Judge rules drug company bears responsibility in Oklahoma’s opioid crisis

A judge ordered the company to pay $572 million. No Images? Click here         Editor's note: As the United States and other nations grapple with the rise of far-right movements and white supremacy, HuffPost is relaunching our Fringe newsletter to keep you informed about the latest news on political extremism. Subscribe to it here.   Judge Rules Johnson & Johnson Bears Responsibility In Oklahoma’s Opioid Crisis An Oklahoma judge on Monday determined drugmaker Johnson & Johnson is responsible for helping fuel the opioid epidemic through its marketing of powerful painkillers. Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman ordered the health care company to pay $572.1 million in damages related to the epidemic. “The opioid crisis has ravaged the state of Oklahoma and must be abated immediately,” Balkman said from the bench on Monday. Monday’s ruling is the first in some 2,000 lawsuits by state and local governments seeking to hold Johnson & Johnson, as well as other health care companies, responsible for an epidemic that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says caused a record 47,600 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2017. READ MORE       WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy (R) said Monday he plans to resign from Congress on Sept. 23.The congressman confirmed the news in a post on Facebook, attributing his decision to a family matter. “Recently, we’ve learned that our baby, due in late October, will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications, including a heart condition,” Duffy wrote. READ MORE California is leading a nearly 20-state lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s abandonment of a long-standing rule governing how long migrant children can be detained. READ MORE Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) announced Sunday that he’s running a primary campaign against Donald Trump, hoping to unseat the president as the GOP’s 2020 nominee. READ MORE             ICYMI President Donald Trump has funneled hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to his own resorts since taking office, and now appears poised to direct other countries’ taxpayers’ yen, euros and pounds into his own pocket, too. A HuffPost Brasil reporter traveled deep into the Amazon, where loggers and landowners tried to deny the fires raging in front of them. Underpaid and overworked canvassers at one of the environmental movement’s top fundraising groups are accusing management of busting their attempt to unionize after the group shut down a North Carolina office where workers announced they had organized.     Want more?  You’re Going To Give Yourself An Ulcer By Freaking Out Over Every Single Horserace Poll Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes First Public Appearance Since Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Trump Suggests Hosting Future G7 Summit At His Miami Golf Course   👋You may have noticed our website is now www.huffpost.com. Don't worry, it'll still be the same HuffPost you know and love, just with a new URL. Make sure to update your bookmarks!     HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media Group. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More. How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2019 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe    .     .   - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe