Stories from United States

Monsanto employees launched a secret plan to orchestrate scientific studies said the safety of glyphosate. The full title of the document is Safety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Urbicide Roundup and its Active Ingredient Glyphosate for Humans. 2000 paper, was part of a secret Monsanto plan. The study's findings have persisted in regulatory frameworks for over two decades. Concerns exist regarding whether scientific debates were deliberately manipulated to favor Monsanto. Independent peer-reviewed studies not funded by Monsanto are being used to challenge the existing regulatory framework. This connection is being highlighted in relation to forest management in California. A district ranger for the Lassen National Forest oversees 500,000 acres where these decisions are made.

A jury determined that Monsanto acted with malice and disregarded cancer risks associated with glyphosate. The court found the company intended to mislead consumers regarding the potential health risks of Roundup. Some scientists suggest the chemical likely causes cancer, while others disagree. Verdicts in glyphosate cases remain split, with approximately half of juries siding with plaintiffs and the other half with the manufacturer. Court proceedings revealed that juries are split nearly 50/50 on glyphosate-related verdicts. The company is accused of orchestrating the publication of non-legitimate research in peer-reviewed journals to influence public perception. This move was intended to protect the company's bottom line by pushing misinformation to muddy scientific consensus.

A driver was arrested after an SUV crashed into a police patrol car at the intersection of Ida B. Wells and Wabash in Washington. The collision occurred when the SUV allegedly ran a red light. Two women were passengers in the SUV; one sustained minor injuries while the other refused medical treatment. Two officers in the patrol car were rescued from the wreckage with non-life-threatening injuries.

Workers in the Alderado Forest near Lake Tahoe were observed refilling spraying backpacks with Roundup herbicide. One individual was seen holding a lid with bare hands while glyphosate dripped onto the equipment. The worker's fingers were visibly covered in purple residue from the chemical. This observation follows a review of millions of records including worksite inspections of herbicide spraying in timberlands. The lack of protective equipment poses potential safety risks to the personnel involved. The US Forest Service stated they have no records of injuries occurring during these specific tasks. The report notes potential long-term health risks associated with such exposure. This follows a 2021 jury finding that Monsanto acted with malice regarding cancer risks.

Kaloyan Stove, 26, was found guilty on two counts of second-degree murder and multiple weapons charges. The conviction stems from a January 2025 shooting that killed Marcel Hebron and Elani Marquin. Prosecutors stated the incident occurred following a marijuana transaction. Stove reportedly sat on Hebron's body after the shooting before fleeing to a hotel where detectives arrested him. The trial took place in Washington.

The EPA, FBI, CISA, and NSA have issued a joint cybersecurity advisory regarding Iranian-affiliated cyber attacks targeting water systems. The advisory warns of escalating threats to critical infrastructure. The advisory follows federal cyber strategy discussions concerning state and local government vulnerabilities.

Sierra Pacific Industries is conducting large-scale timberland spraying across California. Small seedlings and ferns are being killed by the application during timberland management. The process results in the death of seedlings and small trees growing in treated areas. This method is primarily driven by cost-saving requirements. This approach aims to reduce costs associated with hand-tearing bushes and manual vegetation removal. Critics argue the partnership with the chemical industry is inappropriate and poses higher risks than manual methods. The practice involves applying chemicals to manage land more efficiently than human workers. The use of these chemicals is described as potentially riskier than oversight by the EPA. Critics argue that the use of chemicals like those from Monsanto poses risks that are being downplayed by industry claims regarding instruction compliance.

Prosecutor Savan Dyke faces charges of wire fraud and theft of non-public government information. Dyke allegedly earned over $400,000 from bets on the prediction market platform Polymarket. The prosecutor reportedly withdrew his winnings from the account on the same day as the operation. Dyke was involved in planning and executing an operation to oust President Maduro. Polymarket has referred the matter to the Department of Justice and is cooperating with investigators.

Sierra Pacific Industries is conducting spraying operations across extensive tracts of private timberland. The company is the largest private landowner in California and the second largest in the United States. Founder Archie Red Emerson holds a multi-billion dollar net worth. The scale of the spraying has raised questions regarding the total area of land being treated.

The US is evaluating new methods for capital punishment, including the potential use of firing squads and gas execution. These options follow the recent implementation of gas execution in Alabama. The review includes a re-adaptation of the 2021 lethal injection protocol. State prison offices have been instructed to modify protocols to integrate these legally permitted methods. The Justice Department plans to streamline internal processes to expedite death penalty cases. According to a Justice Department news release, these measures aim to deter barbaric crimes and provide closure to victims' survivors. This move comes as California maintains its suspension of the death penalty.