U.S. Right to Know

Key findings Using pesticides at home, having parents who work with pesticides (especially in farming), and living near farmland were the exposures most often linked to childhood leukemia and brain tumors. The cancer risks were highest with pesticide exposure during pregnancy or early childhood, when children’s bodies and brains are still developing and more sensitive to harmful chemicals.

Key findings: A review of nearly 300 studies summarizes evidence that chlorpyrifos may harm multiple systems throughout the body, including the brain, hormones, liver, gut microbiome, muscles, reproductive organs, and bones. The review describes DNA damage, chromosome instability, and epigenetic changes that may alter how genes function long after exposure. Some harmful effects appear at exposure levels below those considered safe under current pesticide exposure testing standards.

Neonicotinoids are the most widely used class of insecticides in the world. They are often used as seed coatings on crops such as corn and soybeans, as well as on turf, ornamental plants, and pets as flea and tick treatments. A growing body of scientific evidence raises concerns about the human health risks of neonicotinoid exposure. Studies in animals and humans link neonicotinoid exposure to neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity.

CIA analysts concluded multiple times that COVID-19 most likely originated from a laboratory, but intelligence leaders repeatedly altered those findings in official summaries later offered to the public, a CIA whistleblower testified Wednesday before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

E-cigarettes can quickly lodge toxic metals deep into the lungs, where they may damage tissue, according to new research that provides detailed evidence about risks of vaping. Even short-term exposure produces a measurable buildup of toxic metals in lung tissue, potentially increasing the risk of chronic lung problems, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions.

Lindsey Deng steers a red shopping cart into the travel aisle of her local Target, filled with miniature bottles of shampoos, lotions, and cosmetics. Packing for a trip to Texas, the 24-year-old Northwestern University student scans shelves for TSA-friendly versions of products recommended by social media influencers. “I only look at the ingredients for my own skin type.

The indictment Tuesday of a top adviser to former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci on charges of conspiring against the United States casts a spotlight on years of efforts to subvert public records laws and conceal key COVID-era communications from the public.

The Modern Ag Alliance, launched by Bayer in 2024, enables the company to lobby and campaign through an entity that looks like a coalition of farm organizations, not a single giant chemical corporation. MAA represents itself as a “diverse coalition, founded by Bayer, that today represents more than 110 agricultural organizations.” But public records suggest it functions as a front group for Bayer’s interests.

A small but important study finds that unsupervised, solitary screen time – on TV or handheld devices – may worsen behavioral and emotional challenges in  young children who already struggle with language skills.

Ultra-processed foods, now a dominant part of the American diet, may raise the risk of serious pregnancy complications, including preterm birth and blood pressure problems, according to a large U.S. study.