The New Lede

WATCH: A US Supreme Court hearing that will take up the thorny question of pesticide regulation today is sparking heated debate over the role of the @epagov when it comes to protecting consumers from harm. Editor in chief Carey Gillam explains what’s at stake. Read more about the case at our link in bio.

Investigative journalist Carey Gillam discusses how companies conceal the dangers of harmful pesticides with @sweetbirdsdoc director Sarah Teale

Dr. Daniele Mandrioli has been let go as director of the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center at the Ramazzini Institute. From @thenewlede : “A leading European chemical safety institute has fired the director of its cancer research center after he launched extensive testing into the widely used pesticide glyphosate, raising concerns about chemical industry influence over what has long been an independent research institution.” At the link in our bio, watch Dr. Mandrioli talk about the results of the Center’s latest glyphosate study, and the pressure and attacks faced by independent researchers.

US regulators illegally backed away from responsibilities tied to pollution-laden waterways in Iowa after meeting with officials from the state’s powerful farm lobby, according to a new lawsuit filed Thursday. The lawsuit, brought by @foodandwaterwatch , @iowaenvironmentalcouncil , and @elpcenter , challenges a 2025 decision by the @epagov that removed seven Iowa waterways from the state’s “impaired” waters list after previously finding toxic nitrate contamination above federal safety thresholds. The affected waterways include parts of the Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa, Raccoon, and South Skunk Rivers, which provide drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people. The lawsuit comes amid growing scrutiny of agricultural pollution in Iowa, where recent reports found some of the nation’s highest nitrate contamination levels and rising cancer rates. Read the full story at our link in bio. Comment “newsletter” and we’ll DM you a sign-up link to stay up to date on TNL’s coverage. #Iowa #EPA #WaterPollution #CleanWater #Nitrates #Agriculture #FarmPollution #EnvironmentalJustice #CleanWaterAct #PublicHealth

The @usdagov is no longer guaranteeing funding for the nation’s largest manure digester project that was years behind on paying its loans, but the troubled government loan program that had backed that project and many others remains on hold. The move effectively wipes out nearly all of the $102.6 million in delinquent anaerobic digester loans previously flagged by the USDA. At the center of the controversy is Wisconsin-based BC Organics, a massive manure-to-gas operation tied to more than $100 million in troubled loans. Supporters say manure digesters reduce methane emissions and create renewable energy. Critics argue the projects incentivize the expansion of industrial livestock operations linked to air and water pollution. The USDA says it identified “continuing and significant risks” in the Rural Energy for America Program, known as REAP, and is slowing new approvals while it reevaluates safeguards for taxpayer funds. Read the full story at our link in bio. Comment “newsletter” and we’ll DM you a sign up link to stay up to date on TNL’s coverage. @epagov @energy @sejournalists #USDA #EPA #Biogas #Methane #FactoryFarming #CAFO #RenewableEnergy #Climate #Agriculture #Wisconsin #AnaerobicDigester

A proposed class action settlement in the nationwide @bayerus /Monsanto Roundup litigation would award $675 million to the lawyers who negotiated the deal, while plaintiffs suffering from cancer would receive, on average, between $10,000 and $165,000 each, according to a new court filing. The proposed $7.25 billion settlement is designed to resolve thousands of current and future claims from people alleging they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides like Roundup. Bayer has already paid more than $11 billion in settlements and jury verdicts tied to the litigation. Critics of the deal say the settlement provides excessive fees to lawyers while limiting the ability of future cancer victims to pursue lawsuits or seek punitive damages. “The settlement is shockingly violative of the constitution,” said Texas plaintiffs’ attorney Gerson Smoger, a former president of the Public Justice Foundation. A federal judge overseeing the Roundup multidistrict litigation also raised questions about whether the settlement would bind future plaintiffs. Read the full story at our link in bio. Comment “newsletter” and we’ll DM you a sign-up link to stay up to date on TNL’s coverage. @bayerofficial @epagov #Roundup #Bayer #Monsanto #Glyphosate #Cancer #NonHodgkinLymphoma #ClassAction #Pesticides #EnvironmentalHealth

New research found airborne ammonia levels are rising three times faster in Colorado Front Range communities near concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, than in nearby urban areas without the massive livestock farms. The peer-reviewed study, published in Atmospheric Environment, adds to growing evidence linking large scale dairy and livestock operations to dangerous air pollution. Ammonia can irritate the eyes and lungs and contributes to PM2.5 pollution, which has been linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, and preterm births. Researchers at @coloradostateuniversity found the highest ammonia concentrations in regions with dense clusters of CAFOs. The study comes as lawsuits challenge Colorado’s oversight of air and water pollution tied to industrial livestock operations. “Colorado air regulators are absolutely failing to protect clean air and the environment from these massive animal feeding operations,” said Jeremy Nichols of @centerforbiodiv . Read the full story at the link in bio. Comment “newsletter” and we’ll DM you a sign up link to stay up to date on TNL’s coverage. @foodandwaterwatch @colorado.sph #Colorado #CAFO #AirPollution #ClimateCrisis #EnvironmentalJustice #RockyMountainNationalPark #Agriculture #FactoryFarming #PublicHealth #PM25 #Ammonia

