After two costly courtroom losses, lawyers for Monsanto and its German owner Bayer AG on Wednesday were set to make closing arguments in what is the third trial brought by people who blame their cancers on use of Monsanto’s Roundup and other glyphosate-based weed killer brands. Plaintiffs Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a married couple in … Sparks to Fly in Closing Arguments at Third Roundup Cancer Trial
After three stunning courtroom losses in California, the legal battle over the safety of Monsanto’s top-selling Roundup herbicide is headed for the company’s hometown, where corporate officials can be forced to appear on the witness stand, and legal precedence shows a history of anti-corporate judgments. Sharlean Gordon, an cancer-stricken woman in her 50s, is the … Up Next – Trial In Monsanto’s Hometown Set for August After $2 Billion Roundup Cancer Verdict
ACalifornia appeals court should reject efforts by Monsanto to overturn a jury verdict awarding millions of dollars to a school groundskeeper and approve $250 million in punitive damages the jury ordered a year ago this month in the first Roundup cancer trial, according to a brief in the case filed Monday. The brief filed by … “Serious, Deadly Injury” Cited in New Appeals Court Filing Over Roundup Cancer Claims
Thisarticlewas originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle. By Nathan Donley and Carey Gillam It’s been three weeks since a San Francisco jury found that exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicides contributed to former school groundskeeper Dewayne “Lee” Johnson’s terminal cancer and awarded a stunning $289 million in damages to the 46-year-old father. And during that … SF Roundup Case Demonstrates Importance of Independence in Scientific Evidence
You’ve heard the mantra over and over – there are no safety concerns associated with genetically engineered crops. That refrain, music to agrichemical and biotech seed industry ears, has been sung repeatedly by U.S. lawmakers who have just passed a national law that allows companies to avoid stating on food packages if those products contain … Keeping Secrets From Consumers: Labeling Law a Win for Industry-Academic Collaborations
After several months out of the headlines, lawyers for both sides of the nationwide Roundup cancer litigation are gearing up for overlapping trials in the new year as several more cancer patients seek to blame Monsanto for their diseases. Six trials are currently set to take place starting in January, with one in February, two … Six Monsanto Roundup Cancer Trials Set for January
The heaviest of Big Ag’s heavy hitters told a federal court it should not try to stop GMO cotton and soybean farmers from using illegal dicamba weed killers through the end of July, despite the court’s order earlier this month for an immediate ban. Six national trade associations, all of which have long-standing financial ties … Big Ag groups argue court cannot tell EPA when to ban dicamba
In an expensive clean-up of Monsanto litigation messes, Bayer AG said Wednesday that it will pay out more than $10 billion to settle tens of thousands of U.S. claims brought against Monsanto over its Roundup herbicide, as well as $400 million to resolve lawsuits over Monsanto’s dicamba herbicide and $650 million for PCB pollution claims. … Bayer settles U.S. Roundup, dicamba and PCB litigation for more than $10 billion
Scientists brought more bad news to light regarding the widely used herbicide glyphosate, better known as Roundup, in a new research paper published this month. Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland revealed in a paper published in the journal Science of The Total Environment that manure from poultry used as fertilizer can decrease … Glyphosate in chicken poop used as fertilizer is hurting food production, researchers say
A year ago Thailand was set to ban the widely used weed killing chemical glyphosate, a move applauded by public health advocates because of evidence the chemical causes cancer, along with other harms to people and the environment. But under heavy pressure from U.S. officials, Thailand’s government reversed the planned ban on glyphosate last November … Thailand’s reversal on glyphosate ban came after Bayer scripted U.S. intervention, documents show
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is quietly starting to test certain foods for residues of a weed killing chemical linked to cancer, has found the residues in a variety of oat products, including plain and flavored oat cereals for babies. Data compiled by an FDA chemist and presented to other chemists at a … FDA Tests Confirm Oatmeal, Baby Foods Contain Residues of Monsanto Weed Killer
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
