science and politics

Pop quiz: What do the New York Times, Jeffrey "the yogic flying instructor" Smith, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have in common?
I'd like to propose a plan to put Americans on Jupiter by 2030. It goes like this:
Like Pig-Pen from Peanuts, a cloud of filth follows Andrew Wakefield wherever he goes.
I was eating at Panda Express earlier today. (Don't judge me.) I noticed that, after a few bites, my fork was completely bent out of shape. (See image.) So, I took a look at the handle. "Compostable," it said.
The AAAS, which stands for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is one of the foremost pro-science organizations in the world.
It is now indisputable that the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, United States, 2016 was a catastrophe by any measure.
One of these beliefs is not like the other: The moon landing was faked. 9/11 was an inside job. Vaccines cause autism.
It is increasingly difficult to have a conversation about any topic that is even remotely political. We appear to have entered a world in which there is no longer a common set of agreed upon facts.
Not only did Americans vote on members of Congress this week, but citizens of several states also voted on various science- and health-related policy issues. How did those turn out?