Supreme Court Appears Divided Over Roundup Weedkiller Case
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- The Supreme Court showed signs of division during arguments in a case that could impact thousands of lawsuits alleging that the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer.
- The case centers on a 2019 lawsuit by Missouri gardener John Durnell, who claimed the glyphosate in Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Bayer, which acquired Monsanto, and the Trump administration argue that federal herbicide labeling rules should prevent state-level lawsuits alleging failure to warn consumers.
- Chief Justice Roberts questioned whether states would be blocked from acting if new scientific evidence emerged about product dangers, highlighting concerns about federal preemption.
- The Trump administration's lawyer expressed concerns about states independently concluding that a product causes cancer, suggesting potential regulatory conflicts.