Dear Rick Berke and Gideon Gil, At a time when the public is questioning the legitimacy of news media – and science itself – it is important for health and science publications such as STAT to serve the public with as much truth and transparency as possible. We write to ask you to step forward … Open Letter to STAT: It’s Time for Stronger Transparency Standards
Scientific scrutiny of pesticide residue in food grows; regulatory protections questioned This article was originally published in Environmental Health News. By Carey Gillam Weed killers in wheat crackers and cereals, insecticides in apple juice and a mix of multiple pesticides in spinach, string beans and other veggies – all are part of the daily diets … Chemicals on Our Food: When “Safe” May Not Really Be Safe
As the 2016 campaign shapes up, it’s interesting to watch the candidates for clues about their food politics. Thus far, Hillary Clinton has made two missteps. The Wall Street Journal reported that Clinton’s team has hired Wendy Clark, a senior vice president at Coca-Cola. As our nation struggles with an epidemic of obesity, type 2 … Hillary Clinton’s Two Missteps
Summary *Calorie Control Council is a trade group for manufacturers of artificial sweeteners *The CCC has “a penchant for stealthy public relations tactics” * CCC is run by a public relations company, “functions more like an industry front group than a trade association” *The PR firm that runs CCC represents asbestos manufacturers, oil companies, Monsanto, … Calorie Control Council (CCC) – key facts
Dear Professor Folta: Yesterday there was some news coverage and commentary about our use of the state Freedom of Information Acts to obtain the correspondence of professors who wrote for the agrichemical industry’s PR website, GMO Answers. We’re glad to have a public conversation about this topic with the professors involved. We believe that transparency … An Open Letter to Professor Kevin Folta on FOIA Requests
There have been a couple of recent attacks on U.S. Right to Know, so I thought it might be useful to sketch out who is behind them. A March 9 article in the Guardian criticized us for sending Freedom of Information Act requests to uncover the connections between taxpayer-paid professors and the genetically engineered food … Who’s Behind the Attacks on U.S. Right to Know?
Following a Columbia Journalism Review article on whether science journalists should accept money from corporate interests, and whether there is adequate disclosure of sources’ corporate ties and conflicts of interest, U.S. Right to Know reviewed recent articles to assess how often journalists and columnists quote academic sources without stating that they are funded by the … Journalists Failed to Disclose Sources’ Funding from Monsanto: A Short Report
Also see: Buckraking on the Food Beat: When is it a conflict of interest? Washington Post Food Columnist Goes to Bat for Monsanto On September 23rd, Washington Post food columnist Tamar Haspel admitted to receiving “plenty” of money from pro-agrichemical industry sources. Following her admission, I thought it might be useful to report on journalists … A Short Report on Journalists Mentioned in our FOIA Requests
By Carey Gillam Former University of Illinois food science professor Bruce Chassy is known for his academic gravitas. Now retired nearly four years, Chassy still writes and speaks often about food safety issues, identifying himself with the full weight of the decades of experience earned at the public university and as a researcher at the … Following an Email Trail: How a Public University Professor Collaborated on a Corporate PR Campaign
Monsanto Shareholders Meeting Draws Fire An array of GMO and pesticide critics spoke out at Monsanto Co.’s annual meeting of shareholders on Friday, Jan. 29 in the company’s hometown of Creve Coeur, Missouri, calling on the company to address concerns about the company’s genetically engineered crop products and the glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide used on those … Big Week for Big Ag Players Monsanto and Dow
A Monsanto Co. lobbyist, who is seen as Hillary Clinton’s “main man” inIowa, was among the top financial bundlers of contributions to benefit Hillary Clinton’s run for the White House in the most recent quarter, new Federal Election Commission reports show. Jerry Crawford of the Crawford & Mauro Law Firm in Des Moines, Iowa, bundled … Big Campaign Cash for Clinton from Monsanto Lobbyist
Related reporting by U.S. Right to Know: Cornell Alliance for Science is a PR Campaign for the Agrichemical Industry Gates Funded Cornell Group Protests Vandana Shiva As the big food companies announce plans to label genetically engineered foods in the U.S., we take a closer look at pro and con arguments about the controversial food … What Bill Gates Isn’t Telling You About GMOs
