Pressure Systems edition
Cyclospora Outbreaks and Measles Cover-Ups Strain US Food and Health Safety
September 6, 2026
What this edition shows
The Trump administration's dismantling of public health oversight—highlighted by shelving Cyclospora research during a 30,000-case outbreak and ordering measles death reports deleted under RFK Jr.—collides with systemic food safety failures and rising parasite infections across 48 states. As federal monitoring and veterinary research face severe budget and institutional cuts, immunocompromised children and everyday consumers bear the physical brunt of a compromised biological commons.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 10 sources
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Should We Be Afraid of Our Food?
The cyclosporiasis outbreak that has garnered so much attention in recent months is unquestionably bad news. People have been sickened in at least 48 states, and the number of lab-confirmed cases—about 17,000—represents only a fraction of the number of people who have been infected by the parasite.…
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Trump admin shelves Cyclospora research despite record-breaking outbreak
The CDC has tallied nearly 30,000 confirmed and probable cases this summer.
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Did DOGE ruin America’s food safety system?
Food safety scares raise questions over whether Trump’s cuts weakened US food safety monitoring.
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The Truth About American Food Safety
The phrase When it rains, it pours isn’t one you like to see applied to outbreaks of foodborne illness, yet here we are. The summer started with a diarrhea-causing parasite called Cyclospora cayetanensis, which infested iceberg lettuce. Then came news of Shiga toxin–producing bacteria in organic fro…
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Why AI food looks like that
There is a torrent of unappetizing slop coming from restaurants, cafes, and brands that are increasingly turning to AI to generate images promoting their food. The resulting horror show includes donut shrimp, Reubens from the deep, wormlike noodles, and noodle-like pastries and stringy chicken. Ther…
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RFK Jr. Wants Your Medical Records
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. You might assume that what you tell a doctor stays between you, your physician and perhaps your insurer. But the reality is more complicated. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountabi…
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Lactose intolerance is actually the human norm – but racism, the US government and business interests have made it into a condition
The majority of the world is unable to process the lactose in milk without uncomfortable symptoms Olga Miltsova/iStock via Getty Images Plus Lactose intolerance makes drinking milk or eating ice cream a literal pain. For some people, eating a dairy treat can lead to bloating, nausea and diarrhea. Yo…
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Measles killed 6-week-old baby, coroner confirms after RFK Jr. disputed deaths
"It’s long past time for RFK to stop playing games with people’s lives."
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Reports: RFK Jr. ordered measles deaths deletion; CDC still secretly counts them
CDC staff had already accepted the measles death reports when RFK Jr. meddled.
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Measles Outbreaks Are Forcing Immunocompromised Kids to Make Impossible Choices
With the risk of infection rising, parents and young adults are facing agonizing choices about being out in public as school starts back up.