Johnson & Johnson exposé reveals a darker side to the brand
J&J is heavily criticized by investigative journalist Gardiner Harris in new book "no more tears."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
10 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Exchange student sues Bay Area nonprofit alleging she was placed in home of an abusive ‘predator'
A Spanish exchange student has sued the private high school she attended as well as the Bay Area nonprofit that arranged the girl's experience in the U.S., alleging they negligently placed her in the home of a man with a criminal record who drugged her and sexually assaulted her. The lawsuit, filed on Aug. 11, alleges that San Rafael-based Cultural Home International, or CHI, committed fraud, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty by placing Claudia Gutierrez in the home of John and Roberta Woods for her educational year abroad in New Hampshire. The suit also names Bishop Brady High School, located in Concord, N.H., claiming it failed to properly vet the host family and monitor the teen during her stay, according to the civil allegations filed in Merrimack Superior Court. 'Bishop Brady and CHI instead served Claudia up to a home she believed had a husband and wife living in it — John and Robert Woods — but which, in fact, housed only John Woods, an elderly predator with a criminal record,' according to the suit. Roberta Woods reportedly was living in San Diego and had been for some time, Gutierrez's lawyers said. Neither CHI nor the school responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit. Officials from the Diocese of Manchester, which oversees the high school, said they had not yet seen the lawsuit. 'Protecting the safety of children and young people is one of the highest priorities of the Diocese of Manchester and its schools,' officials said in a statement. 'As we were just made aware of this suit and have not been served, we are unable to comment without the opportunity for further review.' John Woods, 78, was arrested after Gutierrez called her parents in Spain in March 2022, leaving disturbing messages reportedly while still under the influence of 'clandestine drugging,' prompting them to have friends take her to the hospital, according to her co-counsel, Matin Emouna. An examination found she had been sexually assaulted and drugged with Ambien. In October 2024, Woods was convicted of aggravated sexual assault, facilitated by an intoxicating substance, with a maximum 20-year sentence. Cultural Home International, founded in 1980, brings young people from around the world to the United States for educational, cultural, travel or work experiences, including home stays for high school and university students. It is an official J-1 visa sponsor, which provides nonimmigrant visas to individuals participating in an international exchange program in the U.S. In Gutierrez's case, CHI arranged enrollment at Bishop Brady and the home stay, and according to the lawsuit, the organization assured her family they had checked backgrounds and references and had conducted a visit to the Woods' home. 'At the time of the sexual abuse and assaults described in this complaint, CHI charged Claudia and her family thousands of dollars for the privilege of participating in this cultural exchange program and residing in New Hampshire with a host family, in an allegedly comfortable and nurturing home environment,' her attorneys claimed in the lawsuit. 'CHI owed and agreed that it owed Claudia a duty to do everything within its power to protect her from sexual abuse by a properly vetted family.' The claims against Bishop Brady were similar, alleging the private high school charged the family $19,000 for the academic year, $5,000 more than local students, while promising to vet the host family and then failing to monitor and supervise her while she was living in the home. The lawsuit alleges Gutierrez complained of dizziness and at one point passed out in the Woods' home and she had been absent or tardy 'a notable number of times' from school, but neither the school nor CHI intervened or inquired about her symptoms. Both John and Roberta Woods were also named in the lawsuit, the husband for the injuries caused to the victim as well as emotional distress, and his wife for negligence in presenting a safety risk to a foreign exchange student. Messages left for Roberta Woods regarding the lawsuit were not returned. The suit claims Gutierrez continues to suffer from physical and emotional issues, including nightmares, severe anxiety, depression, vomiting and other issues. She is asking for compensatory and enhanced compensatory damages, punitive damages, interest, attorney fees and any other relief deemed 'just and equitable.' Emouna said he believes there are more cases like Claudia's in the international exchange industry in the United States, with organizations failing to property vet where the young people live, opening the door to predators. 'I thought this was an isolated incident,' he said. 'I think there's a bigger problem at large.' In Gutierrez's case, the Marin County nonprofit literally showed the 16-year-old girl pictures of a 'beautiful family' in New Hampshire, smiling grandparents with grandchildren on their laps and another of a two-story, white house, the grandpa waving as he stands next to an American flag hanging out front. 'That family was nonexistent,' Emouna said. 'This guy was a predator. He did it on purpose.'
