New Year Off to a Strong Start for Monsanto

The new year is off to a strong start for Monsanto as the Bayer unit heads into its second trial over allegations that its Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides cause cancer. In a Jan. 3 ruling, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria rejected arguments by attorneys representing cancer victims and sided with Monsanto in deciding to ... New Year Off to a Strong Start for Monsanto

Monsanto/Bayer Lawyers Respond

Monsanto/Bayer lawyers responded Friday to de-designation requests concerning several hundred internal Monsanto records, seeking to keep most of them sealed in opposition to requests from plaintiffs’ attorneys. Company lawyers did agree to the release of some internal documents, which could be made public this week. In the meantime both sides are awaiting a ruling from ... Monsanto/Bayer Lawyers Respond

New Judge Appointed in Pilliod Case

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Ioana Petrou, who has spent more than a year engaged in the Roundup cancer litigation and sat through many days of the presentation of scientific evidence by plaintiffs and defense experts in a federal court hearing in March 2017, is off the case. California Gov. Jerry Brown announced on November ... New Judge Appointed in Pilliod Case

Attorneys Scramble Ahead of Next Trial

With the next trial in the mass Roundup cancer litigation set for Feb. 25 in San Francisco, attorneys for Monsanto and plaintiffs are scrambling to take more than two dozen depositions in the waning weeks of December and into January even as they debate how the trial should be organized. Monsanto attorneys on Dec. 10 ... Attorneys Scramble Ahead of Next Trial

Federal Court Documents

Stevick v. Monsanto Federal court Order of delay due to settlement talks.pdf (02.07.20) Stevick order Nov 6, 2019.pdf (11.06.19) Stevick Letter Brief re husband cancer diagnosis.pdf (10.29.19) Stevick-v.-Monsanto.pdf (05.20.19) Edwin Hardeman v. Monsanto Hardeman-monetary-award.pdf (08.26.21) 9th-circuit-appeals-court-ruling-on-Hardeman-v-Monsanto.pdf (05.14.21) 65-Hardeman-CFS-amicus-brief.pdf (03.23.20) EPA amicus brief supporting Monsanto in Hardeman appeal.pdf (12.20.19) Hardeman appeal by Monsanto.pdf (12.17.19) Monsanto-consultants-discuss-dismissing-Seralinis-study-as-junk-science.pdf (08.18.19) Judge’s amended order on Hardeman damages.pdf (07.17.19) Judge ruling on Hardeman ... Federal Court Documents

I Won a Historic Lawsuit But May Not Live to Get the Money

This article was originally published in Time Magazine. By Carey Gillam Dewayne Anthony Lee Johnson has always just gone by Lee. He lived a modest life for 42 years, and was devastated when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2014. Now 46, as he struggles with his advancing illness, Johnson has found sudden celebrity ... I Won a Historic Lawsuit But May Not Live to Get the Money

Lee Johnson interview

Dewayne “Lee” Johnson was the first person to take Monsanto to court alleging that exposure to Roundup herbicide caused him to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma and that the company covered up the risks. In August 2018, a jury in San Francisco unanimously found that Monsanto had failed to warn about the carcinogenic dangers of Roundup herbicide ... Lee Johnson interview

Reporting and Analysis: Monsanto Trials

Carey Gillam’s Roundup Trial Tracker blog: 2018-2021 Emails show Monsanto orchestrated GOP effort to intimidate cancer researchers  by Lee Fang (The Intercept) (8.23.19) Emails Reveal Science Publisher Found Papers On Herbicide Safety Should Be Retracted Due to Monsanto Meddling (USRTK) (8.23.19) Revealed: how Monsanto’s ‘intelligence center’ targeted journalists and activists  by Sam Levin (The Guardian) (8.8.19) Documents ... Reporting and Analysis: Monsanto Trials

Val Giddings: Top Operative for the Agrichemical Industry

Val Giddings, PhD, is a key player in agrichemical industry efforts to oppose transparency and safety regulations for genetically engineered foods and pesticides. Emails obtained by U.S. Right to Know and posted in the UCSF Chemical Industry Documents Library indicate that Dr. Giddings helped set up a corporate front group and played a key behind-the-scenes ... Val Giddings: Top Operative for the Agrichemical Industry

