How Big Pharma Grew Addicted to Big Profits

NEW YORK TIMES

In 1900, Bayer, the German pharmaceutical company that had developed aspirin, introduced a much stronger brand of pain killer in the United States. The new drug was called heroin, a name derived from the German word for “heroic.” The company promoted it as a treatment for an array of ills: colds, coughs, asthma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, stomach cancer, schizophrenia. It also advertised heroin as safe for children. And anyone over 18 could buy it, Gerald Posner notes in a new book, “Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America.” read more »

Human rights activist 'forced to flee DRC' over child cobalt mining lawsuit

THE GUARDIAN

Landmark legal action against world’s biggest tech companies lead to death threats, says activist Auguste Mutombo. read more »