Bayer

Approximately 25,000 lawsuits in Cole County, Missouri, allege that Roundup causes cancer and the label failed to warn consumers of the risk. A public relations campaign seeks to "convince both the jury pool and the legislature" that the lawsuits are illegitimate, argues an attorney seeking access to the documents.

Bayer is asking Congress to include language in the upcoming farm bill to protect it from lawsuits over the weed killer, Roundup. The company sought similar legislation in several states, including Missouri and Iowa, earlier this year.

Efforts to open silica mines in southeast Missouri are bringing back memories of toxic lead mining that scarred the region centuries ago. Plus, a Midwest "rite of passage" that was predominantly done by teenagers has changed as seed companies shift jobs to migrant workers.

For decades, corn detasseling was a customary summer job for teenagers in Nebraska and the rest of the Corn Belt. In recent years, however, agriculture companies are relying more on migrant labor to do this work through a visa program meant to supplement the local workforce.