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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
The transition to a new chapter for the Mets under interim manager Andy Green hasn’t exactly been groundbreaking.
After suffering a 9-3 defeat to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, and heading into a four-game weekend series against Atlanta, the Mets (36-51) have managed just two wins in Green’s first six games. This performance continues to distance them from the already unlikely wild-card playoff spot.
Despite Green’s ambitious talk of bringing “joy” and being “willing to challenge” his players during his spirited introductory press conference, there are limits to what he can achieve with a roster that appears average at best. It’s anticipated that he will return to his duties as the senior vice president of baseball development after the season, according to David Stearns.
Thus, the decision to dismiss Carlos Mendoza wasn’t centered on pushing the team back into the competitive mix this season—such a turnaround, given the circumstances, was never the goal.
During what seemed to be just another fishing excursion, a couple from Maine found themselves at the heart of a dramatic wildlife encounter. Using their pickup truck, they managed to save a moose calf from an attacking bear, ultimately allowing the young moose to reunite with its mother.
Todd Malcolm recounted to The Associated Press his belief that without intervention, the bear was certain to catch the calf.
Reflecting on the moment, Malcolm stated, “I knew what I had to do, and I just did it.”
A photo captured by Elvia J. Malcolm shows a bear chasing a moose calf before the Maine couple intervened, using their vehicle to assist in the animal’s safe reunion with its mother.(Elvia J. Malcolm via AP)
The Malcolms’ unexpected adventure began when they noticed a female moose near the forest’s edge in Telos Township, Maine. Seizing the moment for a photo opportunity, they stopped their truck, unaware of the tense wildlife drama about to unfold.
“I said to Elvia, I said, ‘Grab your phone because you’re going to get a chance to get a picture of a moose,’” Todd Malcolm said.
After parking their truck, the couple noticed the moose appeared unusually agitated — and, as it turned out, for good reason.
American Black Bear feeding near Princeton, British Columbia, Canada.(iStock)
Moments later, a bear and the moose calf burst from the woods and sprinted directly toward their truck, they told the AP.
Todd Malcolm said he was convinced the bear would catch the vulnerable calf and decided to intervene.
“I put the truck in drive and I just stepped on the gas,” he said.
A large Bull Moose looking at camera in a swampy wildlife refuge.(Getty Images Creatives)
Malcolm said he didn’t want to hurt the bear and only intended to put the truck between the predator and the calf.
His plan worked, and the bear darted to the side of the road before disappearing back into the woods.
“Boom, gone, right in the woods,” he said.
The ordeal was just as nerve-racking for Elvia Malcolm.
“My heart was racing because I did not want to witness the bear catching the calf,” she told the AP. “As soon as the calf got past the truck, and we were able to get the bear to give up the chase, I looked up the road and saw that they were together, the mom and the calf.”
Despite the chaos, Elvia Malcolm said she still managed to capture several photographs of the dramatic encounter.
“I really thought I probably got like a bug on the windshield when I started to look at them,” she said. “I took them through the front windshield of the truck. I wasn’t outside the truck. No way was I getting outside the truck.”
The couple later continued their fishing trip after watching the moose calf reunite with its mother.
In an intriguing moment, Madonna and her daughter, Lourdes Leon, appeared together to talk about their latest musical release.
Teaming up for a song titled “The Test,” the duo explored the complexities of their often-turbulent relationship, fueling rumors of a potential discord between them.
As they prepared for the London debut of Madonna’s upcoming album, “Club Confessions,” in association with Grindr, the iconic singer and her daughter spoke candidly about their deeply emotional connection.
During a conversation with Bob The Drag Queen, who was interviewing Madonna about her album “Confessions II,” Lourdes was introduced. The pair greeted with a handshake, soon leading to Madonna offering a warm kiss on Lourdes’ cheek.
The initial awkwardness between them seemed to fade as Lourdes, 29, complimented her mother, saying, “Hello, you look so pretty,” to which Madonna responded, “so do you”.
Yet Lourdes seemed to prickle at Madonna’s response, shooting back: ‘why do you sound surprised?’ mimicking her saying ‘so do you’ deadpan.
