Earlier this year, DuPont and its spin-off company, Chemours, settled over 3,000 personal injury claims regarding exposure to the hazardous chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid (or PFOA). Both companies refused to accept responsibility, putting the matter to rest with nearly $671 million. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, the state has been pressuring 3M for … [Read more...]
Controlling the Fracking Narrative
In 2005, Congress passed a bill (HR 6) that led to devastating consequences in poor rural counties throughout the country, including areas in Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Texas. Notably, the energy bill included an exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), allowing hydraulic fracking to continue without federal oversight. That exemption, … [Read more...]
Trump Administration Delivers Major Blow to Small Farmers
On January 20th, President Trump signed a memorandum and sent it to the heads of federal agencies. The memo’s intent was to limit the publication and implementation of rules already in the pipeline. Specifically, the memo ordered agency heads to do the following: “With respect to regulations that have been published in the [Office of the Federal … [Read more...]
A Breakdown of the Stockert 3T Infection
When nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections started to appear in patients who had undergone open-heart surgery and other similar procedures, the FDA thought it was related to heater-cooler systems generally – not any one type in particular. Then, after M. chimaera was discovered at a Sorin 3T facility in 2014, it became evident that the … [Read more...]
Minnesota Seeks Justice in Contaminant Lawsuit Against 3M
In 2001, a diligent scientist working for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA’s) new contamination program started to uncover some troubling facts about perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs). These chemicals – largely used by 3M in firefighting foam, carpet coating and Scotch guard – had found their way into Minnesota groundwater – at least … [Read more...]
Republicans Bypass Blue Slip Procedure for Judicial Nominee
As political scientist and commentator Corey Robin has argued on a number of occasions, the crux of the Trump presidency lies not in his insistent erosion of norms, but in the long-term impact of his judiciary nominations. This may sound counterintuitive because after all, the courts have been essential in the fight against Trump’s belligerence – … [Read more...]
Senate Appropriations Bill Would Cut Important EPA Program
On November 20th, the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee released the Environmental Appropriations Bill for FY 2018. The bill, if implemented, would cut a program responsible for monitoring the negative health impact of certain chemicals. That program, known as the Integrated Risk Information System (or IRIS), would be combined with the … [Read more...]
Federal Judge Allows Lawsuits Against Murphy-Brown to Continue
On November 8th, a federal judge ruled in favor of plaintiffs in 26 lawsuits against the hog farming giant, Murphy-Brown, allowing most of the claims to move forward to trial. The decision marks a win for local North Carolina residents suffering financially and physically from the proximity of the factory farms; however, there may never be another … [Read more...]
Who Gets to Appoint the New Florida Justices?
In Florida, a debate has been simmering around the question of Supreme Court Justice appointments. In a strange turn of events, three Justices – Peggy Quince, Barbara Pariente and R. Fred Lewis – are due to retire on the last day of Governor Rick Scott’s tenure in office – January 8th, 2019. This is due to a retirement policy in that state, which … [Read more...]
Michigan Senators Pass Bill Permitting Concealed Guns in Schools
For years, schools have been considered safe havens, incubators secured from outside influence, where children could learn without fear of the pain and suffering caused by gun fire. Recent history has troubled that narrative. Mass shootings have increased steadily over the past several decades. And more specifically, the media has proliferated … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- …
- 28
- Next Page »
