Despite promises to limit PFAS, the Trump administration has rolled back regulations and approved new PFAS uses, contradicting its pledge to reduce Americans' exposure to the so-called "forever chemicals."
The New Lede
@thenewlede.bsky.social
Hi! We're The New Lede, a publication that covers environmental health & more. We provide investigative reporting, analysis, & explanatory articles about a broad range of environmental topics that are too often ignored. https://www.thenewlede.org/
“The [nitrate] assessment was intended to do the hard science to support appropriate human health protections. It’s alarming that the Trump administration has decided to undermine that process,” said Tyler Lobdell, an attorney with @foodandwater.bsky.social. www.thenewlede.org/2026/08/epa-...
EPA stalls long-planned nitrate cancer review as pollution crisis grows
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has backed off its re-assessment of cancer-causing nitrates despite decades of research suggesting the contaminant is more harmful than previously thought ...
thenewlede.org
Despite embracing the rhetoric of MAHA, the Trump administration’s regulatory rollbacks and approval of new types of PFAS signal what observers see as a sharp contradiction. Julie Zenderoudi reports for @thenewlede.bsky.social: buff.ly/dgKFBlx
The EPA says they want “PFAS Out.” Their policies are allowing more of them in
Less than three months ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official Jess Kramer outlined a series of promises dubbed “PFAS OUT,” aimed at
thenewlede.org
“They’re saying one thing, and then they’re doing something completely opposite,” said Bill Pluecker, a leader in #PFAS prevention policy. The EPA says it wants “PFAS Out.” However, its policies are leading to widespread contamination. www.thenewlede.org/2026/08/the-...
The EPA says they want “PFAS Out.” Their policies are allowing more of them in
Less than three months ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official Jess Kramer outlined a series of promises dubbed “PFAS OUT,” aimed at
thenewlede.org
🚨The EPA has backed off its re-assessment of cancer-causing nitrates despite decades of research suggesting the contaminant is more harmful than previously thought and that nitrate pollution is at crisis levels in US drinking water. www.thenewlede.org/2026/08/epa-...
EPA stalls long-planned nitrate cancer review as pollution crisis grows
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has backed off its re-assessment of cancer-causing nitrates despite decades of research suggesting the contaminant is more harmful than previously thought ...
thenewlede.org
Less than three months ago, the EPA unveiled its "PFAS OUT" agenda. Since then, the Trump administration has approved new PFAS pesticides, rolled back PFAS regulations, and is considering new PFAS uses in data centers. www.thenewlede.org/2026/08/the-...
The EPA says they want “PFAS Out.” Their policies are allowing more of them in
Less than three months ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official Jess Kramer outlined a series of promises dubbed “PFAS OUT,” aimed at
thenewlede.org
John Abbotts is a "recovering" EPA chemist. In a new op-ed essay for The New Lede, he reflects on his years at EPA and argues that scientific findings supporting stronger pesticide restrictions were too often met with institutional resistance. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/refl...
Reflections on pesticide regulation from a “recovering” EPA chemist
A former EPA chemist recounts agency reluctance to respond to risks seen with pesticides.
thenewlede.org
For decades, wastewater sludge was promoted as fertilizer. Then farmers discovered it contained #PFAS. An excerpt from Marina F. Schauffler's new book examines how Songbird Farm in Maine became one of the latest casualties of forever chemicals. ⤵️ www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/main...
Facing up to forever chemicals — a spreading problem
Songbird Farm, perched high on a ridge in Unity, Maine, was once a hub of activity. Now the fields lie fallow and the skeletal frame of the abandoned hoophouse is open to the sky. A passerby might thi...
thenewlede.org
📣 Welcome to SEJournal's newest editors! Please join us in welcoming @geoffmcghee.bsky.social (EJ InSight) and Julie Zenderoudi (Freelance Files), and thanking two departing editors for their contributions. www.sej.org/publications... #Journalism #SEJournal
New book on the toll of #PFAS: "Now the fields lie fallow and the skeletal frame of the abandoned hoophouse is open to the sky. A passerby might think the property neglected, but the truth is far worse," writes Marina Schauffler. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/main...
