https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5978349-is-recalled-lettuce-safe-after-false-positive-result-fda-issues-warning/

Is recalled lettuce safe after false positive result? FDA issues warning
By Addy Bink - July 20, 2026

(NEXSTAR) – The results that linked a sample of lettuce to the multi-state cyclospora outbreak have since been declared a false positive by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but you may not want to rush to recover your discarded lettuce.

On Saturday, the FDA said shredded lettuce samples from Taylor Farms had tested positive for the parasite that has sickened thousands of people this year. Taylor Farms recalled several lettuce products sourced from central Mexico in response.

By Sunday, the FDA had walked back its result, reporting that another review showed “the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive.”

In a statement, Taylor Farms said the “FDA apologized to us.” The company noted that a voluntary recall of potentially impacted iceberg lettuce had been completed based on “initial information provided by health officials, in an abundance of caution.”

“All other Taylor Farms products, including all Taylor Farms brand products, are not involved in the recall,” the company said. “We are committed to working with public health authorities as the ongoing outbreak investigation continues.”

The FDA, meanwhile, said it “continues to work with to ensure product implicated in this outbreak has been removed from the market.” Product samples are still being collected, but “there are no confirmed positive sample results” linked to the cyclospora outbreak.

When reached for comment by Nexstar, federal officials pointed to a Monday post from the FDA that said the false positive “DOES NOT change the basis for ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms.”

FDA’s traceback investigation and outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms locations in central Mexico,” the post continued. “FDA will continue to work with federal and state partners to investigate this multistate outbreak and ensure products implicated in this outbreak have been removed from the market.”

Taylor Farms did not respond to a request for comment from Nexstar.

Five states linked to outbreak

The FDA is also still referring to the investigation as a five-state outbreak. That’s up from the four states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had linked to the outbreak last week.

Those four states – Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky – comprise at least 1,500 cases of cyclosporiasis in the outbreak investigation. The newest state implicated, Indiana, has reported at least 47 outbreak-related cases.

Case counts could also be far higher than the tally the CDC has confirmed. As of Monday, Michigan health officials have reported 6,148 cases of cyclosporiasis alone. Of those, 102 required hospitalization.

Additional states could be included in the outbreak, the FDA warned.

While several states have seen a spike in cyclosporiasis cases this year, not all are linked to the outbreak. Health officials in Utah, for example, said earlier this month that a resident diagnosed with an infection has no connection to the ongoing outbreak.

https://michiganadvance.com/2026/07/20/michigan-budget-moves-rx-kids-funding-but-18m-remains-in-play/

https://www.house.mi.gov/hfa/PDF/Summaries/26s878s1cr1_General_Omnibus_Conference_Report_Summary.pdf

Michigan budget moves Rx Kids funding, but $18M remains in play
The Legislature shifted the money out of a dedicated appropriation, but the budget leaves room for competing interpretations

By Katherine Dailey - July 20, 2026

Dr. Mona Hanna, the head of Rx Kids, spoke with mothers advocating for the program prior to the House Oversight Committee’s hearing on the program. June 2, 2026. | Photo by Katherine Dailey/Michigan Advance.

The Fiscal Year 2027 budget, approved by the Legislature on July 3, redistributed $20 million within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services budget for Temporary Aid for Needy Families, or TANF. Exactly how that money can and will be used remains an open question.

The money had previously been appropriated to the Rx Kids program, a prenatal and infant cash support program that has come under fire from Republican leadership, including House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland) in the last year.

A budget analysis from the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency shows the split between chambers, and the negotiated agreement — the Republican-led House sought to strike that $20 million from the budget entirely, while the Democrat-led Senate would have left the money alone to be allocated to Rx Kids. The final version of the budget keeps the money in the budget, but reallocates it to five different line items under the TANF, or Temporary Aid for Needy Families, budget.

That is $4.5 million apiece for “Coordinated children’s healthcare policy and supports,” “Family, maternal, and child health administration,” “Prenatal care outreach and services delivery supports,” and “Special projects,” as well as $2 million for child supplemental payments under the state’s Family Independence Program, or FIP.

