groups are representative examples. LinkedIn gives employees access to official programs organized on race and sex lines and creates special mentorships for members of certain groups. These are all “privileges of employment” under Title VII. LinkedIn also provides the leaders of these groups special pay on top of their salaries‚ which is “compensation” under Title VII. Similarly‚ other companies‚ such as the law firms Morrison Foerster and Perkins Coie‚ provided race-based fellowships until they were sued. Other companies‚ like Twilio‚ consider race during layoffs. Still more companies—including Starbucks‚ Morgan Stanley‚ McDonald’s‚ Hershey‚ BlackRock‚ Disney‚ and many others—administer programs and engage in practices that appear to give or deny special preferences and detriments on the basis of race and sex. All of these programs and practices are celebrated as part of what Microsoft‚ for example‚ calls its “Diversity and Inclusion Journey‚” which aims to “intentionally shift behavior” so that “everyone is accountable for change.” Until Muldrow‚ cases challenging these programs faced the hurdle of having to prove “significant” harm. A judge might say‚ “Yes‚ you were discriminated against‚ but you didn’t really suffer.” To this‚ Kavanaugh and others would answer “discrimination is harm‚” but that claim wouldn’t have gotten you anywhere.   A judge or jury sympathetic to DEI programs could easily say that a black person who was forced to work on certain projects to meet a client’s racial quota hadn’t suffered “significant” harm. Or that an Asian person denied the benefits of a mentorship program given to black employees hadn’t suffered “significant” harm. Or that a white person forced to undergo training telling her to “be less white” hadn’t suffered “significant” harm. Today‚ that hurdle is gone. The harm requirement may now be satisfied by anything as simple as discomfort‚ status‚ or interest level. Functionally‚ discrimination alone is all that must now be proved. That means that anti-DEI lawsuits just got a lot easier. The post It’s Unanimous: Supreme Court Just Made It Easier to Sue Employers Over DEI Policies appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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