As Madonna laughed it off by remarking ‘like mother like daughter’, Bob seemed uncomfortable with the tension, saying: ‘wow!’
Madonna shared an awkward handshake with daughter Lourdes in a frosty exchange as they discussed their ‘tense and emotional’ relationship at a London listening party amid feud claims
The mother-daughter duo have collaborated on The Test, a duet about their fraught relationship that has sparked claims of a feud (pictured in 2025)
Lourdes then revealed it was her idea to collaborate on their new song, as she mused: ‘I think that between a mother and a daughter and a relationship it’s kind of – there’s a lot of things that are unspoken.
‘There’s a lot of love that’s unspoken but also a lot of tension and emotions that are kind of difficult to put into words because it can be so emotional.
‘A way that I thought would be easier for us to speak about these things would be through art, which is always something me and my mum have connected over that’s really brought us together.’
Madonna then weighed in on the experience of working together, saying: ‘it was very emotional and there were moments when I felt like crying, hugging her.
‘Because as she says we don’t always agree on things but we love creativity and art has always connected us.
‘It was a very magical moment and we both had to be vulnerable.’
When asked to sum up her experience of working with her mother on The Test in one word, Lourdes confessed: ‘healing’.
Following the interview, Madonna then took to the stage with DJ Stuart Price as she performed singles from her new album.
The singer had designed the venue so that guests would have to enter through a giant sculpture of her legs, while drinks on offer were themed to her songs, named Spicy Danceteria, Absolut Holiday Highball and Into? The Groove Grindr Mule.
Guests were also invited to buy merchandise, with Madonna fan Jo revealing she spent £65 purchasing a T-shirt with ‘don’t be a vibe kill’ on the front.
Following the interview, Madonna then took to the stage with DJ Stuart Price as she performed singles from her new album at the event in celebration with official partner Grindr
The singer had designed the venue so that guests would have to enter through a giant sculpture of her legs
Guests were also invited to buy merchandise, with Madonna fan Jo revealing she spent £65 purchasing a T-shirt with ‘don’t be a vibe kill’ on the front
Drinks on offer were themed to her songs, named Spicy Danceteria, Absolut Holiday Highball and Into? The Groove Grindr Mule
In The Test, Madonna sings candidly to her daughter about how she ‘tried to put you on a pedestal,’ although Lourdes herself ‘didn’t ask for all the flashing lights.’
The Material Girl freely admits she ‘didn’t think of how it could disturb or how it hurt,’ sharing that she wished she ‘knew the pain I caused’ and understood the impact of the fact that ‘my butterfly was always being watched.’
Lourdes then reflects on her upbringing in the shadow of a world-famous mother, whom she characterised as ‘my reason to be, or what I want, or look like, what I wear, all the clothes on my back and what I attract.’
She sings about striking a balance in which she is able to ‘trace the line of what you have sewn’ and still ‘keep my own design, make it a landscape, make it alive.’
Madonna previously admitted her daughter Lourdes Leon was ‘very standoffish’ to work with on their new song, as she finally addressed their rift.
She opened up to Graham Norton on his BBC show Madonna & Graham and said Lourdes ‘held onto a lot of resentment’ with her over the years.
Madonna, who shares Lourdes with her ex Carlos Leon, wrote a song with her daughter for her new album Confessions II.
Despite the tension between the mother and daughter duo, Madonna said writing a song together ‘healed’ their relationship.
In the episode, which aired Friday night, Madonna explained: ‘She approached me, she’s been very revenant to work with me. She doesn’t want to be perceived as my daughter, taking advantage of her privilege.’
Graham asked: ‘How does that feel? Was it like working with a professional or a proud mother?’
‘It was kind of neither’, she said. ‘She’s been very standoffish and working at her own pace, and I respect that deeply. She’s a great songwriter and has a much better voice than I do.
‘But then one day she came to me and said “You know what, I realise I’ve been holding onto something” and maybe it’s a kind of I want to say anger, what’s another word, maybe resentment?
‘At the end of the day, she didn’t ask for this. She had been through her adolescence struggling with those feelings for a long time.
‘So she came to me and said “Let’s write a song together, I think it will be a very healing experience. You say exactly what you want to say and I will say exactly what I want to say”.
