Pamela Ferdinand
@pamelawrites.bsky.social
Journalist. Editor. Author. Environmentalist. MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow.
Over the past 18 months, the Trump administration has delivered a string of victories to the pesticide industry that could reshape pesticide use and public health protections for years to come. @stacymalkan.bsky.social tracks the favors: usrtk.org/pesticides/t... @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
Tracking the Trump administration’s favors to the pesticide industry
Over the past 18 months, the Trump administration has delivered a string of victories to the pesticide industry.
usrtk.org
For decades, tobacco companies have used business groups and front organizations to oppose anti-smoking restrictions. A study published last month [May 2026] in Tobacco Control suggests the industry’s Chamber memberships abroad are more important than ever. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
Big Tobacco promotes e-cigarettes, undermines health protections through U.S. business groups worldwide
Tobacco companies are embedded in influential U.S. business groups worldwide, giving the industry a powerful channel to undermine public health.
usrtk.org
The findings add to growing concerns that these widespread chemicals may contribute to autoimmune disease, even as the Trump administration moves to undo or delay some federal PFAS drinking water protections. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to multiple sclerosis, especially in women
Women with higher blood levels of PFAS or "forever chemicals" — may be more likely to have multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study.
usrtk.org
Forty years of studies find higher cancer risks among children exposed during pregnancy and early life to pesticides used on farms, lawns, gardens, and pets. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social @unlincoln.bsky.social
Pesticide use around homes and farms linked to childhood leukemia, brain tumors
Forty years of studies find higher cancer risks among children exposed during pregnancy and early life to pesticides used on farms, lawns and pets.
usrtk.org
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. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social @blanphear.bsky.social usrtk.org/healthwire/c...
Nearly 300 studies link the common pesticide chlorpyrifos to multi-organ damage, DNA disruption, and chronic disease
A sweeping review of nearly 300 studies finds the pesticide chlorpyrifos damages the brain, hormones, DNA, the liver— even at "safe" exposure levels.
usrtk.org
New review describes DNA damage, chromosome instability, epigenetic changes tied to chlorpyrifos. Some harmful effects appear at exposure levels below those considered safe under current standards. usrtk.org/healthwire/c...
Nearly 300 studies link the common pesticide chlorpyrifos to multi-organ damage, DNA disruption, and chronic disease
A sweeping review of nearly 300 studies finds the pesticide chlorpyrifos damages the brain, hormones, DNA, the liver— even at "safe" exposure levels.
usrtk.org
Reducing use of personal care products quickly lowers toxic chemicals in the body. Study shows even small reductions lower levels of health-harming substances.... @usrighttoknow.bsky.social usrtk.org/healthwire/r...
Reducing use of personal care products quickly lowers toxic chemicals in the body
Switching to nontoxic alternatives of cleansers and cosmetics can significantly reduce exposure to harmful chemicals, a recent study shows.
usrtk.org
The analysis of more than 6,600 pregnancies, published in Nutrients, adds to mounting evidence that these products harm maternal and fetal health. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
Ultra-processed foods may raise risk of preterm birth and pregnancy complications, study finds
Ultra-processed foods may raise the risk of preterm birth and pregnancy complications, a study of more than 6,600 U.S. pregnancies finds.
usrtk.org
A new study offers one of the most comprehensive cross-country snapshots of investigations and enforcement actions related to bribery in the global pharmaceutical industry. It points to systemic vulnerabilities and structural weaknesses in oversight and enforcement. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
Pharma bribery corrupts health care, puts patients at risk, new review warns
Sham clinical studies, slush funds and shell companies: A new review shows how pharma firms allegedly bribed their way to drug approvals and sales.
usrtk.org
The magnitude of the decline was comparable to roughly two to six years of cognitive aging, or the gradual changes in thinking and memory that occur with age. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
Air pollution tied to brain aging, memory loss later in life, study finds
Older adults exposed to high air pollution in the early 2000s had worse memory in 2011 — even after air quality improved, a new study has found.
usrtk.org
Bayer has secured a string of favors from the Trump administration. What's going on? We looked at the German pesticide and pharmaceutical giant, its lobby firms and their ties to power players in Trump's Washington. Here's what we found: usrtk.org/pesticides/t...
Tracing Bayer’s ties to power in Trump’s Washington
From lobby firms to top officials, a look at how Bayer built access and secured favors from Trump's Washington.
usrtk.org
A single exposure to a toxic agricultural fungicide during pregnancy can echo through 20 generations — with inherited disease risks from kidney disease to infertility not fading, but worsening over time, according to groundbreaking research published Tuesday. @wsunews.bsky.social
One exposure. Twenty generations later, the damage is still unfolding
A single exposure to a toxic agricultural fungicide during pregnancy can echo through 20 generations, with inherited disease risks worsening over time.
usrtk.org
The review, published this month [February 2026] in Archives of Medical Research, found that these BPA substitutes can interfere with the same hormone systems and gene-regulation pathways that control reproductive development in both males and females. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
'Safe' BPA substitutes tied to fertility damage, fetal harm, and generational effects, review finds
Chemicals that replace the controversial plastic additive bisphenol A (BPA) may disrupt fertility, fetal development, and reproductive health.
usrtk.org
Nanoplastics sneak into brain cells, disrupting puberty and fertility hormones, new study finds Via @pamelawrites.bsky.social @usrighttoknow.bsky.social usrtk.org/healthwire/n...