State Court Documents

General state court documents General state court docs Appointment of fund administrator for Andrus Wagstaff qualified settlement fund.pdf (09.14.20) Andrus Wagstaff Motion to establish qualified settlement fund.pdf (09.14.20) Appointment of lien administrator for Andrus Wagstaff and Lundy firms settlement.pdf (09.10.20) Monsanto Cases Filed in St. Louis County Jan 2017 to Oct. 15 2019 (10.22.19) Kyle Chaplick v. Monsanto St. ... State Court Documents

‘The World is Against Them’: New Era of Cancer Lawsuits Threaten Monsanto

A landmark verdict found Roundup caused a man’s cancer, paving the way for thousands of other families to seek justice This article was originally published in The Guardian. By Carey Gillam Dean Brooks grasped on to the shopping cart, suddenly unable to stand or breathe. Later, at a California emergency room, a nurse with teary ... ‘The World is Against Them’: New Era of Cancer Lawsuits Threaten Monsanto

Rachel Carson Environment Book Award Winner: Whitewash by Carey Gillam

Carey Gillam’s “Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of Science (Island Press) has received rave reviews since its release last fall and has received several awards for outstanding reporting: Winner, 2018 Rachel Carson Book Award from the Society of Environmental Journalists 2018 Gold Medal winner, Outstanding Book of the Year, ... Rachel Carson Environment Book Award Winner: Whitewash by Carey Gillam

USRTK Research Director Carey Gillam Receives SEJ Award for Reporting

See Carey Gillam’s recent reporting in the Guardian News Release U.S. Right to Know is pleased to announce that  Carey Gillam’s  new book  Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of Science  (Island Press) has received the prestigious Rachel Carson Book Award for unveiling decades of corporate secrets and deceptive tactics by ... USRTK Research Director Carey Gillam Receives SEJ Award for Reporting

Secret Documents Expose Monsanto’s War on Cancer Scientists

By Stacy Malkan (updated May 17, 2019) DeWayne Johnson, a 46-year-old father dying of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, was the first person to face Monsanto in trial in 2018 over allegations the company hid evidence about the cancer-causing dangers of its Roundup weedkiller. Juries have since returned with three unanimous verdicts finding that glyphosate-based Roundup herbicides were ... Secret Documents Expose Monsanto’s War on Cancer Scientists

A Story Behind the Monsanto Cancer Trial — Journal Sits on Retraction

What “ghostwriting” by Monsanto means, how it has influenced, and still is influencing, material found in peer-reviewed scientific journals Thisarticlewasoriginallypublishedin EnvironmentalHealthNews. By Carey Gillam and Nathan Donley Consumers and journalists around the world were stunned earlier this month when Monsanto, after being forced in a court of law for the first time to defend the ... A Story Behind the Monsanto Cancer Trial — Journal Sits on Retraction

A Day of “Reckoning” for Monsanto

Jury finds that the popular Roundup weed killer causes cancer This article was originally published in Sierra. By Carey Gillam It was a blistering closing argument: In concluding the world’s first-ever court case against Monsanto Company over claims its Roundup herbicide causes cancer, attorney Brent Wisner asked jurors to deliver a message so powerful that ... A Day of “Reckoning” for Monsanto

One Man’s Suffering Exposed Monsanto’s Secrets to the World

Company’s own records revealed damning truth of glyphosate-based herbicides’ link to cancer This article was originally published in  The Guardian. By Carey Gillam It was a verdict heard around the world. In a stunning blow to one of the world’s largest seed and chemical companies, jurors in San Francisco have told Monsanto it must pay $289m in damages to a man ... One Man’s Suffering Exposed Monsanto’s Secrets to the World

Impossible Burger Fails to Inspire Trust in the GMO Industry

By Stacy Malkan For anyone who wonders why consumers aren’t inspired to trust the GMO industry, consider this bizarre rant from Impossible Foods Chief Communications Officer Rachel Konrad in defense of the Impossible Burger, a veggie burger made more meat-like via genetically engineered yeast. Konrad was upset that a story in Bloomberg raised concerns about the ... Impossible Burger Fails to Inspire Trust in the GMO Industry

“Serious Flaws” Found in Journal Standards, Document Review Shows

News Release For Immediate Release: Friday,  June 8, 2018                           For More Information Contact: Carey Gillam, USRTK Research Director (913) 526-6190 or  carey@usrighttoknow.wpenginepowered.com Sheldon Krimsky, Tufts University Professor 617-866-3100 or  Sheldon.Krimsky@tufts.edu When vital public health research reports are published in refereed journals, there is a heightened expectation that they meet professional standards of scientific integrity. But a ... “Serious Flaws” Found in Journal Standards, Document Review Shows

AgBioChatter: Where Corporations, Academics Plotted Strategy on GMOs, Pesticides

AgBioChatter is a private email listserver used by the agrichemical industry and its allies to coordinate messaging and lobbying activities. List members include pro-industry academics, senior agrichemical industry staff and public relations operatives. This internal Monsanto document identifies “Academics (AgBioChatter)” as a Tier 2 “industry partner” in Monsanto’s public relations plan to discredit the World ... AgBioChatter: Where Corporations, Academics Plotted Strategy on GMOs, Pesticides

Biofortified Aids Chemical Industry PR & Lobbying Efforts

Biology Fortified Inc., known as “Biofortified,” is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the agrichemical industry and its collaborators on public relations and lobbying campaigns to defend genetically engineered foods and pesticides, and attack industry critics. Board members and bloggers are key agrichemical industry allies Current and former board members and blog authors listed ... Biofortified Aids Chemical Industry PR & Lobbying Efforts

Academics Review: The making of a Monsanto front group to attack the organic industry

Academics Review, a nonprofit organization launched in 2012, claimed to be an independent group, but documents obtained by U.S. Right to Know revealed it was a front group, set up with the help of Monsanto executives and public relations operatives, to attack the organic industry and critics of GMOs — while appearing to be independent. ... Academics Review: The making of a Monsanto front group to attack the organic industry

Landmark Lawsuit Claims Monsanto Hid Cancer Danger of Weedkiller for Decades

In June, a California groundskeeper will make history by taking company to trial on claims it suppressed harm of Roundup Thisarticlewasoriginallypublishedin TheGuardian. By Carey Gillam At the age of 46, DeWayne Johnson is not ready to die. But with cancer spread through most of his body, doctors say he probably has just months to live. ... Landmark Lawsuit Claims Monsanto Hid Cancer Danger of Weedkiller for Decades

U.S. Right to Know Sues EPA for Glyphosate Residue Documents

News Release For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 22, 2018 For More Information Contact:Carey Gillam (913) 526-6190 U.S. Right to Know, a consumer advocacy organization, filed a lawsuit on Monday against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for violating provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).Public Citizen Litigation Group, a public interest law firm in Washington, ... U.S. Right to Know Sues EPA for Glyphosate Residue Documents

Weedkiller Products More Toxic Than Active Ingredient, Tests Show

After more than 40 years of widespread use, new scientific tests show formulated weedkillers have higher rates of toxicity to human cells This article was originally published in  The Guardian. By Carey Gillam US government researchers have uncovered evidence that some popular weedkilling products, like Monsanto’s widely-used Roundup, are potentially more toxic to human cells than their active ingredient is by ... Weedkiller Products More Toxic Than Active Ingredient, Tests Show

Internal FDA Emails: Weedkiller Found in Granola and Crackers

This article was originally published in the Guardian. By Carey Gillam US government scientists have detected a weedkiller linked to cancer in an array of commonly consumed foods, emails obtained through a freedom of information request show. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been testing food samples for residues of glyphosate, the active ingredient ... Internal FDA Emails: Weedkiller Found in Granola and Crackers

SciBabe says eat your pesticides. But who is paying her?

Blogging under the name SciBabe, Yvette d’Entremont defends toxic chemicals in food products and promotes pesticides as safe. She has received funding and honoraria from a variety of companies and industry groups. In 2017, the artificial sweetener company SPLENDA hired SciBabe to “debunk junk science” in defense of their product.SciBabe has been a featured speaker ... SciBabe says eat your pesticides. But who is paying her?

Report from the Glyphosate Daubert Hearings

Update 3/19: Judge Chhabria ordered an additional hearing for two of the plaintiffs’ witnesses. Follow Carey Gillam on Twitter for more updates about the legislation and we continue to post documents on our Monsanto Papers page. Court Transcripts from Daubert Hearings Friday March 9 transcript Thursday March 8 transcript Wednesday March 7 transcript Tuesday March ... Report from the Glyphosate Daubert Hearings

Monsanto says its pesticides are safe. Now, a court wants to see the proof

This week’s events will mark the first time that the science used to justify certain pesticides will be analyzed under oath for all to see This article was first published in The Guardian. By Carey Gillam On Monday, a federal court hearing in San Francisco will turn a public spotlight on to the science surrounding ... Monsanto says its pesticides are safe. Now, a court wants to see the proof

