Johnson & Johnson Agrees to Pay $5.5 Billion to Resolve Talcum Powder Cancer Litigation
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced on July 27, 2026 that it had reached a proposed settlement to resolve approximately 76,000 talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits that had accumulated in federal and state courts over more than a decade of litigation. The company committed $5.5 billion toward the resolution, with its first payment not to exceed […]
Amish Families in New York Lose Religious Vaccine Exemption Case
On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a group of Amish families for the second time upholding New York state’s elimination of the religious exemption to school vaccine requirements. The families now face more than $118,000 in fines for noncompliance with the state’s mandate.1 New York legislatures voted to […]
Supreme Court Bars Roundup Cancer Lawsuits
On June 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that existing federal law prevents failure-to-warn injury lawsuits in state courts against Monsanto Company by individuals whose health deteriorated from exposure to the company’s glyphosate-containing Roundup weed killer. The decision in Monsanto Co. v. Durnell reversed a Missouri jury verdict awarding plaintiff John Durnell $1.25 […]
Merck Settles Gardasil Vaccine Injury Lawsuit for $50 Million
Merck & Co has agreed to pay $50 million to settle more than 200 lawsuits brought against the drug giant by patients suffering from autoimmune disorders after receiving the Gardasil vaccine. According Merck, this settlement resolves all but one of the pending lawsuits filed against its HPV vaccine.1 Gardasil was fast-tracked to licensure by the […]
Legislation in House of Representatives to Expand Pro Vaccine Messaging and Vaccine Surveillance
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Apr. 21, 2026 would use billions of dollars in Medicaid funding to pressure states into adopting federally approved vaccine messaging and expand the U.S. government’s surveillance of children’s vaccination records. Introduced by Representative Kim Schrier, MD of Washington, H.R. 8425, the Strengthening the Vaccines for […]
Former Aide to Anthony Fauci Indicted for Concealing COVID-19 Records
On Apr. 16, 2026, a federal grand jury in Maryland indicted David M. Morens on charges that he conspired to conceal government records from the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Morens, 78, served as senior adviser to the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 2006 to 2022, working directly […]