Facing up to forever chemicals — a spreading problem
Songbird Farm, perched high on a ridge in Unity, Maine, was once a hub of activity. Now the fields lie fallow and the skeletal frame of the abandoned hoophouse is open to the sky. A passerby might thi...
thenewlede.org
Op-ed: Reflections on pesticide regulation from a “recovering” EPA chemist. "Donald Trump seems determined to turn the EPA into a wholly-owned subsidiary of the toxic chemical industry," writes former EPA scientist John Abbotts. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/refl...
Reflections on pesticide regulation from a “recovering” EPA chemist
A former EPA chemist recounts agency reluctance to respond to risks seen with pesticides.
thenewlede.org
Farm Bill: “As a pig farmer I believe that pigs deserve better, consumers deserve better, workers deserve better, farmers deserve better and communities deserve better,” said Anna Pesek, co-owner of Over the Moon Farm. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/iowa...
Most Iowa voters oppose bid to override state animal welfare laws, poll shows
Voters in the key US farm state of Iowa overwhelmingly reject efforts to weaken state animal welfare laws, according to a new poll gauging sentiment on a key nationwide farm policy debate.
thenewlede.org
Opinion: Pesticides aren’t just making us sick, they’re cooking the planet. "We are not bound by a choice between feeding people and keeping the planet, and the people on it, healthy," writes Dr. Lee Evslin. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/pest...
Pesticides aren't just making us sick, they're cooking the planet
The recent record-breaking warming of the Pacific Ocean, deaths from heat in Europe, wildfires around the world, and the heat dome roasting the U.S. create an urgent need to understand every major dri...
thenewlede.org
Op-ed: "The same industrial farming system built on synthetic pesticides and nitrogen fertilizer is also quietly cooking the planet," writes Dr. Lee Evslin. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/pest...
Pesticides aren't just making us sick, they're cooking the planet
The recent record-breaking warming of the Pacific Ocean, deaths from heat in Europe, wildfires around the world, and the heat dome roasting the U.S. create an urgent need to understand every major dri...
thenewlede.org
Op-ed: "Our work to fully explore the scandal of farm pollution and its health consequences [...] has proved the influence of nonprofit environmental journalism and collaboration," writes @circleofblue.bsky.social's @keithschneider69.bsky.social. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/in-a...
In a "toxic terrain," journalism exposes Iowa's farm pollution problem
Real change occurs in America when civic pressures from outside the centers of influence force insiders to retreat. A compelling example of that type of systemic change is now unfolding in Iowa.
thenewlede.org
“Low-dose testing in toxicology is fundamental and often effects of low doses are underestimated simply because they are not studied,” said senior author Daniele Mandrioli, a researcher and secretary general at Collegium Ramazzini. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/pest...
Glyphosate, common pesticides damage human DNA at low doses
Several common pesticides, including the controversial herbicide glyphosate, cause genetic damage to people’s cells at very low exposure levels, according to a new study. Such cellular changes, often ...
thenewlede.org
Only 23% of Iowa voters support efforts to weaken state animal welfare laws, according to a new poll. In the nation's top pork-producing state, voters oppose the proposal by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/iowa...
Most Iowa voters oppose bid to override state animal welfare laws, poll shows
Voters in the key US farm state of Iowa overwhelmingly reject efforts to weaken state animal welfare laws, according to a new poll gauging sentiment on a key nationwide farm policy debate.
thenewlede.org
Voters in the key US farm state of Iowa overwhelmingly reject efforts to weaken state animal welfare laws, according to a new poll gauging sentiment on a key nationwide farm policy debate. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/iowa...
Most Iowa voters oppose bid to override state animal welfare laws, poll shows
Voters in the key US farm state of Iowa overwhelmingly reject efforts to weaken state animal welfare laws, according to a new poll gauging sentiment on a key nationwide farm policy debate.
thenewlede.org
Op-ed: Iowa’s water crisis is no longer being ignored. @keithschneider69.bsky.social writes how Toxic Terrain, our investigative series with @circleofblue.bsky.social, helped bring water contamination and cancer into Iowa’s political debate. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/in-a...
In a "toxic terrain," journalism exposes Iowa's farm pollution problem
Real change occurs in America when civic pressures from outside the centers of influence force insiders to retreat. A compelling example of that that type of systemic change is now unfolding in Iowa.
thenewlede.org
Several common pesticides, including the controversial herbicide glyphosate, cause genetic damage to people’s cells at very low exposure levels, according to a new study. Such cellular changes, often referred to as “genotoxicity,” are linked to cancer. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/pest...