Farmers Vs. Monsanto: The Glyphosate Trials

“Science Week” in a federal court will decide if farmer cancer lawsuits move forward Live updates from court hearings  by Carey Gillam Transcripts of Daubert Hearings posted here News Release For Immediate Release: Monday, March 5, 2018 For More Information Contact: Carey Gillam (913) 526-6190; Stacy Malkan (510) 542-9224 San Francisco, Calif.; March 5, 2018 — A ... Farmers Vs. Monsanto: The Glyphosate Trials

Live Updates from Cancer Victims V. Monsanto Hearing

U.S. Right to Know Research Director Carey Gillam is reporting from U.S. Federal Court in San Francisco where Judge Vince Chhabria is hearing expert testimony about the science regarding the safety of glyphosate and Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer. Live updates will begin on Monday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time.

Food Evolution GMO film is ‘agribusiness propaganda’

Food Evolution, a documentary produced by Scott Hamilton Kennedy and narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, claims to look at all points of view in the debate over genetically modified foods (GMOs) debate. But the film quickly devolves into a hard sell for GMOs, based on specious claims and industry sources. See below for our June ... Food Evolution GMO film is ‘agribusiness propaganda’

Monsanto’s fingerprints all over Newsweek’s hit on organic food

Update: Newsweek’s bizarre response By Stacy Malkan “The campaign for organic food is a deceitful, expensive scam,” according to a Jan. 19 Newsweek article authored by Dr. Henry I. Miller of the Hoover Institution. If that name sounds familiar – Henry I. Miller – it may be because the New York Times recently revealed a ... Monsanto’s fingerprints all over Newsweek’s hit on organic food

Hold the Plum Pudding: US Food Sampling Shows Troubling Pesticide Residues

By Carey Gillam Sometimes the truth about our food is not very appetizing. As many gather this holiday season for shared family meals, it is likely that they’ll be serving up small doses of pesticides with each plate passed, including a prevalent type shown to be harmful to children and reproductive health. New data released ... Hold the Plum Pudding: US Food Sampling Shows Troubling Pesticide Residues

The Rise of Anti-Women, Anti-Public Health Groups

This article first appeared in Huffington Post. By Stacy Malkan At a recent soiree at Union Station, the DC power elite gathered in an anti-public health confab dressed up as a celebration of women that should concern anyone who cares about the health and rights of women and children. The Independent Women’s Forum drew an ... The Rise of Anti-Women, Anti-Public Health Groups

Having trouble getting pregnant? Science suggests: eat organic and regulate the pesticide industry

This article originally ran in the Huffington Post If you’re trying to get pregnant and raise healthy children, recent science suggests you should consider switching to an organic diet and voting out politicians who put the pesticide industry in charge of our nation’s health laws.  In just the past few weeks, the Journals of the ... Having trouble getting pregnant? Science suggests: eat organic and regulate the pesticide industry

Reuters report that IARC ‘edited out’ findings is a false narrative

Updates: Documents released in 2019 revealed Monsanto’s cozy connection to a Reuters reporter who wrote a series of articles critical of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC issued a statement on Oct. 24, 2017 rejecting the “false claims” in a Reuters article claiming the cancer agency ‘edited out’ findings in its glyphosate ... Reuters report that IARC ‘edited out’ findings is a false narrative

Q&A with Carey Gillam on Whitewash

Carey Gillam’s book is available from Island Press:  Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science. Whitewash received the 2018 Rachel Carson Environmental Book Award  from the Society of Environmental Journalists and a 2018 Gold Medal Award from the Independent Publishers. Based on 20 years of research and scores of ... Q&A with Carey Gillam on Whitewash

Carey Gillam Launches Book on Pesticide Problems & Monsanto Influence; Called to Appear Before EU Parliament

News Release For Immediate Release: Tuesday, October 10, 2017 For More Information Contact: Stacy Malkan (510) 542-9224                        Today, Carey Gillam, a former Reuters reporter and current research director for U.S. Right to Know, launched her new book, Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of Science (Island Press), a hard-hitting investigation ... Carey Gillam Launches Book on Pesticide Problems & Monsanto Influence; Called to Appear Before EU Parliament

How Monsanto Manufactured ‘Outrage’ at IARC over Cancer Classification

By Carey Gillam Three years ago this month Monsanto executives realized they had a big problem on their hands. It was September 2014 and the company’s top-selling chemical, the weed killer called glyphosate that is the foundation for Monsanto’s branded Roundup products, had been selected as one among a handful of pesticides to undergo scrutiny ... How Monsanto Manufactured ‘Outrage’ at IARC over Cancer Classification

