It’s been over 40 years since our book, Circle of Poison, documented the spread of toxic agrochemicals around the world. As part of the research Mark Schapiro and I did for that book, we talked with numerous scientists who warned about the long-term health and environmental dangers from those chemicals.
Skeptics, and we encountered many, pointed out that most people were exposed only to small quantities of the substances we were writing about. That was true. But some of the scientists argued that it was precisely the low doses that were of concern, because they were easily absorbed by animals and plants as they moved up the food chain.
The book caused a moderate sensation after publication, more overseas than in the U.S. But one of the obvious solutions to the problem — greater government regulation — proved to be a long time coming.
That was one reason I was encouraged by reading of President Biden’s decision to try and clean up what these days are known as “forever chemicals” from our drinking water.
It’s long overdue and not nearly enough to address what is a global not a domestic issue, but a small step toward the day we may finally break the circle of poison.
TODAY’s LINKS: (6/16/22 — 54 stories from 24 sources)
Biden Administration to Start Spending on Cleanup of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water (WSJ)
EPA warns toxic ‘forever chemicals’ more dangerous than once thought (WP)
EPA warns that even tiny amounts of chemicals found in drinking water pose risks (NPR)
Trump’s raising of $250 million for fund that ‘did not exist’ suggests possible fraud (Guardian)
Jim Marchant, vocal proponent of election lies, will win GOP primary for Nevada secretary of state. (CNN)
G.O.P. primary victories in Nevada set the stage for Trump-centered battles in the fall. (NYT)
Rep. Tom Rice (S.C.), one of just 10 House Republicans who voted in favor of impeaching Donald Trump in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, lost his bid for reelection Tuesday. Trump endorsed frontrunner Rep. Russell Fry who won the race. Though Rice voted to impeach Trump, he also voted to support a challenge to certifying some Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021. [HuffPost]
‘We’re Coming for You’: Man Given Tour of Capitol Complex by GOP Rep Showed Up During Riot the Next Day. (Daily Beast)
Bill Stepien, who told the Jan. 6 committee that he quit Trump’s campaign after the 2020 election because he could not go along with his election lies, nevertheless continues to coordinate Trump’s political operation, making lots of money. [HuffPost]
Pennsylvania’s vote-counting rules risk 2024 electoral chaos (Edit Bd/WP)
Ukraine showed no signs of obeying a Russian ultimatum to surrender the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk as NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss sending more heavy weapons to replenish Kyiv's dwindling stocks. (Reuters)
Macron: NATO troops in Romania are a “powerful deterrent” (AP)
Civilians trapped in eastern city running out of water (BBC)
North of Kyiv, the Russians Retreated. But the War Never Left. (NYT)
Xi tells Putin he wants to see a settlement (CNBC)
Biden says US will send $1 billion more in aid to Ukraine (AP)
As prices rise, Europeans divided over how Ukraine war should end (WP)
Fed attacks inflation with its largest rate hike since 1994 (AP)
Biden is under pressure on gas prices. So he's putting pressure on oil companies (NPR)
Progressives have ruined San Francisco. Just ask this heiress (LAT)
The Role of "Think Pieces" — The opiate of the elite liberal masses (Copaganda)
This Is How Reactionary Prosecutors Thwart Criminal Justice Reform (HuffPost)
Biden Weighs Tariff Rollback to Ease Inflation, Even a Little Bit (NYT)
Israel and Egypt to boost gas deliveries to EU (Financial Times)
Biden launches plan to protect transgender youths’ health care (Politico)
Bill Gates Says NFTs, Crypto ‘100%’ Based on Greater Fool Theory (WSJ)
You're 18. You can't rent a car, hit the club or buy cigarettes — but you can get an AR-15. (HuffPost)
The Rifle That Ruined America (Atlantic)
US abortions rise: 1 in 5 pregnancies terminated in 2020 (AP)
Abortions jumped in 2020, up 8 percent over 3-year period (Politico)
Fastest-growing black hole may have been discovered by astronomers (BBC)
New Milky Way Visualizations Show the Dance of Millions of Stars in Incredible Detail (Gizmodo)
Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' is hemorrhaging ice faster than in the past 5,500 years (LiveScience)
Scientists are getting closer to a vaccine for cancer. One type would trigger the immune system to pick out cancer cells from normal cells and fight them. Another would prevent cancer in high-risk patients. (WP)
Mystery of Black Death’s origins solved, say researchers (Guardian)
Journalist conviction in Zimbabwe a ‘travesty of justice’, say campaigners (Guardian)
China Says It May Have Detected Signals From Alien Civilizations (Bloomberg)
One Road Partially Reopens After 'Unprecedented' Flooding Strands Tourists, Residents Near Yellowstone (Weather Channel)
Yellowstone Park, Staggered by Rain and Floods, Will Stay Closed for Days (NYT)
Record heat swelled from Nebraska to South Carolina, flooding closed Yellowstone National Park and fires raged in the southwest. (WP)
Floods leave Yellowstone landscape ‘dramatically changed’ (AP)
Temperatures as high as 113 degrees are expected on Thursday in parts of Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial counties. (Cal Today)
Algal blooms: The blooms can release harmful toxins, and they’re becoming more common as temperatures rise and water systems are disrupted. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Brazil police arrest 2nd suspect for Amazon’s missing pair (AP)
R.I.P., Internet Explorer (HuffPost)
Lady Evelyn Cobbold - why are Muslim pilgrims visiting her Scottish grave? (BBC)
The Rise of the Internet’s Creative Middle Class (New Yorker)
Netflix is planning a ‘Squid Game’ reality show with a record $4.56 million cash prize (CNBC)
K-pop BTS group activity suspension sends shock waves (NHK)
The manager of a Northern California gas station was fired after he mistakenly set the gas price to 69 cents a gallon instead of $6.99, costing the station $16,000 after hundreds of drivers filled up. [HuffPost]
Man Returns To Work After Vacation With Fresh, Reenergized Hatred For Job (The Onion)
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