There have been over 24,000 confirmed and suspected cases of cyclosporiasis reported in the United States, largely linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms. Some food safety experts claim that produce from other farms is still safe to eat, while others argue that the large number of outbreaks points to the potential for other sources that investigators just haven’t discovered yet. It’s causing debilitating, life-threatening diarrhea that in some cases lasts for over a month.

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Kids are particularly vulnerable to food-borne illnesses due to their developing immune systems, so schools should be implementing strict protocols to minimize risks. Schools should be conducting regular training sessions for cafeteria staff on food handling, hygiene, and safe sourcing practices. That includes washing fruits and vegetables properly, understanding food recalls, and adhering to temperature control guidelines. Some schools are cutting out fresh produce entirely, and will only be serving frozen fruits and vegetables for the time being.

When in doubt, pack the lunch yourself. To protect your family from cyclospara, buy the whole head of lettuce, remove the outer layers where the parasites tend to be, swish the leaves in a bowl of cold water, rinse it carefully under the sink, and cook to an internal temperature of at least 158°F.

An estimated 400,000 older schools and child care centers are still suspected to contain lead pipes. As the pipes corrode, they release particles of lead into the water. Lead is a neurotoxin and no level of exposure is safe, especially for young kids whose bodies are still developing. Lead exposure can lead to severe cognitive impairments and behavioral problems.

Find out when your child’s school was constructed, ask if they’ve conducted lead testing, and understand what measures are in place to mitigate exposure. Installing water filters—and ensuring they’re maintained and replaced—can significantly reduce levels of lead, as well as chlorine, bacteria, and other harmful substances. If you’re concerned your child has been exposed to lead, a blood test at the pediatrician’s office is the best way to find out.

This summer has been one of the most intense wildfire seasons in North America, creating smoke that’s a mixture of particulate matter—tiny solid particles and droplets that suspend in the air before we inhale them. Particulate matter also comes from manmade causes, like vehicle emissions, factories and power plants, and certain farming practices.

Many schools have outdated ventilation systems, which fail to adequately filter these and other pollutants, leading to poor indoor air quality that exacerbates breathing issues, allergies, and asthma, forcing some kids to miss school. Researchers found that student test scores actually rise when schools improve their ventilation and air filtration to ensure a healthy learning environment.

Make sure your kid’s school has invested in a modern HVAC system with effective filtration, and that it’s regularly maintained and cleaned. Indoor air quality sensors can also help monitor pollutants, ensuring a safe environment for students and staff.

One thing we are always on red alert over is the spraying of weedkillers and pesticides on school grounds, which pose a serious health risk to the children playing there. Many weedkillers use the ingredient glyphosate. Long-term exposure is linked to cancer, developmental delays, and breathing problems. And tiny children are particularly vulnerable.

Unfortunately, the issue is getting worse. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the company Monsanto cannot be found liable in state court for failing to include cancer warnings on its weedkiller, RoundUp. To date, Monsanto has agreed to pay out $12 billion in lawsuits over the weedkiller.

Talk to your child’s school about what chemicals are currently being used on school grounds, and encourage the transition to organic and eco-friendly products. Parent involvement can have a real impact.

Students are heading back to school in this August heat, and because they’re less able to regulate body temperature, kids are at higher risk of heat exhaustion, or even worse, heat stroke. It’s important that schools have heat emergency plans, including procedures for early dismissal and indoor cooling zones.

The true key to success here is hydration—all schools should have easy access to drinking water. And when possible, sports practice and PE should be done during the cooler parts of the day, typically late morning and early afternoon.

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The EPA’s Air Quality Index indicates how clean or polluted air is in a specific area so that residents can understand the health risks of being outside. The scale typically ranges from 0 to 500, with lower numbers indicating better air quality. Any score over 300 is considered to be the most dangerous level of “Hazardous.” Last week, when Duluth, Minnesota had the worst air quality in the nation, they hit 934.

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Exposure to poor air quality can lead to a host of respiratory diseases, allergies, and even cognitive decline, and our kids are especially at risk. Understanding these metrics—and what exactly is in the air—is crucial for taking proactive steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

Stick around until the end to learn more about ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from the harms of air pollution.

