'The Daily Show' examines Fauci's testimony and RFK Hospital plus Emmy nominations for 'The Daily Show'

I told my readers, "Stay tuned for more awards show coverage" and it's also the end of the month, when I shift to topical coverage I can share the next month, so I'm featuring Fauci Takes the 5th Amendment While MAGA Cracks His Diary Open & Calls Him Hitler | The Daily Show.

Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before the Senate in the GOP's hyperpartisan investigation into his "megalomania" and alleged mishandling of Covid, despite the fact that Trump admitted to having “a lot of respect for Dr. Fauci” during the pandemic. Jordan Klepper gets into the hearing’s biggest moments, including Fauci repeatedly invoking the Fifth Amendment, Senator Josh Hawley invoking Fauci’s diary entries, and one Instagram commenter invoking the eggplant emoji.

Six years ago, I wrote, "May the real Dr. Fauci be more appreciated when the COVID-19 pandemic is over than Kate McKinnon's portrayal of him hopes." This hearing shows that hasn't happened. Instead, not only did misinformation and the partisan divide drive a surge in U.S. COVID deaths, they led to scapegoating Fauci. That's quite the fall from Fauci and others being named Time Magazine's Guardians of the Year in 2020.

As for Senator Hawley's accusations against Fauci, they're an example of Projection being the Right's favorite defense mechanism; every accusation is a confession. All of Hawley's smears are even more true about Donald "Pervert Hoover" Trump, except for doing the most damage to science. That dishonor belongs to RFK Jr. I made a sign for the No Kings protests that says as much.


I'll get back to Brainworm later. Time to return to the hearing and its coverage on Fox News, which is all in on "the Wuhan lab-leak hypothesis." I last discussed that in 2021 and have ignored it since, as I don't want to contribute to the acceptance of what I think is a conspiracy theory. That isn't stopping the Fox News anchors or their guests, particularly ex-coach, current Senator, and likely future Governor Tommy Tuberville, who, if he wants to cite one unofficial idea, might as well cite another, "16 million to 28.1 million with the most likely figure being 21 million, 3.1 times the total of official deaths." It would scare people even more than 9 million and it has better support than the lab-leak hypothesis, which I think is based on xenophobia, partisan wishful thinking, and a questionable intelligence report not supported by scientists. It doesn't help that Fox News undercuts that position by their consistent underplaying of COVID-19. Logic and reason are not their strong suit, but I wrote that the late Jerry Pournelle, himself a conservative, described conservatives as irrational fifteen years ago, so I shouldn't be surprised.

I couldn't agree more that staff cuts at Health and Human Services, the CDC, and NIH are among the reasons the U.S. is "losing a diarrhea war with lettuce." That deserves its own post, but not today. Instead, I'm moving on to Desi Lydic Foxsplains Anthony Fauci's Pandemic Diary | The Daily Show.

Fox News got a hold of Anthony Fauci's Covid-era diary, and Desi Lydic is ready to Foxsplain every evil detail.

HAHAHAHA! All except the lettuce being from Michigan — that hits too close to home, literally.

Now to get back to Brainworm with RFK Hospital: An Original Series Inspired by the Medical Advice of RFK Jr. | The Daily Show, an Emmy nominee for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment).

America might be getting sick of RFK Jr. as health secretary, but much like the worm in his brain, he doesn't appear to be going anywhere. While you won't find his brand of non-professional medical advice on "Grey's Anatomy" or "The Pitt," you can find it on a bold new medical drama: RFK Hospital.

On the one hand, HAHAHAHA! On the other, this is the kind of health care leader Fauci's enemies want to listen to. I'd rather follow Fauci.

Speaking of following, continue over the jump for The Daily Show's Emmy nominations.

'Mr. Scorsese' vs. 'The American Revolution' for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series plus Data Centers on Earth Overshoot Day

As I promised twice, I'm resuming my coverage of this year's Emmy nominees by finishing my examination of the documentary categories because I promised The American Revolution vs. Mr. Scorsese.