‘And I was like “Okay, you’re on, let’s do it, I was so happy”. Her lyrics are beautiful.’
Ashley Roberts channelled Madonna’s iconic 2006 Grammys look at the concert
The Pussycat Dolls star looked incredible in a purple corset dress – inspired by the bodysuit Madonna wore two decades ago (Madonna pictured in 2006)
Daisy Edgar-Jones looked stylish in a green lace mini dress that showed off her tanned legs
Jaime Winstone also reworked Madonna’s Eighties era with a curly blonde bob and black cap
Jamie nailed one of Madonna’s very early and rebellious photoshoots captured in 1989 (pictured)
Jessica Gunning sported a printed T-shirt
Jessie Ware sported a tartan midi skirt and a quirky handbag at the event
Confessions II, which drops this Friday, is currently Madonna’s best-reviewed disc since 2005’s Confessions On a Dance Floor
While Madonna and Lourdes are now close and often collaborate together, the pair have touched on their issues in past interviews.
In 2021, Lourdes called her mother a ‘control freak’ and admitted that she paid for her own college tuition and first apartment to escape her.
‘We don’t get any handouts in my family. Obviously, I grew up with extreme privilege. There’s no denying that,’ she explained to Interview magazine.
‘But I think my mom saw all these other kids of famous people, and she was like, “My kids are not going to be like this.”
‘Also, I feel like if your parents pay for things, then it gives them leverage over you. My mom is such a control freak, and she has controlled me my whole life. I needed to be completely independent from her as soon as I graduated high school.’
In a 2019 interview with Vogue, Madonna praised her ‘insanely talented’ eldest child but said that she lacked the same drive that had made her a household name.
Since branching out on her own, Lourdes has found work as a model, a celebrity socialite, and as an indie musician.
Confessions II, which drops this Friday, is currently Madonna’s best-reviewed disc since 2005’s Confessions On a Dance Floor.
As Americans gear up to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday this holiday weekend, the organizers of Freedom 250 events in Washington find themselves in a heated rush to manage the soaring temperatures.
So far, the Great American State Fair and FIFA Fan Fest have drawn an impressive crowd of approximately 200,000 people, as indicated by a Freedom 250 spokesperson. The numbers are anticipated to swell even more on Saturday with the “Salute to America 250 Celebration & Fireworks” event.
This year’s celebrations are overshadowed by a relentless heat dome that threatens not just comfort, but also the health of attendees. The National Weather Service forecasts highs reaching 103 degrees on Friday, with the heat index climbing to a stifling 111. The Fourth of July itself promises no respite, with temperatures expected to peak at 102, accompanied by even higher heat index values.
District authorities are taking no chances, advising both residents and visitors to keep hydrated and seek out cooler environments whenever possible. Staying safe in this extreme heat means prioritizing health over festivity.
“The thing to remember, especially with this heat, is that it’s a long, long day,” emphasized District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser at a recent press conference. Alongside other officials, she urged attendees to monitor their exposure to the heat, watch their drinking habits, and head home promptly once the fireworks conclude.
Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly Sr. said event organizers have “worked from the beginning to make sure that there is hydration available inside the secure areas.”
Donnelly also said there is a “multi-tiered response system in place” for all Freedom 250 events with first-aid tents, response teams and extra ambulances available.
“I feel like we’re in really good shape as far as a response,” he said. “We just need everybody to do their part, take their time, drink a lot of water and be safe out there.”
Clint Osborn, director of the Washington, D.C., Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, told people to prepare ahead of time.
“Drink lots of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty, take breaks in the shade or in the air conditioning and check on your neighbors, loved ones and pets,” Osborn said.
Bowser also said any 250th birthday celebrations on the National Mall have been designated as a “national special security event” with extra security measures.
A White House official said there will be complimentary water distribution stations, water refill stations and water misting stations in the security lines of Saturday’s big event and across the site.
“President Trump’s number one priority is the safety and security of anyone who is participating or attending the many events honoring the Nation during our historic 250th anniversary celebrations,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement.
Trump is expected to speak at Saturday’s event before fireworks at the end of the night. He joked Tuesday that he was going to “make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything.”
