Articles by Fiona Rutherford and Tiffany Kary

Public Health Groups Sue FDA Again Over Delayed Menthol Ban

Public health groups sued US regulators a second time for failing to follow through on a plan to ban menthol-flavored tobacco products. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in a federal court in Northern California claims that the Food and Drug Administration …

Banking Failures Are Hitting Weed Companies, Too

Crypto isn’t the only edgy new industry being roiled by the collapse of several banks. US companies that deal directly with cannabis, a federally illegal substance, are already shut out of large banks. So these companies have increasingly found support …

3M Will Stop Producing ‘Forever Chemical’ PFAS by End of 2025

3M Co., confronting regulatory pressure and lawsuits that threaten billions of dollars in damages, will stop making so-called forever chemicals and aim to discontinue their use in products by the end of 2025. The announcement marks a historic break with …

NFL Offering $1 Million for Research Into Opioid Alternatives Including Cannabis

The NFL says it plans to fund research into alternative pain medications to opioids, including potential studies on whether cannabis can effectively treat pain without having a negative effect on elite athletes. The league is offering $1 million in grants …

In Fatberg Fight, New York Goes to War Against Flushable Wipes

One of humanity’s most private and pervasive hygiene habits is changing. And Sal Scapelito’s job is a sign that the trend may not be sustainable. Every two minutes, the 31-year-old sewage treatment worker cleans off a five-foot-wide device designed to …

Judges Weigh Consolidating Firefighting Foam, Other Water Chemical Lawsuits

Creating a massive lawsuit over cancer-linked chemicals found in around a third of Americans’ drinking water got a skeptical reception in federal court Thursday. A panel of seven judges in Manhattan repeatedly asked whether cases across the U.S. should be …

3M Settles Minnesota Scotchgard Lawsuit for $850M

3M Co. has settled a lawsuit with Minnesota’s Attorney General Lori Swanson for $850 million, putting an end to eight years of litigation over a former Scotchgard ingredient that got into the state’s drinking water. The funds will be used …

Ohio Sues Dupont, Chemours over Cancer-Linked Teflon Toxin

DuPont Co. and its spinoff Chemours Co. have been sued by Ohio for dumping a chemical used in Teflon, an action the state said went on for 60 years even though the company knew it was toxic to humans. Ohio’s …

3M Faces New Cancer Claims in Minnesota’s $5B Lawsuit

Chemicals once used by 3M Co. for Scotchgard, fire retardants and other products have shown links to cancers and premature births, Minnesota’s State Attorney General said in a request to update a $5 billion lawsuit against the company. Minnesota, which …

Hamptons Tainted Water Lawsuit Adds to Roster of 3M Complaints

A stone’s throw from the white sand beaches and posh mansions of one of America’s wealthiest ZIP codes sits a community that homeowners say has been poisoned by polluted drinking water. Fifteen people in a middle-income neighborhood near an airport …