Wildfires are growing in frequency and intensity, creating smoke that’s a complex mixture of gases and tiny particles traveling far distances, often blanketing entire regions and killing tens of thousands of people per year. More than 3.9 million acres of U.S. land have already burned this year.

“Think about what’s burning: plastics, heavy metals, arsenic. These can cause a whole series of other hazards for the community.”

- Aubrey Miller, NIH

Exposure to wildfire smoke can exacerbate asthma, cause bronchitis, and even lead to cardiovascular problems and stroke risk. The American Heart Association linked events like last week’s smoke to a 42% increase in heart attack ER visits.

After events like wildfires and dust storms, a significant amount of particulate matter (PM) is released into the atmosphere—tiny solid particles and droplets that suspend in the air before we inhale them. PMs also come from manmade causes, like vehicle emissions, factories and power plants, and certain farming practices.

In the short term, PMs irritate the eyes and cause breathing problems like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, especially for people with asthma. They also penetrate deep into our lungs and, from there, move into our bloodstream, carrying devastating long term consequences like chronic lung disease, heart problems, and cancer, especially from carcinogenic diesel exhaust.

While ozone high in the atmosphere protects us from harmful UV rays, ground-level ozone is a significant pollutant produced when industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust react with sunlight. It’s particularly bad in the hot summer months, and causes people breathing it in to experience throat irritation, coughing, and shortness of breath. Long-term exposure can damage lung tissue, leading to decreased lung function and increased susceptibility to infections.

Certain regions like urban areas and those near industrial sites experience higher levels of ozone pollution. Cities like Los Angeles, Houston, and New York often rank among the highest in ozone levels because of their dense traffic.

Here’s what you can do to protect your family:

• Keep an eye on the Air Quality Index to make informed decisions about when to stay inside.

• Add indoor plants like spider plants or peace lilies, which naturally improve indoor air quality.

• Get regular check ups focused on respiratory health, especially if you’re in an area prone to air quality issues.

• Talk to your friends and neighbors about your concerns to spur community knowledge.

• Support clean transportation policies, including limits on vehicle emissions and reliable public transportation options.

And on days when the AQI score is over 150, you want to:

• Cancel outdoor exercise, which causes you to inhale eight times more air than when at rest.

• Keep windows and doors shut.

• Invest in a good air purifier with high-rated filters.

• Wear an N95 mask when you do go outside.

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This 7-2 decision is heartbreaking for the thousands of families who have pending lawsuits against Monsanto, attributing their cancer and other deadly diagnoses directly to RoundUp exposure. It also sets a troubling precedent, empowering all corporations to prioritize profits over public safety.

The Roundup on RoundUp

RoundUp was introduced in the 1970s and quickly became a staple in America’s farms, gardens, and homes. But as more studies emerged linking glyphosate to cancer, families began to question the safety of the weed killer, and concerned parents, health advocates, and environmentalists all came together to hold Monsanto accountable.

One of the pivotal moments in this movement occurred in 2018 when Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a former school groundskeeper, won a landmark case against Monsanto. Johnson’s trial marked a watershed moment, as he was awarded $21 million in damages after proving that RoundUp had contributed to his terminal cancer diagnosis. His case dramatically raised public awareness about the potential dangers of glyphosate, galvanizing thousands of families to file their own lawsuits and prompting public outcry for stricter regulations.

To date, Monsanto has agreed to pay out $12 billion to settle lawsuits from families who have linked their immense suffering to the toxic effects of RoundUp.

What We’re Fighting For

When the Supreme Court heard Monsanto v. Durnell in April, Common Source was in Washington, DC, rallying with health advocates and concerned parents, demanding that the justices consider the lives disrupted by this toxic chemical. We believed we had a chance to hold Monsanto accountable, to ensure corporations cannot profit at the expense of our health. Instead, the Court chose to betray American families.

But this grassroots movement is gaining traction, fueled by the devastating stories of real people. And this roadblock from the Supreme Court certainly isn’t going to stop us. There are still national and local policy avenues to achieving meaningful change.

The demands of our movement remain commonsensical: We want mandatory warnings on products that contain glyphosate and bans on its use in residential areas, where our kids roll in the grass without a second thought. We want corporate transparency, the ability to make educated choices for our families, and more research into safer alternatives.