Freedom 250, the public-private partnership created by the Trump administration, is the organization that put on the fair and Saturday’s main event. A spokesperson told The Washington Post that there will be four free hydration stations on the National Mall.
“We’re closely monitoring conditions and will keep adjusting as needed to make sure everyone stays safe and has a great time,” the spokesperson said.
The Hill has reached out to Freedom 250 for further comment.
The main event on Saturday is set to begin at 7 p.m. and the president is slated to speak at 9:45 EDT.
But the heat has already affected some of the weekend’s activities.
At the state fair, which began June 25 and is slated to run until July 10, some state booths have experienced some air conditioning and power loss.
The Lin family from North Carolina told The Hill that they visited the fair on Wednesday but left early because of the heat.
“We came a little bit early today,” Samuel Lin said Thursday morning.
One fairgoer told Fox 5 that she needed to be treated in the medical tent after overheating.
“None of these booths have air conditioning, we don’t know what happened, but I started seeing stars,” the woman said.
She said she stopped by David’s Tent, a tent that features 24/7 worship, and took a dip in the baptismal pool.
“They said, ‘Do you want to get in?’ I said, ‘Yes, I think I do,’” she told Fox 5.
A rodeo that was supposed to take place at the fair Thursday was also postponed due to the heat, but a concert with a surprise “multi-platinum” performer was still set to go on at 9 p.m.
The public viewing of the rehearsal for the “Capitol Fourth” concert also got canceled Thursday “due to excessive heat,” after a safety consultation with the Office of the Attending Physician, U.S. Capitol Police said.
They said a decision on if the Friday concert will proceed or be canceled will be made by 10 a.m.
The concert is a decades-long tradition set on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This year it’s supposed to feature performances by Patti LaBelle, Chicago, Kool & the Gang, Alan Jackson, Trace Adkins and the National Symphony Orchestra, among others.
On the left, Muskego, Wisconsin police conduct an investigation at a crash site where a 77-year-old woman lost her life. On the right, a photo of Casey Yiannackopoulos provided by the Muskego Police Department.
A man from Wisconsin faces imprisonment after a tragic incident where he left his mother to perish when their car veered into a ditch. After spending the night drinking, he fled the crash scene, abandoning her in the passenger seat.
Casey Yiannackopoulos, aged 48, admitted guilt to charges of causing homicide through the intoxicated use of a vehicle. Consequently, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison, which will be followed by an eight-year probationary period. Initially, he faced several serious charges, including first-degree reckless homicide, fleeing the scene of a fatal accident, and multiple counts related to resisting or obstructing law enforcement officers.
During his sentencing, Yiannackopoulos expressed remorse to his family, conveying an apology for his actions.
In addressing the judge, he reflected on the profound connection between a mother and child, stating, “The closest thing to God you will feel is the love of your mother,” a sentiment reported by the local NBC affiliate WTMJ.
But Judge Ralph Ramirez said an apology will not suffice.
“I know that Mr. Yiannackopoulos keenly feels the loss of his mother but I refuse to feel sorry for the man who caused the death of his own mother,” Ramirez said.
As Law&Crime previously reported, cops responded around 7:15 p.m. Nov. 2 to the S7100 block of Hillendale Drive to a single-vehicle crash in Muskego, a Milwaukee suburb.
When they arrived, they found a 77-year-old woman in the front passenger seat. She was the only person in the car. The driver, later identified as Yiannackopoulos, was nowhere to be found. First responders had to break through the front and rear passenger windows so they could extricate her from the car. The woman was unconscious but breathing. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead about an hour later. Her name has not been publicly released.
A probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime said several witnesses saw Yiannackopoulos run away. They said he appeared to be intoxicated as he was unsteady on his feet and reeked of booze. Yiannackopoulos told the witnesses that he was going to get help but he never did, cops say.
Home surveillance video captured the crash. It allegedly showed Yiannackopoulos driving at least 50 mph in a 30 mph zone before he left the road and crashed.