By Carey Gillam As the active ingredient in Monsanto’s branded Roundup weed killer, along with hundreds of other weed-killing products, the chemical called glyphosate spells billions of dollars in sales for Monsanto and other companies each year as farmers around the world use it in their fields and orchards. Ubiquitous in food production, glyphosate is … Not Just For Corn and Soy: A Look at Glyphosate Use in Food Crops
By Carey Gillam The Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing risk assessment of the world’s most widely used herbicide is starting to generate more questions than answers. On Monday, it also generated a giant “oops” from the EPA. On Friday, April 29, the EPA posted on its website a series of documents related to its long-awaited risk … What Is Going On With Glyphosate? EPA’s Odd Handling of Controversial Chemical
By Stacy Malkan Today Monsanto posted a blog by its global communications lead Sara Miller making the case that the company deals only in facts with reporters. Unfortunately, Miller’s blog itself is sorely lacking when it comes to facts. Miller’s blog was a reaction to an interview posted Tuesday in the Huffington Post, by freelance … Monsanto Gets Facts Wrong in Blog Claiming Honest Dealings with Media
By Carey Gillam They’re calling it a glyphosate “revolution.” Consumers around the world are waking up to the fact that they’re living in a world awash in the weed-killing pesticide known as glyphosate. And they don’t like it one bit. Over the last several years, some scientists have been warning that the long-touted environmental and … Glyphosate ‘Revolution’ Growing — Consumers Want Answers
Don’t mess with Monsanto Co. That is the message being delivered right now by the agrichemical industry as it makes a full-fledged assault on the team of international cancer scientists who dared to declare cancerous connections to the widely used herbicide called glyphosate, the chief ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup brand. Industry swagger is on full … IARC Scientists Defend Glyphosate Cancer Link; Surprised by Industry Assault
Testing for residues of an herbicide developed by Monsanto Co. that has been linked to cancer has turned up high levels in honey from the key farm state of Iowa, adding to concerns about herbicide contamination that have triggered at least two lawsuits against honey industry players and prompted scrutiny by regulators. The Food and … More Bad News for Honey as U.S. Seeks to Get Handle on Glyphosate Residues in Foods
News that President-elect Donald Trump is considering U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo for a cabinet slot illustrates just how dark the days ahead might be for America’s burgeoning “food movement,” which has been advocating for more transparency and fewer pesticides in food production. Pompeo, a Republican from the farm state of Kansas, was the designated hitter … Trump Talk Of Pompeo For Cabinet Could Spell Setback For Consumers
As Americans gather their families to share a Thanksgiving meal this week, new government data offers a potentially unappetizing assessment of the U.S. food supply: Residues of many types of insecticides, fungicides and weed killing chemicals have been found in roughly 85 percent of thousands of foods tested. Data released last week by the U.S. … New Data on Pesticides in Food Raises Safety Questions
By Carey Gillam The glyphosate geeks are gathering in Washington this week. After a two-month delay, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding four days of meetings aimed at examining the evidence that does or does not tie the world’s most widely used herbicide — glyphosate — to cancer. Scientists, activists and agricultural industry leaders … Serious scrutiny needed as EPA seeks input on cancer ties to Monsanto herbicide
Now it’s getting interesting. A new court filing made on behalf of dozens of people claiming Monsanto Co.’s Roundup herbicide gave them cancer includes information about alleged efforts within the Environmental Protection Agency to protect Monsanto’s interests and unfairly aid the agrichemical industry. The filing, made late Friday by plaintiff’s attorneys, includes what the attorneys … Questions about EPA-Monsanto collusion raised in cancer lawsuits
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
Summary * GMA is the leading trade group for the junk food industry * GMA hides list of its own corporate members *GMA was found guilty of money laundering *Opposed legislation to combat child slavery * Out of touch: 93 percent of Americans support GMO labeling, but GMA opposes it *Opposes mandatory food labeling, supports … Grocery Manufacturers Association — key facts
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
