Daily Briefing: Listeria hysteria

The risk of listeria contamination from popular food items is yet again in the news. Loyalists of former President Donald Trump have talked of vengeance on Trump's political opponents if he returns to office. Paste BN Sports offers a (not too) early look at college basketball.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. What is slow shopping?

When the products we love could make us sick

Listeria outbreaks and other signs of disease in popular products have popped up across the country this year, resulting in hundreds of hospitalizations and multiple deaths caused by exposure.

Various listeria-related recalls are still playing out across the country. From deli meat to peanuts to even mushrooms, several major outbreaks and recalls have been announced by officials since January. One of the largest is the ongoing outbreak tied to Boar’s Head deli meat, which left 10 dead and 49 sick across 19 states.

• What is listeria? Listeria is a foodborne bacterial illness and the third leading cause of death from a foodborne illness in the United States. 
• The latest listeria risk includes frozen pancakes and waffles. Tasty breakfast treats sold at Publix, Target, Walmart and other top retailers are included in a TreeHouse Foods recall linked to a potential listeria contamination.
• What's being done about these recalls? Some have ended. Others are ongoing. In the case of Boar's Head, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking into the USDA's handling of violations reported at the Virginia plant linked to the multi-state listeria outbreak.

🥞 What should you do? Check your fridge and freezers for any of the listed products and dispose of them. If you want a refund, return the product to the store where you purchased it.  

Meet the enforcers prepped to help Trump pursue his enemies

Former President Donald Trump speaks only in generalities about his intentions. But a vocal cadre of Trump allies are calling for prosecution and even violence against the former president's political enemies should he be elected in November. Ivan Raiklin, an intense former Green Beret who calls himself Trump's "Secretary of Retribution," has gone so far as to compile a "Deep State Target List" of more than 350 people he says he'll go after in a second Trump administration. Read more.

• Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris joined an ex-White House chief of staff in calling Trump a fascist last night.

More news to know now

• Why is it still so hot outside?
• A 15-year-old suspect may face charges in a Washington state shooting that left five dead.
• Same-day incidents targeted a historic Philadelphia synagogue.
• More than 7,000 bottles of an antidepressant were recalled over a possible cancerous chemical.
• A mother alleges an AI chatbot drove her son to suicide.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

'White gold' in Arkansas could be stunningly valuable

Arkansas may be home to a vast resource that could reshape the world's energy needs: a valuable battery component called lithium that's been nicknamed "white gold" and "the new gasoline." The U.S. Geological Survey suggests this week the U.S. might have all the lithium it needs in ancient brine which dates back to the Jurassic period and is buried deep below southern Arkansas. It's an important discovery because renewable energy needs batteries and many batteries need lithium. But the resource is in short supply globally, especially in America. Read more

Here's why diabetes patients are worried

Over the past year, many patients who depend on insulin have encountered shortages, delays and red tape from drug companies and pharmacies. The insulin supply shortages come as diabetes patients increasingly turn to drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, part of a new category of weight loss medication approved to treat Type 2 diabetes. Drug companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in factory production to keep pace with the voracious demand from American consumers who want these drugs for diabetes, weight loss and other conditions. Here's what people with diabetes told Paste BN about the wait for care.

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Not too early for college basketball

The start of the long journey toward greatness in college basketball is just a couple of weeks away, and Paste BN's panel of voters has weighed in to determine who gets the honor of entering the men’s basketball season as the No. 1 team. For the second consecutive year, Kansas tops the preseason Paste BN Sports men's basketball coaches poll. Alabama, coming off its first ever trip to the Final Four, will open at No. 2, finishing just one poll point ahead of two-time defending national champion Connecticut. Check out Paste BN Sports preseason men's basketball poll.

Bad omens or misunderstood?

Birds such as crows and ravens may have a bad rap thanks to superstitions and negative portrayals in popular culture, especially during spooky season. But Paste BN's Graphics team explored how these flying fiends offer a lot more than fodder for scary stories.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.