The cost of complacency

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The FDA, failing the nation, conducted fewer than one-twentieth of the foreign inspections required by law over the past decade. {CBS News 12 August}

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taylor-farms-mexico-fda-inspection-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/

Predictably, the farm in Mexico linked to the ongoing cyclospora outbreak had not been inspected since 2019. Do not expect any improvement any time soon — only further deterioration.

FTA: The Food and Drug Administration conducted just under 1,000 foreign food safety inspections in 2025, and the farm in Mexico believed to be at the center of the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S. was not one of them. 

A federal law enacted to prevent diseased and dirty food from reaching Americans' plates requires the FDA to carry out nearly 20 times that many foreign inspections each year. But the FDA hasn't come close to meeting the congressional mandate — or even 10% of it — in the 10 years it has been in place, spanning administrations led by both political parties. 

FDA officials have described the requirement as unrealistic, but have never asked Congress to revise it. A lower foreign inspection target the agency deemed necessary to safeguard foreign imports is still nearly five times higher than the number of inspections conducted last year. 

Congress, meanwhile, has not increased the agency's food safety budget to outpace or keep up with inflation, and widespread layoffs during the first year of President Trump's second term squeezed resources further.  

The rate of inspections has gotten markedly worse amid those reductions, with foreign food safety inspections falling by 29% from 2024. Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, last year's inspection count was the lowest since 2011. Early numbers for 2026 show that the agency is on track to inspect a similar number this year.

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🪐💔 #QueSeraSera 𓅨 🕈

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Another rotten week in #Murica and the world. Trump credits himself with Ukraine’s military success; President Biden gets things done, but to little to no credit; CBP officials now interrogating international travelers on whether they’ve had an abortion, more

Ukraine Emergency Service

Russian missiles strike the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, killing at least twenty-three and injuring many more - Deliberately targeting hospitals and civilian infrastructure in an area with little-to-no militarily strategic value. The cruelty *is* the point, just as with our domestic Fascists in #Murica. It is vital that President Biden and other world leaders heed Zelenskyy’s call, and designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Слава Україні. (AP 7/14)

Nothing’s shocking anymore: Trump brags that Ukrainian forces are performing well because of weapons he falsely claims he authorized to be sold to Ukraine while he was president - Incredible nerve; he withheld congressionally-authorized military aid in an unsuccessful scheme to blackmail Zelenskyy for ‘dirt’ on Mr. Biden. For which, in January 2020, the GAO issued a report plainly stating that the then-president broke the law, and thus was the impetus for the first of two impeachment trials. Yet, people still believe Donald Trump’s horses**t. It is so insulting to our intelligence, but that is exactly what #Cult45 wants to do: Supporting this fool is their collective way of telling the other half of the country to go f**k ourselves, and it is very much an anti-intellectual, radically populist movement. Therefore, he must be stopped and the GOP cannot be allowed to control Congress and the presidency so long as they are domestic tyrants and international menaces. No Ukrainian-Americans or American supporters of Ukraine should involve themselves with the Republican Party right now; for it’d be akin to a Jew supporting the pro-Nazi ‘America First’ movements of the 1930s. (Political Tribune 7/13)

Fred R. Conrad/NYT

Trump’s first wife and the mother of his three-oldest demon spawn dies at 73 - Conspiracy theories suck and I do not like engaging in them, but it’s not hard to put two and two together here: She knew too much, and he is owned by the Russians. This is how Russians kill their sacrificial lambs. By ‘accident.’ Falling down stairs, out of windows, that sort of thing. Very basic, but very effective. (New York Times 7/14)

Susan Walsh/AP

Mexico agrees to contribute $1.5 billion for infrastructure improvement along the border with the U.S. - Interesting: Trump famously made a campaign promise that he would make Mexico pay for a border wall; of which only 450 miles of construction ever came to fruition, and that Mexico did not contribute to but was instead funded by raiding the Pentagon budget. President Biden and his counterpart, López Obrador, have actually just made a substantial investment that should do a lot more to strengthen national security than some stupid wall. Not that #Cult45 and its media organs - or even most of the general public - will acknowledge any of this. (ABC News 7/12)

Debbie Hill/pool/AFP

President Biden visits Israel, offers words of comfort to Holocaust survivors. (Times of Israel 7/13)

President Biden and interim Israeli PM Yair Lapid sign joint pledge to deny Iran nuclear weapons - Another important achievement for this administration that will go completely unnoticed in #Murica. (Reuters 7/14)

Average U.S. gas prices fall for twenty-eight days in a row, though still well over $4.00 a gallon. (New York Times 7/13)

Australian woman trying to get to Canada via the U.S. is interrogated by CBP over minor visa violation, asked if she has had an abortion. (The Guardian 7/12)

HERE & THERE

Jury selection to begin Monday in the trial of Steve Bannon after judge rejects request to delay. (CBS News 7/14)

Trump invites Saudi-backed ‘LIV’ golf circuit to his New Jersey course, outraging 9/11 families. (New York Daily News 7/15)

Canada’s central bank raises interest rates by a full point to combat inflation. (AP 7/13)

New 988 mental health emergency hotline launches, and has great potential to revolutionize mental health treatment in America. And Lord knows we need it. (AP 7/15)

Rest in Peace, Kitten’s Joy: Legendary racehorse and leading sire dies at 21. (Bloodhorse 7/15)

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The beginnings of World War III? Putin boldly declares that all of Ukraine belongs to Russia, recognizes the independence of the separatist provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk; Russian troops being sent in for ‘peacekeeping functions’

Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

The proverbial s**t is hitting the fan. Via the BBC - 

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has recognised breakaway rebel regions in Ukraine's east as independent states. 

