Chemicals and Cancer Case at SCOTUS, WHCD Suspect In Court, Royal Visit to the U.S.: AM Update 4/28

The AM update recaps Supreme Court arguments in a pivotal case on whether Bayer can face state lawsuits over Roundup's cancer risks despite federal approvals, the federal court debut of the suspect in an attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents Dinner, and King Charles and Queen Camilla's arrival for a four-day U.S. state visit.

Roundup Liability Case at the Supreme Court

The Court heard oral arguments in a dispute involving thousands of lawsuits against Bayer, which acquired Roundup-maker Monsanto in 2018. Plaintiffs, including Missouri groundskeeper John Durnell—who used Roundup unprotected for 20 years before developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma—claim the company failed to warn of cancer risks. A jury awarded Durnell $1.25 million, upheld by Missouri's appeals court in 2025. Bayer argues federal law preempts such state claims: the EPA has reviewed glyphosate (Roundup's active ingredient) since 1974, repeatedly deeming it safe for humans and approving labels without cancer warnings. The 1978 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act bars states from imposing labels "different from or in addition to" federal standards.