One year after Canada banned its use following an EPA warning, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally issued an emergency ban on DCPA, a herbicide commonly used on broccoli and cabbage farms. The EPA cited concerns that the chemical appears to cause damage to unborn children. The EPA has labeled DCPA as a likely carcinogen since 1995 and The European Union banned the chemical in 2009. What took so long here? The EPA claims it endured “several years of unprecedented efforts” to force the agriculture conglomerate AMVAC—the primary manufacturer of the chemical—to fork over data on the safety of its product, highlighting a flawed system where biased manufacturers are influencing public health information.

Federal Court rules that fluoridation chemicals pose an “unreasonable risk” to human health. In a precedent-setting court case, after seven years of pursuing legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States District Court of the Northern District of California has deemed fluoridation an “unreasonable risk” to the health of children, and the EPA will be forced to regulate it as such.

In its updated guidance for COVID-19 boosters for the fall and winter 2024–2025 season, the Florida Department of Health warned the public about safety and efficacy concerns of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. They also advocated for physicians to give informed consent to patients. “[We are] reminding health care providers of the importance of remaining up to date with current literature related to COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, and the importance of providing patients with informed consent… the Omicron variant which is not causing a significant number of infections… this booster does not protect against the currently dominant strain… the State Surgeon General advises against the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines… Providers and patients should be aware of outstanding mRNA COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy concerns… The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines present a risk of subclinical and clinical myocarditis… The mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may be associated with an increased risk of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome… autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis.… As efficacy waned, studies showed that COVID-19 vaccinated individuals developed an increased risk for infection… Improving habits and overall health help manage and reduce… risk factors for serious illness from COVID-19.”

The Bank of Canada has dropped its plan to issue a digital Canadian dollar. A statement on the Bank of Canada’s website announced that it “is scaling down its work on a retail central bank digital currency and shifting its focus to broader payments system research and policy development.”

An Alberta pastor, who was criminally charged for protesting a drag queen story hour for children at a public library, has been found not guilty. The Alberta Court of Justice has acquitted Pastor Derek Reimer on two charges (causing a disturbance and mischief) related to his protest at a Calgary Public Library during a “Reading with Royalty” event featuring drag queens reading stories to children.

Federal employee placed on unpaid leave for not disclosing COVID-19 vaccine status has won his appeal for EI benefits. The Social Security Tribunal of Canada granted an appeal to Andre Givogue, a federal government employee who worked remotely. Givogue’s suspension was initially categorized as misconduct, which would have disqualified him from receiving EI (Employment Insurance) benefits.

Twenty US attorneys general signed a letter to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warning the medical association that its statements supporting gender medical interventions for children are “deceptive” and may violate States’ consumer protection laws. The letter, led by Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, asks the AAP to substantiate its claims that puberty blockers are reversible and to provide information on its communications surrounding its gender medicine guidance.

Ireland drops plans for hate speech law. Earlier this year, the Irish government had announced plans to curb “hate speech” through legislation that would criminalize possessing vaguely defined hateful material, allowing officials to raid homes, demand passwords, seize devices, and impose one-year prison sentences for non-compliance.

Regina’s city council has voted against a motion to rename one of the city’s longest roads, Dewdney Avenue. In recent years, there has been growing momentum to rebrand the street after it became known that Edgar Dewdney, for whom the avenue is named, played a significant role in shaping early policies related to Canada’s reserve system. Thankfully, council members acknowledged that spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on such a change would be an unnecessary and unjustifiable expense.

Review study strongly highlights the relationship between organic food and overall health. The study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Poulia et al.), found “a significant inverse relationship between organic food consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors, including obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, was observed in the majority of prospective studies… Clinical trials consistently indicated lower pesticide exposure in participants on organic diets, suggesting potential health benefits.”

Meta Platforms lost a $1.4 billion lawsuit brought by the state of Texas over its unauthorized capture and use of the personal biometric data of Facebook users. Facebook’s parent company was found to be using facial recognition technology to collect biometric data of more than 20 million Texans without their permission. The information was captured by photos and videos uploaded to the social media platform. The settlement is the largest obtained in a lawsuit brought by a single state.