Cops learned that Yiannackopoulos’ mother lived down the street from where the crash occurred. When they went inside, they saw a ladder leading to a crawl space with the plywood door slightly ajar. Yiannackopoulos refused to come down and yelled and cursed at the officers. Around 10:45 p.m. cops sent a drone up to the crawl space. They saw Yiannackopoulos hiding under some blankets and a plastic bin cover.
He eventually had to be physically removed and taken into custody, the affidavit said. Cops said he had bloodshot and glassy eyes. Yiannackopoulos said “it was an accident” and he would have been “way more cooperative” if he knew at the scene that his mother was dead, according to the complaint.
Court Commissioner Daniel Rieck seemed flabbergasted at Yiannackopoulos’ alleged actions.
“As I read through your criminal complaint, sir, quite frankly, the word that came to mind over and over was depraved,” Rieck said, according to a courtroom report from local ABC affiliate WISN. “This went from driving while drunk, having what one would presume is a very unfortunate, traumatic accident, losing your mother, but then quite literally leaving her to die. Why? Because you didn’t want to get in trouble.”
Beginning July 4, parents can begin investing in what are known as Trump Accounts designed for children’s future financial growth.
Through this innovative initiative, the Treasury Department is planning to allocate $1,000 for every child who is registered and born in the United States from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2028.
Children below the age of 18 with a valid Social Security number can join these accounts; however, the $1,000 deposit is exclusive to those who arrive between 2025 and 2028.
Introduced as a core aspect of President Donald Trump’s key tax and expenditure legislation passed last year, Trump Accounts are believed to be “one of the most transformative policy innovations of all time,” as stated by the president during a summit dedicated to these accounts in January.
Families and guardians will find it beneficial to familiarize themselves with the details surrounding Trump Accounts.
How to opt into Trump Accounts
Parents and guardians can open a Trump Account for eligible kids by electing in through IRS Form 4547 when filing a tax return.
A child’s family members, relatives and friends may contribute up to $5,000 into their Trump Account each year. Corporations and philanthropies like nonprofits and local governments may also make tax-deductible contributions of up to $2,500 a year into the account.
Multiple corporations, including BlackRock, Chipotle, Mastercard, Robinhood and Uber, have already said they will match Trump Account contributions and states are also expected to make contributions.
Billionaire Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, and his wife, Susan Dell, pledged in December 2025 to donate over $6 billion to supplement Trump Accounts, seeding them with $250 each.
How Trump Accounts work
Money in Trump Accounts will be invested into the stock market, primarily in a broad index fund that tracks the market over time. The money would then increase over time with compound savings.
Trump Accounts are tax-advantaged, similar to the advantages of a traditional IRA.
Democrats seem increasingly focused on criticizing various Trump administration initiatives aimed at improving and beautifying Washington D.C., suggesting a lack of alternative ideas to enhance the lives of everyday Americans.
The controversy surrounding the cleanup of Columbus Circle, a key site outside the bustling Union Station in Washington D.C., is perplexing. Democrats appear to prefer the previous state of neglect, where the fountain was marred by graffiti, rather than functioning as intended.
Much ire has also been directed towards efforts to renovate the Reflecting Pool, located in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. The project has faced challenges, such as algae turning parts of the pool green, an event seized upon by Trump’s detractors.
It’s puzzling that anyone would rejoice at such issues, yet those with an intense aversion to Trump seem to do so. Although I have criticized President Joe Biden at times, I believe I would commend him for undertaking similar improvement initiatives.
However, this is not the approach taken by the Left. One left-leaning publication, which remains unnamed here, penned a particularly sarcastic piece criticizing these efforts.
Jeanine Pirro, the Fox News host-turned-U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, grew heated over her decision to prosecute a former Olympic canoeist for touching the president’s beloved Reflecting Pool last month.
No, you absolute moron, it’s the nation’s beloved Reflecting Pool, not Trump’s. And the suspect isn’t being charged for touching it — he was indicted for vandalizing it, as we will describe in a moment.
The writer went on to charge that the project was “a $14 million waste of time, increasing heat absorption and triggering the worst algae bloom in years.” Heat absorption? Come on, AWFL. Go to Amazon and buy a life.