The FIP payments are more strictly conditional on what they will go towards. But for the remaining $18 million, Rx Kids could still be eligible to receive some or all of that money. It will be up to the Department of Health and Human Services to determine how exactly the funds are spent.

Spokespeople for the department did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Program leaders believe that the money initially appropriated to them will continue to fund Rx Kids. Dr. Mona Hanna told Bridge Michigan in the days following the budget’s passage that she was “happy to share with confidence that Rx Kids will continue to be funded and operational.”

The $20 million TANF authorization “is still in the omnibus budget,” she said. “The fact that our program survived this difficult budget process is indicative of its success and the faith Michigan communities have in our work.”

Hall, however, believes that Rx Kids would not be eligible to receive any funding under the specific line items under TANF that the money was reallocated to, adding that he “hand selected” those funds.

“My view is that they will not be eligible for those pots, and that’s why I picked them,” he said in a July 7 press conference. “I picked specific pots that they wouldn’t be able to get, because the other pots were the ones that I would describe as much easier for them to get. So I specifically put them into the pots that should be going to these other programs.”

Those “other programs” that Hall describes include funding for programs like the Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, program, as well as certain Child Protective Services programs.

Hall and his fellow Republicans have long argued that Rx Kids, which does not have any income-based eligibility requirements and does not limit what the money can be spent on, differs from other welfare programs that only cover very specific expenses.

Data collected from program participants show that the vast majority of money received by families is spent on baby supplies, food, rent or housing expenses, and utilities. The freedom to choose how to spend the money is key to the nature of the program, according to program leaders, which is based on trusting mothers and families to know the needs of their children.

As of July 16, information published by Rx Kids showed that 14,240 families had been enrolled in the program, and nearly $50 million had been disbursed. The program, a public-private partnership, is funded through a mix of government dollars and private philanthropy. The source of the money each family receives depends on the applicant’s Medicaid eligibility and ability to verify citizenship or legal status.

Any applicant who is not able to submit that kind of identification does not receive any state funding, just funds from private donors. And only applicants who can demonstrate their eligibility for Medicaid receive TANF-funded benefits.

As for the future of Rx Kids, program leaders have indicated that future expansions may be dependent on continued state funding.

“We already have raised so much money from other sources, we’ve raised $86 million from other sources, we’ve kind of tapped out philanthropy and other sources, so we’ll see how take-up goes in the communities that we’re in,” Hanna told the Michigan Advance following a House Oversight Committee hearing on the program in June. “We’ll see how this next budget goes, and if take-up is a little less expected, because all of our numbers are projected on 100% take up, so if it’s a little less than that, maybe we’ll have some leftover funds, and we’ll be able to expand to places that really want this, that are just waiting for that opportunity.”

An April press release announcing the expansion of Rx Kids into 20 additional Michigan communities similarly stated, “Future application cycles and expansions will depend on sustained state investment, including restoration of previously cancelled funds, continued annual TANF support, and strong enrollment across communities.”

The program announced on July 7 that in the fall it will expand to its first community outside of Michigan, into certain ZIP codes in Cleveland, Ohio in partnership with First Year Cleveland. In that announcement, program leaders urged that “Additional public and philanthropic investment will help accelerate the program’s expansion to more Cleveland families.”

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fda-says-taylor-farms-cyclospora-finding-was-false-positive-2026-07-20/

FDA says Taylor Farms cyclospora finding was a false positive
By Chandni Shah and ​Devika Nair in Bengaluru - July 19, 2026; 8:50 PM

Companies

• Taylor Farms Florida Inc.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Yum! Brands Inc

July 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Sunday that laboratory experts ​re-checked lettuce sample results from Taylor Farms in an ‌investigation into an outbreak of the cyclospora parasite and concluded the finding should be considered a false positive.

As of Sunday, there were no confirmed ​positive sample results for cyclospora, the FDA added.

The FDA on ​Saturday had said that a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce ⁠supplied by Taylor Farms tested positive for the parasitic illness ​that has sickened thousands of people in the U.S.

A spokesperson ​for Taylor Fresh Foods told Reuters that the company was informed the FDA made a mistake.

"To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a ​single positive product test result for cyclospora", the company said.

