Archive for July 2026

This is the largest documented Cyclospora outbreak in US history, and the coverage has that part right. What has reached the public is a scary number that keeps going up. It misses the fact that, while cyclosporiasis—which is what a Cyclospora infection is called—has now been reported in 41 states, the outbreak is only in nine. The numbers being reported measure different things. The CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have included 1,947 confirmed cases in the nine-state Taco Bell outbreak, which epidemiologic and trace-back evidence links to iceberg lettuce, while the CDC separately reports more than 4,000 confirmed domestically acquired cases nationally since May.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has promised that city-owned grocery stores will bring down prices for shoppers. On Monday, he announced the exact discount: 30 percent for some basic groceries, including vegetables, meat, bread and milk. The city is moving to select private operators to run five city-owned stores, one in each borough. The city will build the stores and waive rent and property taxes. It is also expected to provide an operating subsidy to help pay for the discounts.

My name is Paige Loud. I recently ran for Congress in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. Running for Congress was one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I launched my campaign during the final semester of my Master’s of Social Work program.