Pirro has seen enough of this nonsense and is sick of people trying to downplay reports that the pool has been repeatedly and significantly damaged by deranged activists. At a Thursday press conference regarding the indictment of three-time U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, MD, on a felony destruction of property charge for allegedly ripping apart the newly installed blue sealant, Pirro pushed back on the media’s endless insistence that there’s no proof he did anything wrong.
Come sit on the grand jury if you have exculpatory evidence, Pirro dared the biased journo:
U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro: “The damage is over $1,000 [on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool].”
Reporter: “How do you prove that $1,000 [in damage]?”
Jeanine Pirro: “With an expert. Come to the trial.”
U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro: “The damage is over $1,000 [on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool].”
Reporter: “How do you prove that $1,000 [in damage]?”
Jeanine Pirro: “With an expert. Come to the trial.”
Reporter: “Did he have any tools or was it just his bare hands?”
Jeanine Pirro: “Right now, we believe it’s his bare hands, both hands.”
Reporter: “In your belief, was it probably damaged before?”
Jeanine Pirro: “Oh, he damaged it!”
Reporter: “Do you believe there had already been damaged before?”
Jeanine Pirro: “He damaged the pool!”
Reporter: “There are all these videos —”
Jeanine Pirro: “Well, good, I’m glad you got that evidence. Come on to the grand jury, you can testify. NEXT!”
MORE: Bad News for the ‘Disgruntled’ Left – Felony Indictment Dropped in D.C. for Damage to Reflecting Pool
The Reflecting Pool Vandalism Is More Than Just Odd Leftist Behavior VIP
Would the media try to tie Reflecting Pool vandalism to the events of January 6, 2021? Of course they would! But the two incidents don’t actually have anything to do with each other, so Pirro wasn’t having it, as RedState’s Buzz Patterson noted.
Watch:
Jeanine Pirro just pummeled a reporter who asked about J6. (They just won’t let the riot go away. Yes, riot).
Pirro: “Already this is a PROBLEM… Are you REALLY talking about January 6th?”
REPORTER: “YES!”
PIRRO: “I’M NOT! Okay, who’s next? NOT YOU!”
Savage!…
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) July 2, 2026
“Not you!” is right.
We’ve seen so many performative displays and assaults on basic logic by the Left and their accomplices in the media in the Trump era as they try to justify their increasingly socialist fantasies. The cheering of problems and vandalism at one of the nation’s most treasured monuments marks yet another low, along with their knee-jerk defense of anti-Trump vandals who stand accused of serious crimes.
Pirro wasn’t standing for their BS gaslighting, and nor should any American who believes in this country.
Editor’s Note: It’s America’s 250th birthday! Help RedState celebrate the greatest nation in history by honoring its past, defending its present, and preserving its future with reporting you can trust.
On a Thursday toward the end of June, Cristy Cooper found herself on the toilet and instantly sensed that something was seriously amiss.
The ensuing situation was unlike anything the 51-year-old had ever gone through before.
“The pressure as it comes out is intense,” she conveyed during a phone call with The Post from her hospital room. “The force is unbelievable.”
Hailing from Texas, she is among over 140 individuals across the United States recently diagnosed with cyclosporiasis, an intestinal disease caused by a parasite and known for triggering symptoms such as severe diarrhea and vomiting.
While speaking from her hospital bed, she openly described to The Post just how severe her health ordeal has been.
Between May and June, 145 people ages 5 to 86 years across 20 states contracted the illness, according to the CDC — with New York reporting the highest number of cases, followed by Texas and Illinois.
The disease, caused by the Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite, is likely linked to various fresh, imported produce — but experts are not sure exactly what food exactly has led to some of the biggest clusters of cases.
While no deaths have been reported, 40 people have reportedly been hospitalized, Cooper included.
“I really didn’t do anything about it for the first few days, and then it just was unbearable,” she said, recounting her days and nights spent blasting the loudest farts of her life while enduring a relentless rush of poopy water. “Normally diarrhea would never send me to an ER.”
Unbearable diarrhea and bizarre farts
Her first symptom was what she called “unbearable” diarrhea, which began on June 25. It started with “a lot of, like, just basically water coming out the back end.”
Cooper said she was stunned by the sheer force, speed and volume.
