Origin Story: Global Dumping Ground

Many years ago, I gave a speech about the “Circle of Poison” in North Carolina. It was one of many such speeches I gave all over the world.

After the speech, a member of the audience approached me and asked to speak confidentially. “It’s not just hazardous pesticides that are being exported to poor countries,” said this informant.

“You should check out the export of hazardous waste.”

During our brief conversation, I ascertained that this person was a state official with direct evidence of the problem.

I didn’t take any notes, and the source left without giving me any contact information. They just wanted to plant the idea.

When I returned home from that trip, I put together a small team to look into the allegations that U.S. companies were shipping hazardous waste abroad.

And that was the origin of the Center for Investigative Reporting’s many-faceted “Global Dumping Ground” investigations.

First we broke the story in The Nation. Then we established a major investigative project that eventually led to a PBS documentary with Bill Moyers, a book, and more articles.

There were awards and impacts and continuing exposes but nowhere was that original tipster acknowledged — until now.

HEADLINES:

• Trump says no one will control Strait of Hormuz (Al Jazeera)

• U.S. and Iran Trade Strikes, Further Threatening Negotiations (NYT)

• US justice department launches criminal investigation into Trump accuser E Jean Carroll (BBC)

• Cornyn’s Defeat Fuels Tensions With President Trump in Senate G.O.P. (NYT)

• They’re All Ken Paxton Now (Mother Jones)

• Trump is getting the Republican Party that he wants. But can he win in the midterms? (AP)

• Biden sues Justice Department to stop release of audio from interviews (NBC)

• New Fed report warns of ‘remarkable’ increase in households skipping meals due to food costs (CNN)

• Stephen Colbert gets the last laugh on CBS (Salon)

• ICE detainees are dying by suicide at an ‘alarming’ rate, an AP investigation finds (AP)

• Trump’s green card memo kicked off a holiday weekend of panic (BI)

• Trump’s effort to redraw electoral maps ahead of November’s midterm elections ran into resistance this week from Senate Republicans in South Carolina and a panel of three federal judges in Alabama. Twelve South Carolina Republicans joined Democrats in voting against eliminating the state’s lone Black-majority House district, citing political and logistical concerns. The judges in Alabama ruled that the Republican-backed plan “intentionally discriminated based on race.” [HuffPost]

• Kennedy’s Push to Curb Antidepressants Has Shaken Psychiatry (NYT)

• These popular household fruits are coated with the most pesticides and forever chemicals (Independent)

• Trump Administration to Send Americans Exposed to Ebola to Kenya (NYT)

• A senior Ukrainian commander sees an imminent 'turning point' in war with Russia (Reuters)

• Russia just passed a law allowing its central bank to down drones (CNBC)

• Russia pressures U.S., Ukraine’s allies to flee Kyiv, threatening ‘systematic strikes’ (NBC)

• Israel and Hezbollah clash along a strategic Lebanese river (AP)

• Japan’s Point of No Return (Foreign Affairs)

• This big university system is embracing AI. Students and faculty aren’t all on board (NPR)

• Pete Hegseth Shaking With Rage After Imagining Plus-Sized Astronaut (Onion)