Parasite Causing Explosive Diarrhea Is Spreading – How To Protect Yourself
Plus: World Cup Semifinals Set & Jay-Z Rocks Yankee Stadium Until 3 A.M.
Good evening,
After more than a month of matches, the field is down to the final four at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
England and Argentina advanced to the semifinals over the weekend and will face off on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET. France and Spain play first on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET, to see who will make it to Sunday’s World Cup final.
THE CRÈME DE LA CRÈME: For the first time in World Cup history, the top four teams in FIFA’s rankings are also the four teams to advance to the semifinals.
Argentina is ranked first, followed by Spain, France, and then England.
All four teams have won World Cups in the past. Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout in the last World Cup in 2022.
PLACE YOUR BETS: France is favored to win the World Cup by traders on the prediction market Kalshi, with odds at nearly 40%, as of Monday afternoon.
Sunday’s game is expected to be the largest betting event in sports history, with financial services firm Macquarie projecting more than $50 billion in global wagers, up from $35 billion in 2022.
Hope you’re at least semi-excited to watch. ⚽️
Mo News Team
A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
Building Better Community Health
From delivering healthy meals in the Twin Cities to expanding doula care in Spartanburg, S.C., UnitedHealth Group works with local partners to improve health outcomes nationwide.
Because building healthier communities helps people live healthier lives.
🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING
A Parasite Causing Explosive Diarrhea Is Spreading – How To Protect Yourself
Thousands of people in 31 U.S. states have become sick from cyclospora, a parasite that can cause weeks of severe diarrhea. It’s one of the nation’s worst outbreaks in years, and the source of the outbreak is still unknown.
WHAT IS IT? Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal illness that spreads through food or water that has been contaminated with feces.
Unlike norovirus or food poisoning, it does not spread person-to-person.
It can take a week+ for symptoms to appear.
SYMPTOMS: The illness causes watery or explosive diarrhea, cramping, bloating, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and dehydration. Without treatment, symptoms can last a month or longer.
Most people recover, but some become so dehydrated they need to be hospitalized.
As officials investigate the source, the outbreak is renewing questions about whether recent changes and cutbacks at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could make outbreaks like this harder to track.
WHERE IT’S SPREADING
Michigan has reported 2,640 cases and 44 hospitalizations this year, making it the largest outbreak in state history. Ohio reported 434 cases since June 1, with at least 28 people hospitalized.
Overall, cases have been reported in 31 states, though investigators are not sure if they’re all connected or due to clusters from different sources.
What’s causing it? People get sick from eating or drinking something that’s been contaminated, usually fresh produce or water from a swimming pool. Public health officials do not currently know this new outbreak’s origins.
The foods linked to cyclospora outbreaks are also some of the healthiest items on your grocery list. Adding to the dilemma: simply rinsing or washing your produce likely won’t remove the parasite, according to the FDA.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Wash your hands (with soap), kitchen surfaces (cutting boards, utensils, countertops, and refrigerators), and all fresh produce.
In Michigan, officials recommend buying whole heads of lettuce instead of prewashed, bagged lettuce or salad mixes. They also say to remove the outer two to three leaves before washing the rest.
Cook fruits and vegetables when possible. Heating food to at least 158°F kills cyclospora.
Avoid swallowing water while swimming in public pools.
Cyclosporiasis is treatable with antibiotics and no deaths have been reported.
RESTAURANTS RESPOND
While a source has not been confirmed, some restaurants are changing their menus, especially in states experiencing the most cases.
Some Taco Bell locations have temporarily stopped serving lettuce, cilantro, onions, pico de gallo, and guacamole out of caution.
A pizza place in Michigan announced it’s removing lettuce, tomatoes, and onions from the menu.
Another restaurant in Oklahoma announced menu changes and increased cleaning practices.
BEEN HERE BEFORE: In 2018, McDonald’s restaurants removed salads from the menu in 14 states after being linked to dozens of cyclosporiasis cases. Tainted lettuce from Mexico was identified as the source of an outbreak that sickened 400 people in 2013.
WHAT ABOUT THE CDC?
Last year, the CDC made reporting cyclospora to its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network optional, prompting concerns from some food safety experts that outbreaks could become harder to detect, though the agency says it has not changed how it investigates cases.
⏳ THE SPEED READ
🚨NATION
Lindsey Graham’s sister appointed to Senate seat as GOP rushes to protect fragile majority (FOX)
Sen. Mitch McConnell breaks silence with hospital photo, health update (MO NEWS)
Person killed in Maine, second fatal ICE-involved shooting in less than a week (MO NEWS)
Judge says Trump sued IRS for ‘improper purpose’; refers his lawyer to bar (CNBC)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
Trump: U.S. should become Strait of Hormuz “guardian,” charge 20% fee (MO NEWS)
Ukraine and 9 other countries announce a coalition to protect Europe from ballistic missiles (AP)
Fire breaks out at a pub in Bangkok, killing at least 27 people, officials say (NBC)
Firefighting planes scrambled from south of France to tackle huge wildfire near Paris (GUARDIAN)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
Apple sues OpenAI alleging trade secret theft, says scheme was ‘at every level’ (CNBC)
Hundreds of economists say ‘we must act now’ on AI’s economic impact and job displacement risks (AP)
In a sweet discovery, astronomers find sugar lurking in the space between stars (ABC)
Paramount, WBD hit with lawsuit from 12 states, including California, to block merger (CNBC)
Volkswagen planning to cut up to 100,000 jobs globally (BBC)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sam Neill, star of Jurassic Park, has died, family says (CNN)
Conor McGregor to undergo surgery, plans to fight again (ESPN)
Josh Grisetti, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actor and Broadway star, dies at 44 (VARIETY)
Michael becomes first biopic in history to earn more than $1 billion at the box office while live-action Moana capsizes (THE WRAP/DEADLINE)
ICYMI FROM THE 📲
In case you missed it… Rapper Jay-Z apologized to fans Monday after his Sunday night Yankee Stadium concert was delayed more than four hours following a security breach that prompted police to temporarily lock down the stadium.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON: Initially set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jay-Z went on stage around 12:20 a.m. Monday.
The concert, featuring Usher, Beyoncé, and Rihanna, finished at 2:45 a.m. 🥱
It was the last of Jay-Z’s three sold-out nights at Yankee Stadium, celebrating the 25th and 30th anniversaries of his albums The Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt, respectively.