“You know, like when you flush a public toilet, how it goes, ‘WHOOSH!’ That’s what I would liken it to, coming out of you.”
“The funniest part of it [is] literally the sounds. I was farting like a grown man.”
Cristy Cooper
Even sleep offered little relief. “Here’s the bad part,” she recalled. “I shat myself twice in my sleep. That was fun.”
She felt it coming, but the force was simply too much. Cooper called it “absolutely” the worst diarrhea she’s ever had.
“I wouldn’t wish this one on my enemies,” she said.
On second thought: “Maybe an ex-husband.”
Over the next two days, she developed excessive gas, fatigue, acute vomiting, nausea and painful cramping and had a fever of 100.2 degrees — all symptoms of cyclosporiasis.
At its worst, she was using the toilet no less than 30 times a day.
“The funniest part of it [is] literally the sounds. I was farting like a grown man,” she remembered. “I mean, like you could hear it probably three doors down, like ‘What on earth?’ That was the most bizarre part.”
Checking into the hospital
By Sunday, Cooper knew something was seriously wrong and checked herself into the hospital, where she finally received her diagnosis.
Most people with healthy immune systems eventually recover from cyclosporiasis without treatment by resting, staying hydrated and eating what they can tolerate.
“This is worse than like any flu I’ve ever gotten or anything, it’s just so…it’s miserable. I’m worn out from it. I really am.”
Cristy Cooper
Cooper, however, is immunocompromised. As a dialysis patient, her fluid intake — including water, soups and even Jell-O — must be carefully restricted because excess fluids can lead to severe complications such as high blood pressure, shortness of breath and heart strain.
Fortunately, her diarrhea began slowing after she arrived at the hospital. Her appetite, on the other hand, has largely disappeared — another common symptom of the illness.
“Nothing tastes right, nothing sounds good,” she said. “When I finally said, “Oh, well, maybe I would eat that — no. One bite, I’m like, ‘No, it just, nothing tastes right.’”
She believes she’s lost at least 10 pounds during the ordeal. But if anyone is considering cyclosporiasis as a weight loss hack, Cooper wouldn’t advise it: “I don’t recommend this diet plan at all. It’s not the new Ozempic.”
“This is worse than like any flu I’ve ever gotten or anything, it’s just so…it’s miserable,” she added. “I’m worn out from it. I really am.”
The road back
Recovery from cyclosporiasis isn’t always straightforward. While some people recover within weeks, those who are immunocompromised, like Cooper, can face longer or more severe illness. And without treatments, symptoms can last a month or more.
Fortunately, Cooper is receiving treatment. Due to her sulfa allergy — sulfa is a key ingredient in trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazol, the standard treatment for cyclosporiasis — doctors prescribed ciprofloxacin.
She also learned that the illness can relapse for some people, with symptoms disappearing before returning again.
“I’m like, please don’t be ‘some people,’” she said.
Now her trips to the toilet have dropped to four or five times a day, though her business still isn’t as usual.
“I haven’t had anything solid coming out of me since before Thursday is when it all started,” she revealed.
At the same time, Cooper said the illness has provided a welcome distraction. This July 4 marks the second anniversary of the Camp Mystic flood disaster in her hometown of Kerr County, a tragedy that left 25 young campers, two teenage counselors, and the camp’s owner dead.
“It’s keeping my mind off that a little bit,” she shared.
To pass the time, a pajama-clad Cooper also posted a TikTok from her hospital bed, telling her more than 36,000 followers she had been diagnosed with a disease she had previously never heard of.
“All the comments I’ve gotten on my TikTok, there’s lots of people saying I have that, or I’ve had it, or I think I have it,” she noticed.
“If I’m gonna be in a literal shitty situation,” she said, “at least other people are too.”
Looking for answers
People become infected with cyclosporiasis after consuming food or water contaminated with feces, often while traveling in tropical areas outside the US.
But neither Cooper nor the people infected in the current outbreak had recently traveled abroad.
About three weeks earlier, she bought some peaches and tomatoes from a roadside fruit stand roughly 10 miles from her house. She also remembers purchasing grocery store cantaloupe and a bagged Caesar salad.