Glyphosate, common pesticides damage human DNA at low doses
Several common pesticides, including the controversial herbicide glyphosate, cause genetic damage to people’s cells at very low exposure levels, according to a new study. Such cellular changes, often ...
thenewlede.org
More than 700 US veterinarians are asking Congress to leave out an industry-backed provision from the Farm Bill that would preempt states from having stricter animal welfare laws than other states. Brian Bienkowski reports via @thenewlede.bsky.social:
Veterinarians Press Congress to Preserve State Animal Welfare Laws
Signed by more than 700 vets, the letter was sent Monday to Senate and House leaders and Agricultural Committee chairs in both chambers.
buff.ly
"This study reinforces that glyphosate exposure during pregnancy is widespread and may be linked to preterm birth risk. Even modest associations matter because pregnancy is a sensitive window," said Jessie Buckley, professor of epidemiology at #UNC. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/glyp...
Large NYC study adds evidence linking glyphosate to preterm birth risk
A study led by NYU Langone Health showed that pregnant women with higher exposure to glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, faced a significantly higher risk of going into sponta...
thenewlede.org
Pregnant women who are exposed to glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, may face an increased risk of preterm births, according to one of the largest studies to date examining the link. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/glyp...
Large NYC study adds evidence linking glyphosate to preterm birth risk
A study led by NYU Langone Health showed that pregnant women with higher exposure to glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, faced a significantly higher risk of going into sponta...
thenewlede.org
As companies race to build massive data centers, residents across Kansas are organizing to slow or stop new projects. Editorial intern Julie Zenderoudi reports.
As AI companies rapidly expand data centers across the United States, communities are mounting resistance. Learn more about one Kansas community fighting back: www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/kans...
They call themselves “Data Center Watchdogs.” Gathering weekly at their local library in Lawrence, Kansas, a small-but-growing group of residents are preparing to battle against a foe they believe will threaten their way of life. www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/kans...
The Kansas community fighting data centers before they arrive
A group of residents in Lawrence, Kansas, believe they have everything a data center developer could want: undeveloped land, energy, and the Kansas River. As nearby towns face massive data center prop...
thenewlede.org
“Gestation crates severely harm female pigs. As pigs grow during pregnancy, the crate bars press against their bodies, which can lead to sores, injuries, prolapse, and infections,” wrote 700+ US veterinarians opposing the "Save Our Bacon Act." www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/vete...
Veterinarians press Congress to preserve state animal welfare laws
More than 700 US veterinarians are asking Congress to leave out an industry-backed provision from the Farm Bill that would preempt states from having stricter animal welfare laws than other states.
thenewlede.org
“We have a really strong culture of wanting to protect and preserve our prime farmland,” said Nancy Thellman of Lawrence, Kansas. Before data centers arrive, one Kansas community is fighting to keep them out. ⤵️ www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/kans...
The Kansas community fighting data centers before they arrive
A group of residents in Lawrence, Kansas, believe they have everything a data center developer could want: ample farmland, energy, and the Kansas River. As nearby towns face massive data center propos...
thenewlede.org
“Save Our Bacon Act”: More than 700 US veterinarians are urging Congress to reject the bill, writing in a new letter that it "would strip states and localities of their rights to pass a wide range of measures protecting animal welfare and public health." www.thenewlede.org/2026/07/vete...
Veterinarians press Congress to preserve state animal welfare laws
More than 700 US veterinarians are asking Congress to leave out an industry-backed provision from the Farm Bill that would preempt states from having stricter animal welfare laws than other states.
thenewlede.org
“The Senate Farm Bill wisely omits this poison pill proposal that has repeatedly failed in Congress, failed in the courts and failed to gain public support,” @humaneworldorg.bsky.social's Sara Amundson said. www.thenewlede.org/2026/06/sena...
Senate Farm Bill draft leaves out industry-backed provision to undo state animal welfare standards
The Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday released its draft Farm Bill, omitting a controversial provision that would have prevented states from having stricter animal welfare laws than other states...
thenewlede.org