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Gender reveal party turned deadly when DC man opened fire, killing one, feds say
A man attending a gender reveal party in Washington, D.C., grabbed an 'AK-style rifle' from his backpack and shot two people also at the celebration, killing a 21-year-old who tried to flee, federal prosecutors said. Now, more than three years later, Nyjell Outler, 22, has been sentenced to 24 years and six months in prison over the 2021 shooting, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia announced in an Aug. 18 news release. Outler, of D.C., was found guilty in March of voluntary manslaughter while armed and aggravated assault while armed by a D.C. Superior Court jury, prosecutors said. His criminal defense attorney, Thomas A. Key, did not immediately return McClatchy News' request for comment Aug. 19. Ahead of Outler's Aug. 15 sentencing hearing, Key and his co-counsel, Gemma Stevens, argued Outler opened fire to protect himself at the gender reveal March 20, 2021, D.C. Witness reported. At the party at a home on Madison Street, about a 5-mile drive northeast from the White House, Outler had been 'hanging out' in a driveway and spoke with other attendees, according to prosecutors. Within an hour of him arriving at about 7:43 p.m., he temporarily left before returning to the driveway, prosecutors said. When he came back, Outler was holding the 'Draco' firearm at his right side, according to prosecutors. Three other men, Johnson, Daloni Williams and a third person were in the driveway at the time. That is when 'Daloni Williams took a couple steps toward (Outler) with his arm extended, as if to say, 'put that away,'' prosecutors said. Outler shot Williams twice, 'point-blank' in his legs in response, according to prosecutors. He then turned and fired two shots at Johnson and another 'young' man, as they tried to escape, prosecutors said. Johnson was struck in the back by one of the bullets, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He died in the backyard of where the party was held. Williams, who survived the shooting and needed emergency surgery for his leg, was in the hospital for nine days, prosecutors said. His hospital stay was followed by months of physical therapy. Dozens of partygoers were inside and outside the house when Outler shot Johnson and Williams, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Outler, who fled the gender reveal, had on a GPS monitor due to a prior his arrest stemming from an earlier 'Draco' possession charge from February 2021, prosecutors said. He cut off the GPS monitor and remained a fugitive for nearly a year until an anonymous tip led law enforcement to Florida, where he was arrested in February 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. In Outler's defense, Stevens argued at trial that there was 'a lot of speculation and finger pointing,' according to a report from D.C. Witness. She also contended, citing video evidence, that Outler had been surrounded moments before shots were fired, and Johnson 'had his hand in his coat pocket, where responders found a firearm after the shooting,' the outlet reported. Prosecutors, however, argued Outler was never threatened, and the shooting was intentional, according to D.C. Witness. The prosecution team had asked the court to sentence Outler to 35 years in prison, before judge Jason Park issued his 24.5-year sentence, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. In seeking a higher sentence, the government detailed Outler's criminal history, which also includes armed assaults 'a misdemeanor sex offense (he) is reported to have perpetrated since being brought back to Washington, D.C. from Florida,' prosecutors said. While on the run, Outler was on the U.S. Marshals Service Top 15 most wanted list.
Geek Tyrant
10 hours ago
- Geek Tyrant
Apple Acquires Sports Comedy Feature THE DINK Featuring All-Star Cast Led by Jake Johnson and Ben Stiller — GeekTyrant
Apple has picked up the rights to the sports comedy The Dink , directed by Josh Greenbaum (upcoming Spaceballs 2 ) and starring Jake Johnson ( New Girl ). Ben Stiller is on board as a producer and co-star, alongside an all-star cast that includes tennis champions Andy Roddick and John McEnroe, as well as Mary Steenburgen, Ed Harris, Chloe Fineman, Aaron Chen, Patton Oswalt, Chris Parnell and Christine Taylor. Details as to the release plan, including whether the film will hit theaters in addition to streaming, have not yet been disclosed. Written by Sean Clements, The Dink stars Johnson as a washed-up tennis pro who, desperate to save a struggling club and earn his father's respect, is compelled to break a sacred vow and do the unthinkable: play pickleball. The project reunites Apple with Stiller amid his work on Severance , the fan-favorite dystopian thriller series which recently landed 27 Emmy nominations — the most of any show this year — including Outstanding Drama series. Apple will also serve as the distributor for Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost , Stiller's intergenerational documentary passion project looking at the lives of his late comedy icon parents, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Johnson, meanwhile, is set to star alongside Tatiana Maslany in Apple's upcoming comedic thriller series Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed . via: Deadline
