New York Times retracts claims of leaked climate report

The New York Times admitted Wednesday it did not “leak” a government report on climate change, acknowledging the document had been available online since January. Critics accuse the Times of making the report seem like a secret because it fit the narrative of the Trump administration attempting to squelch research that supports man-made climate change. The Times quoted government scientists who said they feared the Environmental Protection Agency would suppress the report. But it turns out the report is a draft currently going through the standard public comment period. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders blasted the Times for failing to note that in its story: “As others have pointed out—and The New York Times should have noticed—drafts of this report have been published and made widely available online months ago during the public comment period. The White House will withhold comment on any draft report before its scheduled release date.” Times editors said they weren’t aware the report had been published online, noting the website wasn’t widely known.