When a government agency decides whether a chemical in your food is safe, where does the science come from? Most of us assume it’s independent. In the case of Roundup — the world’s most widely used weedkiller — the manufacturer wrote the research, and it went unchallenged for 25 years.

In 2000, a study published in the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology concluded Roundup posed no health risk to humans. But internal Monsanto emails released in 2017 litigation revealed company employees had ghostwritten the paper. Despite that, it remained in the scientific record, cited without caveat in hundreds of academic papers and dozens of government documents worldwide.

Harvard historian of science Naomi Oreskes and researcher Alexander Kaurov changed that. Their 2025 analysis found the ghostwritten paper ranked in the top 0.1% of all cited glyphosate literature. They requested the journal retract it. In November 2025, it did, citing “serious ethical concerns.” Oreskes and Kaurov also wrote about their findings in Undark.

The retraction comes as Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, faces roughly 65,000 Roundup cancer lawsuits. On February 17, the company proposed a $7.25 billion class settlement. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a related case this term. Bayer maintains glyphosate is safe.

Oreskes, author of “Merchants of Doubt,” joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how one ghostwritten paper shaped pesticide policy for a generation, and what it means now that it’s been thrown out.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Dearborn will soon use drones to serve as the very first responders in a variety of incidents where police assistance is requested. The Drones as First Responder program is the first in Michigan. It will deploy aerial drones to any part of the city within 5 minutes to provide real-time video information about situations including traffic accidents, vehicle and property break-ins and violent crimes.

The city says the footage will allow officers to respond more safely to emergencies and complex situations and improve decision-making. They say officers will be able to better assess situations before they arrive on scene.

The police department says it will make flight data available to the public on a transparency dashboard.   

Additional headlines for Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026

Dearborn Public Schools continues search for superintendent

The search continues to find a superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools. Former superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko, stepped down from his position to serve as the State Superintendent. Lamis Srour is serving as the interim super until the position is filled. 

The district is collecting public input about the search until Feb. 16. People can fill out an online survey available in English, Arabic and Spanish. The Michigan Leadership Institute will also host stakeholder meetings Feb. 5 at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The district hopes to have a new leader ready to start on July 1, 2026.  

EPA removes hazardous materials

The Environmental Protection Agency is removing hazardous materials from a former industrial chemical plant in Detroit.

The EMCO facility on Lawton Street closed in 2023. Nine months later, someone vandalized the property and set a car on fire, which spread to a storage site containing more than 400 drums of chemicals. The Detroit Fire Department put the flames out before the drums could ignite.

The EPA says it should finish cleaning up the site this summer. 

Hollier announces state senate run

Adam Hollier announced he is no longer running for Secretary of State. Instead he will run for the state senate seat for District 3. District 3 includes Hamtramck, Highland Park and the east side of Detroit. Stephanie Chang currently represents the district. Hollier served in the state senate representing District 2 from 2018-2023. 

Detroit Red program honors Malcolm X, jazz, and Detroit

A new musical performance honoring the legacy of Malcolm X, the history of jazz, and Detroit is coming to Wayne State University. Detroit Red has a 10-piece multidisciplinary ensemble composed of artists LuFuki and Destiny Muhammad. The program will include panel discussions, workshops, and performances. 

Detroit Red will be held Feb. 8th at the Valade Jazz Center at Wayne State University.  Malcolm X gave his last speech at the university’s State Hall on February 14th in 1965. The program is hosted by DREAM of Detroit and is free to the public. To reserve your spot, visit detroitred.org. 

Konjo Me has a new location

Ethiopian food pop-up Konjo Me has found a home at the Detroit Shipping Company. The space is currently under construction, but owner Helina Melaku says it will open soon, offering fresh Ethiopian food, coffee and culture to diners in Midtown. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

For more than half a century, the American environmental movement has struck a familiar rhythm: alarm, action, and industry backlash.

The first Earth Day in 1970 helped launch the modern movement, and by the end of that year, the Environmental Protection Agency was born. It was a promise that government had a crucial role to play, that it could protect our air and water from industry polluters.

Over the decades, that promise has ebbed and flowed: environmental rules were expanded under presidents from both parties, then pared back under others, only to be reinforced again as new science and public pressure emerged.

Critics — including historian Douglas Brinkley and former EPA administrators from both parties — argue the rollback push is an attempt to turn back decades of federal environmental protections.

Meanwhile, a striking silence is showing up in a place with massive moral reach. A new large-scale study of more than 700,000 Catholic parish sermons finds that climate change is rarely mentioned, even after the late Pope Francis issued some of the strongest language on climate change written by a religious leader.

Harvard historian of science Naomi Oreskes led that research. She joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to discuss the price of that silence.

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