"My path to a full-time journalism job was a lot more circuitous than I expected, but I eventually got my break when The New Lede took a chance on me. TNL was just a few months old and powered solely by editor-in-chief Carey Gillam when I joined. Over the last nearly four years, I’ve watched TNL emerge as part of a long and invaluable tradition of editorially independent newsrooms. I’ve been proud to belong to a small but dedicated team of journalists that shines a light on environmental issues endangering the health of people across the country and exposes corruption upholding toxic systems of power. One of TNL’s strengths as a small newsroom is that we give in-depth attention to issues that don’t always get much play from larger outlets. This enables us to elevate the voices of communities that might otherwise slip through the media landscape’s cracks. I think readers have noticed. In 2025, with the addition of TNL’s managing editor Brian Bienkowski, our still-tiny newsroom published 200 stories. Our audience more than doubled from the previous year, hitting 666,857 website views. Today will be my last at TNL, a bittersweet moment for me as I head into a new adventure. I’ll continue rooting for this newsroom and other small-but-mighty news outlets that bring attention to important issues often overlooked by the mainstream media." Read longtime TNL staff reporter @shannkelleher 's full column at our link in bio.

Nitrate pollution is making headlines nationwide and new research is raising serious health concerns. From Iowa to California, studies are linking farm runoff and industrial livestock operations to contaminated drinking water and higher cancer risks. More than 80 health and environmental groups are now calling on the federal government to declare a public health emergency. Read all of the stories mentioned at our link in bio. Comment “newsletter” and we will DM you a sign up link to stay up to date on TNL’s coverage. @hhsgov @foodandwaterwatch @iaenvironmentalcouncil @harkininstitute @environmentalworkinggroup @elpcenter #WaterQuality #PublicHealth #NitratePollution #DrinkingWater #EnvironmentalHealth #CAFOs #CleanWater #EnvironmentalJustice

Illinois farmers and residents are pushing back against a growing wave of carbon capture and sequestration projects they say could turn their communities into “sacrifice zones.” In Logan County, Illinois, farmer Julie Fosdick says her family’s nearly 200 year old farm became the target of proposals tied to underground carbon storage projects. Supporters say carbon capture can help fight climate change. Critics warn the industry brings serious risks, including pipeline ruptures, groundwater contamination, earthquakes, and toxic CO2 leaks. The fight is unfolding as companies race to secure billions in federal tax credits and expand carbon storage projects across Illinois, where geologic formations are considered ideal for sequestration. Community members and environmental advocates say the technology remains unproven at scale and fear rural communities are being used as a testing ground. Read the full story at the link in our bio. Comment “newsletter” and we’ll DM you a signup link to stay up to date on TNL’s coverage. @foodandwaterwatch @il_peoplesaction @ecojusticecollaborative @epagov @admupdates #Illinois #CarbonCapture #ClimateCrisis #EnvironmentalJustice #FoodAndWaterWatch #CarbonPipeline #Midwest #Farming #Agriculture #Ethanol #ClimatePolicy #WaterProtection

More than 80 health and environmental groups are calling on federal agencies to declare a public health emergency over nitrate pollution in US drinking water, driven largely by industrial agriculture. Advocates warn contamination from fertilizer runoff and large-scale livestock operations is linked to blue baby syndrome and multiple cancers, with new research pointing to rising risks in states like Iowa. Federal data shows more than 60 million Americans may be exposed to elevated nitrate levels. Despite this, the @epagov says current standards are sufficient. Health groups disagree and are demanding immediate federal action. Read the full story at our link in bio. Comment “newsletter” and we will DM you a sign up link to stay up to date on TNL’s coverage. @hhsgov @foodandwaterwatch @environmentalworkinggroup @elpcenter #WaterQuality #PublicHealth #NitratePollution #DrinkingWater #EnvironmentalHealth #CAFOs #CleanWater #EnvironmentalJustice

Animal welfare advocates are preparing for a fight in the US Senate where the new Farm Bill will be taken up in the next couple months, bringing with it a contentious provision that would undo state measures to protect livestock. The measure, often called the “Save Our Bacon Act,” would bar states from enforcing farm animal standards that differ from federal rules. It directly targets California Proposition 12 and Massachusetts Question 3, which require that pigs, calves, and chickens be raised with enough space to turn around, lie down, and extend their limbs. Supporters, including groups like the National Pork Producers Council, argue the laws create costly inconsistencies across states. But critics including @ciwfusa and @awionline say the provision would strip states of their ability to set basic animal welfare standards and could impact hundreds of existing agricultural laws. Read the full story at our link in bio. Comment “newsletter” and we will DM you a signup link to stay up to date on TNL’s coverage. #FarmBill #AnimalWelfare #AgriculturePolicy #StatesRights #FoodPolicy #CAFOs #Proposition12 #MassachusettsQuestion3 #Congress #USSenate #Farming #FoodSystem