Umair Irfan

Umair Irfan is a versatile and experienced journalist with a focus on climate change, energy policy, and Covid-19. He has reported extensively on the ground from various locations including wildfires, laboratories, and the Amazon rainforest. As a correspondent at Vox, he contributes articles to the website and is also a regular contributor to Science Friday radio program. Prior to joining Vox, Irfan worked as a reporter for ClimateWire at E&E News in Washington DC where he covered environmental health, Department of Energy matters, and climate research. His work has been published in Scientific American and the New York Times. You can find him on Twitter @umairfan.

Biography:  https://www.vox.com/authors/umair-irfan

79%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

85%

Examples:

  • CenterPoint did apply for a $100 million grant last year from the US Department of Energy to bolster its wires and poles to withstand severe weather, but the agency denied the proposal.
  • The Texas power grid is largely isolated from its neighbors so it can't easily draw power from other states when its supply is disrupted.

Conflicts of Interest

100%

Examples:

  • CenterPoint did apply for a $100 million grant last year from the US Department of Energy to bolster its wires and poles to withstand severe weather, but the agency denied the proposal.

Contradictions

80%

Examples:

  • Hurricane Beryl caused power outages in Houston, leaving some residents without electricity for over five days.
  • Hurricane Beryl was the earliest Category 5 storm in the Atlantic hurricane season on record, reaching that level on July 2.
  • Texas is investing billions of taxpayer dollars into new natural gas-fired power plants instead of strengthening its grid.

Deceptions

45%

Examples:

  • But the storm's impacts on vulnerable infrastructure and its convergence with severe temperatures were just as foreseeable.
  • Hurricane Beryl was unprecedented in many ways
  • It's just one thing after another
  • Officials weren't assuaged.
  • Power companies are warning residents to stay at least 35 feet away from downed power lines.

Recent Articles

Houston's Power Crisis in the Age of Extreme Weather: CenterPoint Energy's Rejected Grant and the Frustration of Residents

Houston's Power Crisis in the Age of Extreme Weather: CenterPoint Energy's Rejected Grant and the Frustration of Residents

Broke On: Friday, 12 July 2024 In July 2024, Houston, Texas faced a power crisis during Hurricane Beryl's landfall. The city's electrical infrastructure, particularly CenterPoint Energy's system serving industrial hubs and refineries, struggled to keep up with demand despite a rejected $100 million grant request for strengthening. Residents endured days without electricity amidst soaring temperatures and recovery from previous flooding events. Frustration ensued due to uneven power restoration and criticism towards Harris County's highest-ranking official.