In Washington, President Donald Trump has directed federal suspension and debarment officials to conduct a comprehensive review of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), focusing on its role in producing the Fourth Edition of the "Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence." Announced on his Truth Social platform, the order targets what the administration calls "fraudulent, biased and misleading" climate-related content intended for federal judges. The manual, jointly produced with the Federal Judicial Center and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, is a longstanding judicial resource. Its latest edition, released late last year, added a substantial new chapter explaining climate science for use in complex environmental litigation.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.