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series

• The American Revolution (PBS)
• Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV)
• Rafa (Netflix)
• Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix)
• The Yogurt Shop Murders (HBO)

Mr. Scorsese and Sean Combs: The Reckoning co-lead with three nominations each, followed by The American Revolution and The Yogurt Shop Murders tied at two and Rafa with one. That's not exactly the order that the prognosticators at Gold Derby handicap this category. The professionals mostly picked Mr. Scorsese to win with 62.5% of experts and 57.1% of editors along with 37.6% of users, while 57.9% of users support The American Revolution with the remaining professionals, 37.5% of experts and 42.9% of editors, agreeing. The rest of the users rank Sean Combs: The Reckoning third with 2.9%, Rafa fourth with 1.3%, and The Yogurt Shop Murders fifth with 0.3%.

This ranking reflects what happened at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, where Mr. Scorsese beat The American Revolution for Best Limited Documentary Series. Electorates matter, so I think, all things being equal, the Television Academy will vote for a good story about one of their own, and I think all things are equal here.

Follow over the jump for the categories documentaries are competing in that I haven't examined yet, an update on the first post in this series, and a video about Earth Overshoot Day.

Marsh Family sings 'Silicon Valley' plus International Tiger Day

I promised a song by the Marsh Family for today. Watch and listen to "Silicon Valley" - Marsh Family arrangement of traditional American folk song "Down in the Valley".

‘Down in the Valley’ – sometimes also known as ‘Birmingham Jail’ – is a traditional American folk song that was circulating in earnest in the 1920s. Versions have been recorded by a huge set of music icons, with our favourites including those of Pete Seeger, Tex Ritter, the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, Solomon Burke, and a Glen Campbell version which encouraged us to include modulations up a perfect fourth cos they’re very uplifting.

The song comes from a deep heritage mixing English, Irish, Scottish, Appalachian, and Ozark influences, with its distinctive mournful (perhaps jailhouse) waltz. For our version we’ve stepped away from a love ballad, but there is a lament in the arrangement and it hopefully feels resonant of US pioneer history. It contemplates how some of the more progressive ideas that were kindled by early generations of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have been flamboyantly cast aside by the latest cohort, as they move aggressively to embrace a different set of values – scrabbling for an ever-more concentrated and destructive matrix of resources and power, while backfilling flimsy self-oriented rationales. Not that US tech or Silicon Valley didn’t always have its fair share of corporate greed, competition, and self-promotion, but there was often at least a veneer of social conscience, environmental mindfulness, techno-altruism, and a kind of confidence and coolness that the current crop of tech bros have lost, as they suck at whatever teat will fit with their fantasies of deregulation, accumulation, and self-glorification.

The lyrics referencing The Lord of the Rings remind me of Vox asking 'What would J.R.R. Tolkien think of Palantir?' "[C]yberpunk villain ideas straight out of Snow Crash" and "bad readings of classic fantasy." Also, William Shockley serves as a cautionary tale that Silicon Valley has seen brilliant people go bad in similar ways before.

As for the techbros resembling Bond villains, I've said that before, writing "Musk thinks he's Tony Stark (the "real-life Iron Man"), but he's really a Bond villain, specifically a cooler version of Hugo Drax." I also reacted to a video that is no longer available by referring to a parody of a 007 villain.

That was a hilarious impression of Jeff Bezos as Dr. Evil listing villains both billionaires should be compared to. The only one I thought the DJ missed was Lex Luthor. After all, the same actor has played both Zuckerberg and Luthor.

Just to complete the circle back to The Lord of the Rings, I did so in Colbert and others have a good laugh at Zuckerberg saying his employees call him 'Sauron'. I think Meta's employees are on to something.

Today is International Tiger Day, so I'm closing with International Tiger Day by National Day Calendar.

Ready to protect nature’s top jungle predators? On this episode of National Day Spotlight (https://nationaldaycalendar.com/), Marlo Anderson (https://marloanderson.com/) and co-host Alice Anderson are looking to conservation efforts for International Tiger Day... They’ll focus on vanishing wild habitats and the global efforts underway to ensure a safe future for these animals of majestic stripes. Tune in for an inspiring look at wilderness protection!

I'm not done with environmental holidays, as tomorrow is Earth Overshoot Day for 2026. I'll mention it, but I think it will play second fiddle to the Emmy Awards. Americans are quite clear about our screwed-up priorities, and I'm an American. Stay tuned.