If this sounds like a movement you want to be a part of, make sure you join our Substack community and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

PFAS

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week that it will end protections against PFAS in drinking water. A 2025 study found PFAS in the tap water supply of more than 73 million Americans.

PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals,” are a man-made compound that is terrible for our health. They build up in our systems, causing cancer, immune suppression, developmental delays in kids, and other devastating health consequences.

“My children were violated. Who has the right to do that? Who? I mean, you’re altering their organs, their DNA, their blood, their health outcomes. I mean, it’s one thing if they decided to pick up a cigarette when they got older, chose to drink. At least there’s somewhat of a choice in that. There was no choice in this.” — Emily Marple, a mother whose water was contaminated by high levels of PFAS from a nearby factory

Forever chemicals are linked to a range of reproductive issues, from reduced sperm quality to hormone disruption. Scientists now think the effects of climate change, like heat stress and oxygen levels, have an additive impact that, along with our exposure to PFAS, is contributing to a global fertility crisis.

Glyphosate

Another toxic chemical lurking in 94% of our waterways is glyphosate, which impacts your breathing, your kidneys, and your reproductive health. It’s classified by the World Health Organization as a probable human carcinogen.

Glyphosate is the main ingredient in products like the weed killer RoundUp, which is sprayed on crops, playgrounds, and lawns nationwide. The maker of RoundUp, Monsanto, has already been forced to pay out $10 billion to tens of thousands of people who attribute their cancer to the product.

Now the chemical manufacturer is at the center of one of the most important cases of the year, in which the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether companies like Monsanto are immune from prosecution in state court. In June, we’ll find out whether or not people like us have the right to sue corporations that knowingly poison our families. Watch this space for updates.

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Mercury

According to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., mercury is “the most powerful neurotoxin we know of in the universe.” We’re impacted by even the smallest levels. So why are our kids being exposed to the highest levels in years?

Mercury emissions are surging from coal-burning power plants, most of which were supposed to close at the end of 2025. Instead, after years of declining pollution, emissions went up 9% last year. That’s largely because of Trump Administration policies, including ordering plants to remain open and loosening protections from pollutants, which saves the coal industry $120 million a year and is leading to the rise in mercury exposure.

Mercury builds up in our waterways and becomes concentrated in our food supply, like in the fish we eat. Elevated exposure to mercury causes developmental delays in children with lasting consequences on IQ. In adults, it’s linked to cardiovascular death.

Whether it’s PFAS, glyphosate, or mercury, American families do not want elevated levels of toxic chemicals in our drinking water. You can check the safety of your home’s water supply here.

Make sure to subscribe to our Substack! We focus on the issues families care about—like the safety of our water—and we ground everything we do in science and lived experience.

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But something has shifted. We can all feel it. More kids are dealing with chronic health issues. More communities are discovering water contamination. More parents are doing their own research because institutions meant to protect our families aren’t being straight with us.

Just this week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard Monsanto v. Durnell, a case that will decide whether or not we can sue corporations that poison our families. Monsanto has already been forced to pay out $10 billion to tens of thousands of people who attribute their cancer to the weed killer, Roundup. The government is on the side of the corporation. We must be the ones who stand up for our families and fight for a future worthy of handing down to our children.

That’s why Common Source is needed now more than ever. We’re a community of parents and everyday people who want families to have access to honest information about what’s affecting our health, a huge concern for the overwhelming majority of Americans.

We’ll be delivering the latest news in the health space while centering the lived experiences of families across the country. We’ll be holding the powerful accountable, whether it’s the government officials who are supposed to represent us or the multinational corporations poisoning our families. And we’ll make sure you know about every positive advancement that people like us have achieved, like getting ultraprocessed foods out of our children’s cafeterias.

At Common Source, our top priority is the truth over all else. No spin. No talking down to people. We know it’s okay to ask questions, and we’ll encourage you to do so. We’re here to learn from each other, build a community, and empower everyone to make informed, personal choices for their families.

And when the power of the people is needed to bring commonsense reforms across the finish line, we’ll share ways to make a real difference. Because we’re not just talking about a better world—we’re building it.

Subscribe to our Substack for a monthly newsletter, and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook so you can keep up with the latest news and let us know what you want Common Source to cover. We look forward to learning with you!