Jury Awards $80 million in Roundup Cancer Case News
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Jury Awards $80 million in Roundup Cancer Case

A jury awarded $80 million dollars to Edwin Hardeman. Last week, a jury attributed his non-Hodgkins lymphoma to using Roundup weed killer on his property for more than two decades.

There has been ongoing litigation surrounding the pesticide. Last summer, Monsanto was originally ordered to pay $289.2 million in damages to a former pest control manager, before the award was reduced to $78 million.

Bayer, which owns Monsanto, released a statement and plans to appeal the decision. Bayer said: “We are disappointed with the jury’s decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic.” 

THIS DAY @ LAW

District of Columbia named seat of US government

On July 16, 1790, the District of Columbia was established as the permanent seat of the United States government by the Residence Act. Originally the district contained land on both sides of the Potomac, grants from Maryland and Virginia, but in the mid-19th century, when it was obvious that the major government buildings were being built on the Maryland side, Virginia asked for its land back and received it. Learn more about the District of Columbia.

Saddam Hussein becomes President of Iraq

On July 16, 1979, Hasan al-Bakr resigned as President of Iraq. He was replaced by Saddam Hussein, who held power until he was deposed by American forces in 2003. In 2006, Hussein was tried and convicted of crimes against humanity. He was executed by hanging later that year. Learn more about relations between the United States and Saddam Hussein from George Washington University.