'Oceans with David Attenborough' tied with 'Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!' for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special

I'm returning to coverage of the Emmy Awards today after taking a break from entertainment in general and awards shows in particular yesterday. I can't be all DOOM or all fun all the time. Since today is World Conservation Day, I'm examining the categories with nature documentaries, beginning with Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special

• John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video)
• Marty, Life Is Short (Netflix)
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (HBO)
• My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO)
• Ocean with David Attenborough (Nat Geo)

Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! and Ocean with David Attenborough co-lead with six nominations each, followed by John Candy: I Like Me with five nominations and Marty, Life Is Short tied with My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay at three. Normally, I'd consider Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! and Ocean with David Attenborough to be co-favorites, but the experts, editors, and users at Gold Derby disagree. They think John Candy: I Like Me and My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay to be the favorites, with 50.0% of experts, 28.6% of editors, and 61.0% of users picking the former, while 50.0% of experts, 57.1% of editors, and 26.3% of users choosing the latter. Normally, I'd favor the editors over the experts except one of the experts picking John Candy: I Like Me is Joyce Eng, whose opinion I trust. The remaining editor(s), 14.3%, are currently voting for Ocean with David Attenborough along with 3.5% of users. The rest of the users are split between Marty, Life Is Short with 6.2% and Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! with 3.0%. I've often written that, all things being equal,the Emmy electorate will vote for a good story about themselves. The corollary is that they will vote for a nominee about a dead celebrity over a living one. The prognosticators at Gold Derby seem to agree. Again, electorates matter.

That was the program category with one nature documentary nominee. Now for a performer category with three out of the five nominees in nature documentaries.

Outstanding Narrator

• Sir David Attenborough – A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (Netflix)
• Sir David Attenborough – Ocean with David Attenborough (Nat Geo)
• Jodie Foster – Breakdown: 1975 (Netflix)
• Werner Herzog – Ghost Elephants (Nat Geo)
• Octavia Spencer – Lost Women of Alaska: "The Missing" (Investigation Discovery)

The experts, editors, and users disagree about the odds in this category, too, with 87.5% of experts and 83.0% of users but only 28.6% of editors electing for Sir David in Ocean with David Attenborough, 42.9% of editors along with 12.5% of experts and 9.4% of users choosing Octavia Spencer, and the remaining 28.6% of editors along with 2.9% of users on board with Warner Herzog. The remaining users split between Jodie Foster at 2.6% and Sir David's other nomination at 2.1%. Let's see who switches first, the experts or the editors.

The remaining four categories in which Ocean with David Attenborough earned nominations are Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program (covered in 'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards), Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score) (sort of covered in 'Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age' earned two Emmy nominations for its VFX and music), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program, and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program (covered in 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special). I don't feel like looking at any of them today, so instead I'm embedding CONSERVATION DAY | July 28 by National Day Calendar.



Do you enjoy the outdoors? Let us know!
Ha! No wonder Teddy Roosevelt was rated the most environmental president!

That's a wrap for today. I plan on resuming Emmy coverage Thursday. In the meantime, I have a song by the Marsh Family planned for tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards

• 'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards
• Drink to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show's Emmy nominations on National Piña Colada Day
• 'Desi Lydic Foxsplains Trump's Big Beautiful Ballroom' plus the short form nominees at the Emmy Awards
• 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
• 'Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age' earned two Emmy nominations for its VFX and music

SciShow recounts 'The Time England Ran Out of Bones,' a story of phosphorus

Usually, I blog about entertainment to take a break from serious subjects. I can't be all DOOM all the time. Today, I'm taking a break from awards shows to share SciShow and Hank Green telling the tale of The Time England Ran Out of Bones.

Britain's population exploded during the Industrial Revolution. To sustain that growth, they needed a lot of food and, therefore, a lot of fertilizer. Their ports were clogged with boatloads of imported poop and bones from all over the world, until they discovered a rock that was the best fertilizer of all. Ever since, our entire global food system has precariously teetered on access to a precious fossil resource: phosphorus.

This video serves as a companion to SciShow examines ammonia, a molecule that has fed billions through fertilizer, which I'm recycling as part of my response.