The self-declared people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk are home to Russia-backed rebels who have been fighting Ukrainian forces since 2014. 

Russia's move is likely to end peace talks in the region, which has been under a tenuous ceasefire for years. 

Western powers also fear it could pave the way for Russian military forces to enter Ukraine's eastern regions. 

Shortly after the announcement, Mr Putin signed an order for troops to perform so-called "peacekeeping functions" in both regions. The extent of the mission remains unclear, but if troops cross the border it would be the first time Russian soldiers have officially entered rebel-held territory. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the move amounted to "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine" and breaks international law. He called it "a very ill omen and a very dark sign". Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK would announce new sanctions on Russia on Tuesday. 

The EU pledged to "react with unity, firmness and with determination in solidarity with Ukraine". 

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected the suggestion that Russian troops would have a peacekeeping brief, telling reporters: "It's unacceptable, it's unprovoked, it's unwarranted ... some suggestion that they are peacekeeping is nonsense." 

The move by Vladimir Putin deepens the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which is surrounded by more than 150,000 Russian troops on its borders. Russia has denied planning to invade, but the US believes Mr Putin is preparing an imminent attack. (Read more) 

Meanwhile, President Biden is making it clear the United States means business, imposing sanctions prohibiting trade and investment in the two breakaway provinces, and the United Nations Security Council will be holding an emergency meeting. Frankly, war probably cannot be prevented now, and this evil man, Vladimir Putin, cannot be constrained. Ukraine is doomed, and the other former Soviet republics are likely not far behind in being reabsorbed into the evil empire.

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The White House puts the screws to weakling Justin Trudeau, demands Canada crackdown on trucker blockades at the border

Cole Burston/Getty Images

Disrupting the lives of ordinary citizens is not a legitimate form of protest. Rather, it is terrorism, and these truckers ought to be treated as terrorists. But pretty boy Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has his thumb up his ass, sitting back and doing nothing. These petulant bullies are already causing great harm to the economies of both Canada and the United States, and they are beginning to inspire copycat protests in the U.S. and around the world. It has to be stopped. -  

The Canadian government is coming under increasing pressure from the United States to resolve anti-vaccine mandate protests that are impacting the economy in both countries with border blockades, including a 5-day shutdown of the vital Ambassador Bridge. 

The “Freedom Convoy” by Canadian truckers opposing a vaccinate-or-quarantine mandate for cross-border drivers, mirrored by the U.S. government, began with the occupation of the Canadian capital, Ottawa. The truckers then blocked the Ambassador Bridge earlier this week, and shut down two other smaller border crossings. 

The closure of the bridge, North America’s busiest international land border crossing and a key supply route for Detroit’s carmakers, has halted some auto output and left officials scrambling to limit economic damage. (Read more)

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Americans in their 40s, 50s, and 60s suffer worse ‘depression and worse memory recall than older Americans did when they were the same age,’ a phenomenon not seen in better-educated countries

Alamy

Well, I’m 43, and have had the misfortune of spending my entire life in this rotting cesspool. And I’m not a happy man. Nor am I even able to recall what my name is half the time, and that is only somewhat of an exaggeration. I suppose I am not the only one beyond frustrated with all the noise, gaslighting, and degradation we must endure for the ‘privilege’ of being an American. Via Arizona State University - 

Middle-aged adults in the United States today experience worse mental health than older generations of Americans and also their European and Asian peers. 

To understand what is happening with middle-aged American adults, a research team led by Arizona State University scientists compared middle age across different cultures and periods of time. 

The study examined how physical and mental health in midlife changed over time and in different countries. American adults currently in their 40s, 50s and early 60s have more symptoms of depression and worse memory recall than older Americans did when they were the same age. This pattern was found in Australian middle-aged adults but not in those living in Germany, South Korea or Mexico. 

Years of education was associated with better mental health in midlife, but the strength of this buffering effect has waned for Americans currently in their 40s, 50s and 60s relative to older American generations and to middle-aged adults in Australia, Germany, South Korea and Mexico. 

This work was published on Dec. 16 in American Psychologist. (Read more)

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The World Health Organization urges nations not to impose travel bans from southern Africa as new omicron variant spreads

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

It is beyond obvious now that virtually the entire world took their foot off the pedal, so to speak, far too soon. Governments caved to pressure from their restless and malevolent citizenries. Closing America’s borders is the only responsible action at this time, but the WHO appears to care more about public opinion than anything else. - 

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The World Health Organization on Sunday urged countries around the world not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant. 

WHO’s regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries to follow science and international health regulations in order to avoid using travel restrictions. 

“Travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,” Moeti said in a statement. “If restrictions are implemented, they should not be unnecessarily invasive or intrusive, and should be scientifically based, according to the International Health Regulations, which is a legally binding instrument of international law recognized by over 190 nations.” 

Moeti praised South Africa for following international health regulations and informing WHO as soon as its national laboratory identified the omicron variant. 

“The speed and transparency of the South African and Botswana governments in informing the world of the new variant is to be commended,” said Moeti. “WHO stands with African countries which had the courage to boldly share life-saving public health information, helping protect the world against the spread of COVID-19.” 

Cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in countries on opposite sides of the world Sunday and many governments rushed to close their borders even as scientists cautioned that it’s not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus. 

While investigations continue into the omicron variant, WHO recommends that all countries “take a risk-based and scientific approach and put in place measures which can limit its possible spread.” (Read more)

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