The Food and Drug Administration has responded to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for information regarding its efforts to start testing food samples for residues of glyphosate as well as some other herbicides, including 2, 4-D. Many of those documents can be accessed below: FDA FOIA 2017-7005 FDA FOIA 2017-7005 part 2 FDA Final … FDA FOIA Documents Regarding Glyphosate Residue Testing
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
Related coverage: Landmark Lawsuit Claims Monsanto Hid Cancer Danger of Weedkiller for Decades, by Carey Gillam in The Guardian First Monsanto Roundup Cancer Trial Jury Selection, Carey Gillam’s blog By Carey Gillam Let the battle begin.Opening statements are slated for Monday in the landmark legal case that for the first time puts Monsanto and its … First Monsanto Roundup Cancer Trial Underway
This article was originally published in Investor’s Business Daily . ByStacy Malkan and Carey Gillam “Food companies can’t figure out what Americans want to eat,” according to a June Wall Street Journal article. Food industry CEOs are “rushing for the exits,” WSJ reported in October, and the food lobby is “splintering,” Politico explained, as food … The Future Of Food Needs Transparency And Integrity
Journalists around the globe have reacted with outrage to revelations published in The Guardian this week that show Thanos Dimadis, the former executive director of the Foreign Press Foundation, offered an unusual arrangement to Bayer AG that called for using the press organization, which is dedicated to protecting a free press, in ways that would … See the Email Trail Showing Influence Peddling by Press Association to Bayer
With the turn of the calendar to June, farmers in the U.S. Midwest are wrapping up the planting of new soybean crops and tending to growing fields of young corn plants and vegetable plots. But many are also bracing to be hit by an invisible enemy that has wreaked havoc in farm country the last … Dicamba: Farmers fear another season of crop damage; court ruling awaited
Last month the Food & Drug Administration published its latest annual analysis of the levels of pesticide residues that contaminate the fruits and veggies and other foods we Americans routinely put on our dinner plates. The fresh data adds to growing consumer concern and scientific debate over how pesticide residues in food may contribute – … An Unappetizing Analysis from the FDA
Summary * Funders include Monsanto and DuPont * Small farmers criticized use of mandatory marketing fees to promote “Big Ag” * Other partners include BASF, Dow *USFRA is represented by PR giant Ketchum *Ketchum’s clients include the Russian Federation *Ketchum’s work for the Russian Federation include pushing propaganda for Putin, aiding in a campaign to … U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance – key facts
Bayer AG’s effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review a key trial loss in the nationwide Roundup litigation inched forward this week when the high court said it would include Bayer’s petition for a writ of certiorari in a December 10 conference where the justices will discuss which cases to accept for review. … U.S. Supreme Court sets date to consider review of Monsanto Roundup case
Bayer AG suffered yet another setback this week in the company’s ongoing effort to undo at least one of the trial losses dealt to Monsanto Co. in U.S. litigation alleging that the company’s Roundup herbicide causes cancer and Monsanto spent decades covering up the risks. Bayer, which bought Monsanto in 2018 just as the first … California court rejects Bayer’s petition to review Pilliod Roundup trial victory
A scientist testified Monday that a California woman’s regular use of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide “vastly” exceeded the exposure scientific research shows more than doubles the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). William Sawyer, a toxicologist and expert witness for plaintiff Donnetta Stephens in her lawsuit against Monsanto, cited scientific research that links use of Monsanto’s … Stephens trial drags on, toxicologist testifies about studies of herbicide and cancer risk
A California woman suing Monsanto over allegations that her use of Roundup weed killer caused her to develop cancer testified Monday that she had a hard time remembering many details about the extent of her use of the pesticide, struggling to answer several questions posed by a Monsanto attorney. In cross examination, Monsanto attorney Bart … Monsanto lawyer cross-examines cancer patient over her claims Roundup caused her disease
The former Monsanto Co., now owned by Bayer AG, notched its first win in the mass tort U.S. Roundup litigation on Tuesday, defeating at trial a mother who alleged her use of Roundup exposed her child to the pesticide and caused him to develop cancer. Ezra Clark was born in May 2011 and diagnosed in … Bayer wins Roundup trial; plaintiff fails to prove exposure caused child’s disease