Taylor ​Fresh Foods added that it had completed a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce ‌from ⁠central Mexico out of an abundance of caution based on the initial information given.

The FDA, in its latest update said it has "notified Taylor Farms and continues working with the firm to ensure the ​product implicated in ​this outbreak ⁠has been removed from the market".

The company had earlier confirmed that the product was not part ​of its current recall, according to the FDA.

Cyclosporiasis, which ​has been linked ⁠to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Yum Brands' Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia has so far ⁠resulted ​in around 100 hospitalizations and no ​deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This lengthy research article offers creation science vs. evolutionary perspective from Answers in Genesis.

Clear graphics and exploration of this topic are well worth a full read at the link. Excerpted here for length.

https://answersingenesis.org/biology/disease/bulls-eye-on-borrelia/

Bull’s-Eye on Borrelia: A Commensal and Consequential Pathogen

Ticks and Their Role in Lyme Disease and Alpha-gal

Dr. Alan L. Gillen, Adam Russell, and Zipporah Nedlock    |   July 17, 2026

Abstract
If Lyme disease causes such urgent and chronic disease issues, where do Borrelia bacteria and ticks fit into a very good creation (Genesis 1)? How did bacteria and ticks change to rely on different hosts and blood for survival? And how are these adaptations informing today’s research in bacteriology, immunology, entomology, and disease ecology?

The purposeful placement of Borrelia (Fig. 1) is most likely in the gut of wild mice (Fig. 2), not domesticated mice nor man. The bacteria are communalistic in wild mice, where they may be probiotic for mutual good (Fig. 2)—the Creator made it for good at its rightful pace. But when Borrelia is displaced and outside of wild mice (also called zoonotic spillover), it can cause disease in other animals, from lab mice to dogs to mankind. In a fallen world, it can enter a complex and intricate life cycle (Fig. 3): ticks, mice, deer, dogs, and man. When displaced in men or lab mice, Borrelia can cause significant diseases and become consequential pathogens. Borrelia in the bone causes arthritis, rash, heart problems, and even death. It can also be a persistent pathogen causing chronic disease.

Human, animal, and environmental health are intricately interwoven, inextricably interrelated, and providentially designed. All life on earth is connected by the Creator’s plan. Secular scientists, including those at the CDC, recognize the connection within the biosphere and call it “One Health,” though they do not acknowledge the Creator and a biblical view of the age of the earth and the created rather than evolved design. But we can agree that all three interacting components are connected and that good stewardship recognizes the connectivity of all. The reasoning is that microorganisms (and parasites) circulate among human hosts, animal hosts, and environmental reservoirs. Changes in the environment can lead to the new transmission of pathogens to animals and humans. It might be helpful to visualize three overlapping spheres. A change in any of one of the spheres influences the others as it happens continuously. The mixing of microbes in different animal hosts (displacement) and under different environmental conditions can lead to the adaptation of potentially new pathogens and parasites.

Today, the One Health and original design appear to be “broken.” Ticks may have once been scavengers, but they now can be deadly parasites and vectors of disease. They are increasingly common, and tick-borne diseases are emerging and popping up everywhere this summer. HHS and CDC report that more that there are an estimated 476,000 cases of Lyme disease each year, and the federal government is stepping up action in preventing it (HHS Press, May 29, 2026).

Figure 1+
Figure 1. Borrelia burgdorferi Under Dark-Field Microscope (400x Magnification). The microbe that causes Lyme disease is a thin, corkscrew-shaped spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Nymph ticks pick up the bacteria while feeding on infected white-footed mice and later transmit it to humans. Due to the thin diameter of the organism, unstained samples best be visualized using dark-field or phase-contrast techniques (CDC Image 6631).

Lyme Disease in the News
According to the CDC (2026), cases of Lyme disease are on the rise; emergency rooms across the world are encountering more infected patients, with the nation suffering the most emergency visits for tick-borne infections since 2017. Furthermore, this data does not even consider visits to urgent care facilities or people who choose not to pursue treatment, especially in emergency rooms. Cases of Lyme span all throughout the US, spiking throughout the Northeast, Midwest, and even the deep South and West Coast. Overall, the percentage of tick bites across the nation is up more than 25% in April 2026 when compared to the previous year (Baumgarth and Hart 2026).