A fact I repeat to my environmental science students is that synthetic fertilizers are responsible for growing enough crops to feed at least one billion people and are the number one reason for increased crop production. It turns out I may have been understating their importance...fertilizers have helped feed billions. The BBC went farther, quoting Svein Tore Holsether, head of fertilizer company Yara, reporting that "He pointed out that half of the world's food production is dependent on fertiliser." That was in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, about which Holsether told the BBC "Putin has weaponised energy and they're weaponising food as well." Yikes! That's a topic that deserves its own post.

This isn't that post. Darn.

SciShow did make up for a deficit I noticed three years ago.

SciShow didn't even mention the effects of excess fertilizer washing into the environment and causing eutrophication. That's a word I've never used on this blog before, which means I need to write a post about that, too.

Hank and SciShow at least included this effect as an result of (over)fertilizing crops. Count this as a down payment on that promise.

Hank pointed out that the current major sources of phosphorus are nonrenewable and will run out. That's something I've told my students, but it's not going to be fixed until we approach the production peak, much like petroleum. That might happen as soon as the middle of this century. I might not see that happen, but my students will, so they're the ones who will have to deal with it. In the meantime, they can watch this video and turn in a summary for extra credit. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

'Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age' earned two Emmy nominations for its VFX and music

I'm returning to the Emmy Awards for today's Sunday entertainment feature with the nominations for Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age. Like three years ago, it earned a nomination for its music by Kara Talve, Anže Rozman, and Hans Zimmer and a second for its visual effects. Time to watch Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age — Season 3 Official Trailer | Apple TV.

New creatures. New era. Experience the Ice Age like never before. Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age is now streaming on Apple TV https://apple.co/_PrehistoricPlanet

“Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” is a sweeping new installment of the award-winning natural history series from executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton, produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit (“Planet Earth”), and narrated by Golden Globe Award and Olivier Award winner Tom Hiddleston (“Earthsounds”), with an original score by Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman and Kara Talve from Bleeding Fingers Music. The five-part docuseries, set to premiere globally on November 26, 2025, invites viewers into a dramatic new era of prehistoric life, millions of years after the extinction of the dinosaurs — an era shaped by ice, the intense fight to survive and the rise of a new cast of giants: the iconic megafauna.

“Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” uses the latest scientific research and cutting-edge visual effects to bring this frozen world to life like never before, unveiling the spectacular habitats and inhabitants of ancient Earth for a one-of-a-kind experience. From towering woolly mammoths to elusive snow sloths, terrifying saber-toothed tigers to resilient dwarf elephants (only 3 feet tall), the series reveals the epic struggles and unexpected stories of animals that once ruled the Ice Age. Viewers will journey through vast tundras, barren deserts, expanding grasslands and melting permafrost as these creatures battle for survival in the face of extreme climates, shifting landscapes and the onset of “The Big Freeze,” and ultimately, “The Big Melt.”

The series is produced by the world-renowned team at BBC Studios Natural History Unit with support from the photorealistic visual effects of Framestore (“Gravity,” “The Golden Compass”). Theme by Hans Zimmer, with an original score by Zimmer, Anže Rozman and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music.

“Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age” continues the storytelling journey of the acclaimed Apple TV natural history series “Prehistoric Planet,” which transported viewers 66 million years into the past to witness the age of dinosaurs across two seasons. Blending cinematic storytelling with photorealistic visual effects, the series brings ancient worlds to life, offering a firsthand look at some of the most extraordinary creatures ever to walk the Earth. The complete first two seasons of “Prehistoric Planet” are available to stream now on Apple TV.

Since I concentrated on the music three years ago, I'm focusing on the visual effects today. Watch Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age — Season 3: Puppet Behind the Scenes | Apple TV.



Real survival, real stakes, and really impressive puppets.
That concentrated on the puppets. Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age VFX Breakdown | Framestore focused on the rest of the process.

Explore the award-winning VFX behind Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age, the critically acclaimed third season of the docuseries executive produced by Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton and produced by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit.

Our global teams were tasked with developing the VFX and animation for over 40 scientifically accurate creatures, many never-before-seen on screen. From sabre-toothed cats to rhino-sized wombats, tiny island elephants, and the largest ape to ever live, the core creative challenge was ensuring these animals felt as real, grounded, and emotionally compelling as subjects in a modern wildlife documentary.

Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age earned our global team Best FX at the Annie Awards alongside double honours at the VES Awards for Outstanding Visual Effects and Outstanding Effects Simulation.

