With Trump poised to retake the White House, U.S. support for cutting plastic production could shift sharply, threatening efforts for a robust treaty at the upcoming South Korea negotiations. Jordan Wolman and Leonie Cater report for Politico.

Canada's pesticide regulator, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, has faced accusations since its inception of favoring pesticide companies over public health and environmental protection. Marc Fawcett-Atkinson reports for National Observer.

The next U.S. president could either champion policies to curb plastic production or embrace industry-friendly regulations, shaping environmental and public health outcomes nationwide. Joseph Winters reports for Grist.

A recent paper in Frontiers in Toxicology examined research submitted by industry to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the neurotoxicity of neonicotinoids - the most widely used class of insecticides in the U.S. and worldwide - and found that the data was evaluated improperly by the agency. Why this matters: Neonicotinoids are widely used not only for commercial agriculture but also for more personal uses like home gardens and in some flea and tick treatments for pets. Humans are regularly exposed to neonicotinoids – which are structurally similar to nicotine – through the environment, food and water. Neonicotinoids’ popularity partly comes from the belief that their harmful effects are mostly limited to insects, but studies like this one demonstrate that mammals may also be harmed by the chemicals, and highlight the urgent need for stronger regulations around their use.