Recent data shows a significant spike in local prevalence. For example, in my (senior author) home (birth) state, Pennsylvania has the highest incidence of Lyme disease, as does much of the Northeast. The number of cases is rising locally in central Virginia and so is awareness of Lyme disease and Alpha-gal syndrome (Milhorne et al. 2026).

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https://founding.com/founders-library/american-political-figures/thomas-jefferson/letter-to-henry-lee/

But with respect to our rights, and the acts of the British government contravening those rights, there was but one opinion on this side of the water. All American whigs thought alike on these subjects. When forced, therefore, to resort to arms for redress, an appeal to the tribunal of the world was deemed proper for our justification. This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion. All its authority rests then on the harmonizing sentiments of the day, whether expressed in conversation, in letters, printed essays, or in the elementary books of public right, as Aristotle, Cicero, Locke, Sidney, &c. The historical documents which you mention as in your possession, ought all to be found, and I am persuaded you will find, to be corroborative of the facts and principles advanced in that Declaration.

Note that he uses "wise" in the old English sense of "educated."

https://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/default.xqy?keys=FOEA-print-04-02-02-4451

I am no believer in the amalgamation of parties, nor do I consider it as either desirable or useful for the public; but only that, like religious differences, a difference in politics should never be permitted to enter into social intercourse, or to disturb its friendships, its charities or justice. in that form, they are censors of the conduct of each other, and useful watchmen for the public. men by their constitutions are naturally divided into two parties. 1. those who fear and distrust the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes. 2dly those who identify themselves with the people, have confidence in them cherish and consider them as the most honest & safe, altho’ not the most wise depository of the public interests. in every country these two parties exist, and in every one where they are free to think, speak, and write, they will declare themselves. call them therefore liberals and serviles, Jacobins and Ultras, whigs and tories, republicans and federalists, aristocrats and democrats or by whatever name you please; they are the same parties still and pursue the same object. the last appellation of artistocrats and democrats is the true one expressing the essence of all.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/keep-mi-healthy/infectious-diseases/infectious-disease-outbreaks

• Case counts reflect all cases of cyclosporiasis reported during the outbreak investigation period and may change as additional information becomes available.
• Case counts reflect data reported through 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
• Total case counts are updated daily, Monday through Friday, by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.
• Hospitalization status and detailed outbreak data are updated weekly on Thursdays.

At the low end of the PPACA individual market, Priority Health requested 11.1%.  At the high end of the PPACA individual market, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Inc. requested 25.5%.  The average request of the ten insurers was 14.2%.

At the low end of the small group market, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Mutual Insurance Company requested 7.0%.  At the high end of the small group market, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Inc. requested 14.8%.  The average request of the eight insurers was 9.6%.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland expects overall inflation in America to be 2.39% during the next 12 months and 2.44% over the next 24 months.

Michigan health care insurance premium inflation is now running four to six times the general rate of national inflation:

https://www.michigan.gov/difs/-/media/Project/Websites/difs/OIRF/EHB/PDFs/2027_Proposed_Rate_Changes.pdf

https://www.clevelandfed.org/-/media/files/webcharts/inflationexpectations/inflation-expectations.xlsx?sc_lang=en&hash=C27818913D96CEDD80E3136B9946CFA7

https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2026/07/17/care-closer-to-home-gfo

MDHHS seeks applications for the Rural Health Transformation Program Improving Care Delivery and Access through Transportation

By Laina Stebbins - July 17, 2026

• Strengthening partnerships that support rural health transformation.
• Expanding and stabilizing the workforce needed to sustain community wellness.
• Advancing interoperability so providers can share information and coordinate care effectively.
• Developing models that bring essential services closer to where people live.

https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2026/07/17/rht-chronic-disease

MDHHS seeks applications for the Rural Health Transformation Program Chronic Disease Collaborative Care Fund
By Laina Stebbins - July 17, 2026

• Strengthening partnerships that support rural health transformation.
• Expanding and stabilizing the workforce needed to sustain community wellness.
• Advancing interoperability so providers can share information and coordinate care effectively.
• Developing models that bring essential services closer to where people live.