This video worked for its awards campaign; it got nominated.

I close today's post with Main Theme (End Credits) - Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age.


That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for continuing coverage of the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards

• 'The Tale of Silyan' vs 'The Librarians' for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking at the Emmy Awards
• Drink to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show's Emmy nominations on National Piña Colada Day
• 'Desi Lydic Foxsplains Trump's Big Beautiful Ballroom' plus the short form nominees at the Emmy Awards
• 'Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize' plus the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special

Action TV nominees at the 2026 Critics Choice Super Awards

I'm concluding my series examining the nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards with the action television shows. Here are the nominated action programs from the press release.

BEST ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

9-1-1: Nashville
Boston Blue
Dark Winds
High Potential
Hijack
The Lowdown
Task
Tracker

Boston Blue, Dark Winds, High Potential, Hijack, The Lowdown, and Task each have two nominations while 9-1-1: Nashville and Tracker both have one. Despite my using High Potential in the preview image, because it's the only nominee in this category running a campaign on Twitter, I think this will go to Task, the only nominee here with current Emmy nominations, six to be exact. As I wrote yesterday, "The critics are not the Hollywood creatives, but both still embody elite entertainment opinion, so they are likely to agree on Widow's Bay. As I usually write about awards shows but haven't written before in this series, electorates matter."

Follow over the jump for the acting nominations, which I'm recycling from 'House of the Dragon' vs. 'Paradise' for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards.

'Dexter: Resurrection' and 'Widow's Bay' lead horror TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

As I promised yesterday, I'm continuing my series on the Critics Choice Super Awards with the horror nominees. Here they are from the press release.

BEST HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

The Beauty
The Boroughs
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy
Dexter: Resurrection
Ghosts
IT: Welcome to Derry
Wednesday
Widow’s Bay

Dexter: Resurrection and Widow's Bay lead this field with three nominations each, The Boroughs, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, IT: Welcome to Derry, and Wednesday follow tied at two, and The Beauty and Ghosts each have just this one. On that basis alone, Dexter: Resurrection and Widow's Bay are the favorites, which I'm resolving in favor of Widow's Bay, which I voted for in the 2026 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. It also has 19 nominations at the Emmy Awards while Wednesday has six, It: Welcome to Derry two, and the rest none. The critics are not the Hollywood creatives, but both still embody elite entertainment opinion, so they are likely to agree on Widow's Bay. As I usually write about awards shows but haven't written before in this series, electorates matter.

Follow over the jump for the acting categories.

'House of the Dragon' vs. 'Paradise' for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy TV nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards

As I promised twice, I'm examining the science fiction and fantasy TV nominees as the next installment of my series on the Critics Choice Super Awards. That's because "House of the Dragon and Paradise each earned four nominations apiece in the television categories" to quote the press release, tying them for second.

BEST SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE

Alien: Earth
For All Mankind
House of the Dragon
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
Pluribus
Silo
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

As written above, House of the Dragon and Paradise lead with four nominations apiece, followed by Alien: Earth and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms tied at three, Pluribus and Silo tied at two, and For All Mankind and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with just one each. The odd thing is that Paradise has two nominations as a science fiction/fantasy series and two as an action series, which could act as a tiebreaker. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if Pluribus wins; it's that good.

Follow over the jump for the acting categories.

'Ontario is Getting Taller' and other features of glaciation from SciShow

I'm running behind on grading papers and not feeling like writing the next installment of the Critics Choice Super Awards today, so change of plans, I'm embedding SciShow's Ontario is Getting Taller instead.

Tens of thousands of years ago, large portions of North America and Europe were blanketed in ice. Although these glaciers have been gone a long time, they continue to shape our landscapes in some surprising ways.

There is also an AI summary.

Tom Lum explores how ancient glaciers fundamentally reshaped the Earth's landscape. From the formation of majestic fjords and the fertile soil of the American Midwest to ongoing geological shifts like isostatic rebound, this episode examines the enduring, transformative impact these massive ice sheets continue to have on our planet today.

I just finished lecturing and testing on glaciers and glacial features or I'd show this to my geology students. Maybe next semester, which should be my last.

I'm still going to blog about the Super Awards, so stay tuned.