by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D., Childrens Health Defense: For decades, health departments have sprayed pesticides to curb diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes. Critics argue that repeated, broad-area spraying, which sometimes uses chemicals banned in other countries, needlessly exposes people and wildlife, particularly in communities where it happens often. Some also question whether it works at […]

by Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., Childrens Health Defense: The pharmaceutical and health industry spent $456.9 million on lobbying expenses in 2025, according to OpenSecrets. According to STAT, it was the largest-ever single-year increase in lobbying spending. Leslie Manookian, president of the Health Freedom Defense Fund, suggested the industry may feel threatened by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s […]