ProPublica and The Virginian-Pilot host a convening of Vietnam veterans and their children, medical experts, attorneys and other guests to explore&nbsp;common health conditions in the descendants of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange; the scant research on those conditions; and, if there is a link to the toxic herbicide, the Department of Veterans Affairs&rsquo; responsibility in caring for impacted children and grandchildren of veterans.There&rsquo;s a strong belief among Vietnam veterans that their exposure to Agent Orange has also led to health problems in their children &ndash; not only birth defects, but in some cases, conditions that manifest late in life. Despite decades of anecdotal evidence, today there&#39;s been only sparse research done to prove a definitive link. This discussion will elevate the myriad issues from both personal and expert perspectives.<ul>	<li>Continental Breakfast -&nbsp;9:30 a.m.</li>	<li>Discussion - 10 a.m.</li>	<li>Recording sessions - 11:30 a.m.</li></ul>

ProPublica and The Virginian-Pilot host a convening of Vietnam veterans and their children, medical experts, attorneys and other guests to explore&nbsp;common health conditions in the descendants of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange; the scant research on those conditions; and, if there is a link to the toxic herbicide, the Department of Veterans Affairs&rsquo; responsibility in caring for impacted children and grandchildren of veterans.

There&rsquo;s a strong belief among Vietnam veterans that their exposure to Agent Orange has also led to health problems in their children &ndash; not only birth defects, but in some cases, conditions that manifest late in life. Despite decades of anecdotal evidence, today there&#39;s been only sparse research done to prove a definitive link. This discussion will elevate the myriad issues from both personal and expert perspectives.

<ul>
	<li>Continental Breakfast -&nbsp;9:30 a.m.</li>
	<li>Discussion - 10 a.m.</li>
	<li>Recording sessions - 11:30 a.m.</li>
</ul>

The Virginian-Pilot

Co-Founder

Chair

Lawyer

ProPublica

Senior Reporter

Investigative Reporter

A Toxic Legacy: Has Agent Orange Hurt The Children Of Vietnam Vets?

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Our work focuses exclusively on truly important stories, stories with &ldquo;moral force.&rdquo; We do this by producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them.

Investigative journalism is at risk. Many news organizations have increasingly come to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special01/0528bolles-stateofreporting.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;" target="_blank">see it as a luxury</a>. Today&rsquo;s investigative reporters lack resources: Time and budget constraints are curbing the ability of journalists not specifically designated &ldquo;investigative&rdquo; to do this kind of reporting in addition to their regular beats. New models are, therefore, necessary to carry forward some of the great work of journalism in the public interest that is such an integral part of self-government, and thus an important bulwark of our democracy.

ProPublica was founded by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/about/leadership#steiger" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Paul Steiger</a>, the former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal. It is now led by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/about/staff#engelberg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Stephen Engelberg</a>, a former managing editor of The Oregonian and former investigative editor of The New York Times, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.propublica.org/about/staff#tofel" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(34, 98, 204); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Richard Tofel</a>, the former assistant publisher of The Wall Street Journal.

ProPublica is headquartered in Manhattan. Its establishment was announced in October 2007. Operations commenced in January 2008, and publishing began in June 2008.

A Toxic Legacy: Has Agent Orange Hurt The Children Of Vietnam Vets?

Host

ProPublica

Speakers

Heather Bowser

Kenneth Ramos

Rory Riley-Topping

Charles Ornstein

Mike Hixenbaugh

Coordinator

Cynthia Gordy

Conversations Matter