>>So much for "experts".

The experts you rightly decry have sold themselves as props for political narrative. Modern politics may see this as normal but science used to label such tactics as "Junk Science" that was a career-ending antic rather than a path to celebrity success. Such a shame to see science reduced to a weapon for divisive partisanship... the silver lining is that thinking people get to see what is happening before the culprits are quite ready. Despite the disdain for the muppetry, millions of Americans will notice (for example) expert after expert decrying COVID risks at a Trump rally, sought out by the same MSM that admires far more sustained protests and riots. Lincoln was right that you can't fool all the people all the time...