Fresh, imported produce has been linked to cyclospora infections, but the CDC has not identified a specific source in the current cases and says there is no evidence that all illnesses are connected to a single multi-state outbreak.
“Local, state, and federal (CDC, FDA) public health authorities are investigating several clusters of cases in more than one state. Investigations to identify potential sources are ongoing,” the agency reported.
Cooper has her own theories.
“I’m wondering about bagged salad, if it’s this widespread,” she said.
Her advice is simple: Wash your produce thoroughly and wash your hands before and during food preparation. Going forward, she plans to wash even bagged salads, regardless of any pre-wash claims on the packaging.
Still, she knows that isn’t a guarantee. While thoroughly washing fresh produce significantly lowers the risk for contracting cyclosporiasis, it cannot completely eliminate the parasite.
People like her, who always wash their fresh produce “no matter what,” still got infected.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have charged 37-year-old Scherymee Tierra Pinckney after an incident in which she allegedly attempted to drive her vehicle into a man amid a heated argument.
The incident unfolded on June 30 around 7:46 p.m., prompting a response from a Gainesville Police Department officer to a reported armed disturbance in the Cedar Grove neighborhood. Upon arrival, the officer reviewed footage captured by a neighbor. The video purportedly shows Pinckney driving her car towards the victim, who is seen fleeing to avoid being struck.
According to the victim, the confrontation began as a verbal dispute before escalating to a point where Pinckney allegedly tried to use her vehicle as a weapon against him.
After being read her Miranda rights, Pinckney provided her version of events. She stated that the argument involved the victim and his family. During the altercation, Pinckney claimed the victim hit her vehicle with a shovel, while his mother reportedly brandished a firearm and made threats. In her defense, Pinckney asserted that she only attempted to drive away in fear upon seeing the firearm, explaining the erratic maneuvering as “spinning out” in the grass. She denied aiming at the victim and insisted he was absent from the scene during her drive away attempt. However, the details outlined by the officer, based on the video evidence, contradicted her account.
When the officer placed Pinckney in handcuffs, she allegedly said she would not get into the patrol vehicle, and officers had to physically place her in the vehicle. While she was being transported to the jail, she reportedly started hitting her head on the glass of the patrol vehicle and kicking the window. The officer pulled over to restrain her, and when he removed her from the vehicle, she allegedly spat toward two officers. She was taken to the ground and allegedly said again that she would not get back into the patrol vehicle; she was again physically placed in the vehicle.
The officer noted that Pinckney also threatened to kill him or have someone kill him.
Pinckney has been charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and resisting an officer with violence. Pinckney has three misdemeanor convictions (two violent) and is on pre-trial release following a May arrest in Bradford County for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and felony property damage.
Judge Joy Danne noted that she did not find probable cause for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer; she only found probable cause for battery on a law enforcement officer. She set bail at $20,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
A potentially lethal strain of bird flu, H5N1, may have been found in a migratory bird within Australia’s biggest state, which until now had not seen cases of the virus.
Nevertheless, a hastily arranged press briefing on Friday, featuring NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriaty and the chief veterinary officer Jo Coombe, revealed the virus might have spread to a third region.
Testing from a large petrel found near Hawks Nest—a location approximately 228 kilometers from Sydney—showed preliminary positive results for H5 influenza at the laboratory of Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute.
“This new finding is deeply troubling for both agriculture and wildlife conservation,” Moriaty expressed to the press.
“But NSW and the rest of the country have been preparing for this moment for many years.”
Coombe said crews would increase surveillance to detect any further cases.
“The State Coordination Centre has been stood up in Orange, we have established the H5 bird flu call centre and we are briefing all key stakeholders on the current situation,” Coombe said.
“We are using the best available data now to target actions for our most at-risk wildlife species and important natural places.”
Until June, Australia had been the only continent free of the highly contagious virus, which has wiped out millions of birds worldwide and also killed mammals.
Five birds have returned positive results for the strain since it was first detected on the Australian mainland on 14 June.
All positive cases have occurred in wild birds, with no signs the virus has spread to local poultry populations.
There has also been no evidence of mass mortality in wildlife.
A temporary ban on poultry products from Australia imposed by Papua New Guinea’s National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority was lifted on 24 June.