Collusion or Coincidence? Records Show EPA Efforts to Slow Herbicide Review Came in Coordination with Monsanto

Newly released government email communications show a persistent effort by multiple officials within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to slow a separate federal agency’s safety review of Monsanto’s top-selling herbicide. Notably, the records demonstrate that the EPA efforts came at the behest of Monsanto, and that EPA officials were helpful enough to keep the chemical ... Collusion or Coincidence? Records Show EPA Efforts to Slow Herbicide Review Came in Coordination with Monsanto

New ‘Monsanto Papers’ Add To Questions Of Regulatory Collusion, Scientific Mischief

The other shoe just dropped. Four months after the publication of a batch of internal Monsanto Co. documents stirred international controversy, a new trove of company records was released early Tuesday, providing fresh fuel for a heated global debate over whether or not the agricultural chemical giant suppressed information about the potential dangers of its ... New ‘Monsanto Papers’ Add To Questions Of Regulatory Collusion, Scientific Mischief

Reuters’ Kate Kelland promoted false narrative about IARC and Aaron Blair

UPDATE January 2019: Documents filed in court  show that Monsanto provided Kate Kelland with the documents for her June 2017 story about Aaron Blair and gave her a slide deck of talking points the company wanted covered. For more details, see  Carey Gillam’s Roundup Trial Tracker post. The following analysis was prepared by Carey Gillam ... Reuters’ Kate Kelland promoted false narrative about IARC and Aaron Blair

Controversy, questions surround California’s listing of weed killer as cancer cause

By Carey Gillam This article originally appeared in Environmental Health News  on July 7, 2017. California’s official listing today of the world’s most widely used weed killer as a known carcinogen marks a milestone in what has been years of debate over the safety of the pesticide called glyphosate. But it by no means marks ... Controversy, questions surround California’s listing of weed killer as cancer cause

Monsanto Spin Doctors Target Cancer Scientist In Flawed Reuters Story

In a well-orchestrated and highly coordinated media coup, Monsanto Co. and friends this week dropped a bombshell on opponents who are seeking to prove that the company’s beloved Roundup herbicide causes cancer. A widely circulated story published June 14 in the global news outlet Reuters (for which I formerly worked) laid out what appeared to ... Monsanto Spin Doctors Target Cancer Scientist In Flawed Reuters Story

Of Mice, Monsanto and a Mysterious Tumor

Call it the case of the mysterious mouse tumor. It’s been 34 years since Monsanto Co. presented U.S. regulators with a seemingly routine study analyzing the effects the company’s best-selling herbicide might have on rodents. Now, that study is once again under the microscope, emerging as a potentially pivotal piece of evidence in litigation brought ... Of Mice, Monsanto and a Mysterious Tumor

FDA Resumes Testing Foods For Weed Killer, Safety Questions Grow

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has resumed its first-ever endeavor to evaluate how much of a controversial chemical is making its way into the U.S. food supply. And the tests can’t come soon enough as safety concerns about the herbicide known as glyphosate grow. The FDA, the nation’s chief food safety regulator, launched what ... FDA Resumes Testing Foods For Weed Killer, Safety Questions Grow

Canadians Report Weed Killer Detected in 30 Percent of Food Tested

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has gone where the U.S. government dares not tread – testing thousands of foods commonly consumed by its citizens for residues of a controversial herbicide linked to cancer. And the findings are less than appetizing. The agency said it found the pesticide known as glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto ... Canadians Report Weed Killer Detected in 30 Percent of Food Tested

Moms Exposed to Monsanto Weed Killer Means Bad Outcomes for Babies

Concerns about the world’s most widely used herbicide are taking a new twist as researchers unveil data that indicates pervasive use of Monsanto Co.’s weed killer could be linked to pregnancy problems. Researchers looking at exposure to the herbicide known as glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup branded herbicides, said they tested and tracked ... Moms Exposed to Monsanto Weed Killer Means Bad Outcomes for Babies

USDA Drops Plan to Test for Monsanto Weed Killer in Food

By Carey Gillam The U.S. Department of Agriculture has quietly dropped a plan to start testing food for residues of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weed killer and the key ingredient in Monsanto Co.’s branded Roundup herbicides. The agency spent the last year coordinating with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and ... USDA Drops Plan to Test for Monsanto Weed Killer in Food