Nanoplastics sneak into brain cells, disrupting puberty and fertility hormones, new study finds
Tiny plastic particles reduced hormone levels, slowed cell movement, and altered genes required for reproductive health in brain cells, a new study shows.
usrtk.org
BPA is an endocrine disruptor known to act at extremely low concentrations, leaving little margin for safety in early life when infants have a limited ability to process and eliminate chemicals. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
Pacifiers, even those labeled “BPA-free,” expose babies to toxic chemical, study finds
Pacifiers—even "BPA-free" ones—can release bisphenol A, a chemical linked to hormone disruption and developmental problems, a new study shows.
usrtk.org
"Pacifiers can release bisphenol A, a chemical linked to hormone disruption and developmental problems, with the highest levels found in one marketed as “BPA-free,” a new study shows." Via @pamelawrites.bsky.social @usrighttoknow.bsky.social usrtk.org/healthwire/p...
Pacifiers, even those labeled “BPA-free,” expose babies to toxic chemical, study finds
Pacifiers—even "BPA-free" ones—can release bisphenol A, a chemical linked to hormone disruption and developmental problems, a new study shows.
usrtk.org
When profit kills: How private equity is eroding health care Via @pamelawrites.bsky.social @usrighttoknow.bsky.social usrtk.org/healthwire/w...
When profit kills: How private equity is eroding health care
Peer-reviewed studies link private equity takeovers to more deaths and medical complications in nearly every corner of healthcare.
usrtk.org
Research published in the last 9 months links private equity takeovers to more deaths and medical complications. The studies also document excessive understaffing and unsafe conditions in high-risk settings, and declining access to essential but less profitable services. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
When profit kills: How private equity is eroding health care
Peer-reviewed studies link private equity takeovers to more deaths and medical complications in nearly every corner of healthcare.
usrtk.org
Seeking physician/nurse/patient/caregiver personal experiences with private equity-owned healthcare providers. Please message.
At U.S. Right to Know, we do accountability journalism about public health. We pursue stories about who is harming your health, and why. usrtk.org/donate/?mc_c...
Donate to USRTK
Stand up for independent journalism and our right to know
usrtk.org
A review synthesizes over a decade of research on organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPFRs). Its findings suggest these widely used substitutes may be as dangerous than the chemicals they replaced.@usrighttoknow.bsky.social usrtk.org/healthwire/f...
‘Ubiquitous’ flame retardants are linked to higher heart disease risks, major review finds
Flame-retardant chemicals widely used in furniture, electronics and textiles are increasingly linked to heart disease, a new study shows.
usrtk.org
Food additives, packaging chemicals, and processing methods may drive disease risk, even as food safety rules fail to catch up. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
Ultra-processed foods damage health in ways that calories don't explain, new study says
Ultra-processed foods may harm health because of what they contain but also how they are manufactured to promote overconsumption and maximize profits.
usrtk.org
The political declaration reflects a sharper regulatory focus on e-cigarettes, novel tobacco products, unhealthy food marketing to children, front-of-pack labeling, and the elimination of trans fats. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
World leaders adopt a historic global declaration on noncommunicable diseases and mental health
Leaders from across the world at the Eightieth United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) have adopted the political declaration to combat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health challenges thro...
who.int
Social media fuels smoking and vaping among children, especially girls, study shows. Via @pamelawrites.bsky.social @usrighttoknow.bsky.social usrtk.org/healthwire/s...
Social media fuels smoking and vaping among children, especially girls, study shows
The more time teens spend on social media, the higher their risk of using cigarettes or e-cigarettes — and potentially developing serious health problems.
usrtk.org
Big Tobacco’s lobbying machine has extensive global reach and influence—and lack of government transparency often complicates efforts to trace its movements. Now, a new investigation helps expose the scope of the industry’s influence efforts across the EU. exposetobacco.org/campaigns/be...
How Big Tobacco’s Lobbying Influences the EU and Beyond - STOP
New FOI documents reveal the true impact of Big Tobacco's lobbying efforts on global politics. Read the report from Contre-Feu and STOP.
exposetobacco.org
Commercial Determinants of Health: An agenda for global health geography journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
For nearly six years, the fight to see what U.S. spy agencies really know about COVID-19’s origins has played out in courtrooms, long FOIA queues and heavily redacted PDFs. Now, it’s written into a defense bill. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social @lewiskamb.bsky.social
Congress may order spy agencies to consider declassifying evidence on COVID origins
New language in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 would call to declassify intelligence on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
usrtk.org
Currently, multiple studies document the association between early exposure to EDCs and a significant increase in the incidence and risk of various symptoms and diseases. @usrighttoknow.bsky.social
The importance of endocrine disruptors: an environmental prevention approach
sciencedirect.com
🎬 🍿 Official Film Release! We’re thrilled to announce the public release of Unmasking Influence -now available via the LSHTM Vimeo channel! vimeo.com/1123819285 There is overwhelming evidence that many industries are undermining public health.This documentary makes the issues visible and relatable.
Unmasking Influence - The Official Trailer
This trailer is for a film called Unmasking Influence. Unmasking influence is about how commercial actors influence policy and public health. Many of the major…
vimeo.com
