A Gut Feeling

So, Should We Blame Taco Bell or the Government?

What's going on: Unfortunately, it sounds like your salad spinner won’t be seeing much action any time soon. Just days after the FDA pointed the finger at shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms locations in central Mexico as the source of the cyclospora outbreak, the agency is backtracking. Turns out, that finding was based on tests of lettuce samples that came back with false positives for the parasite. Still, the FDA says this doesn’t change its conclusions so far: The outbreak — which has sickened 8,000 people across the country — is linked to shredded iceberg from Taylor Farms that was shipped to some Taco Bell locations. (Taco Bell loyalists have chosen a side, and it’s “Live más.”) The fast-food chain has pulled the lettuce from its kitchens, but officials can’t yet rule out other suppliers or produce. Not exactly the boost of fiber we were hoping for.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg: Get ready for a game of government telephone. A former CDC doctor who oversaw parasite outbreaks like this one told CNN that, last year, he tried to warn the agency’s leadership that major budget and staffing cuts would handicap their response to future outbreaks. The White House insists those funds were eliminated from global programs. The CDC says "au contraire" — health officials at home used that money, too. But this isn’t the first time Trump administration cuts have come under scrutiny. Last year, DOGE accidentally fired USDA employees working on the bird flu, and then scrambled (sorry) to rehire them. Experts also say spending cuts are to blame for the US’s weak response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has killed nearly 1,000 people so far. The White House maintains that those cuts were to eliminate waste and redundancy.

Related: So Much for Crunch Wraps: Taco Bell Hit With First Lawsuits Over Cyclospora Outbreak (Newsweek)

Layoffs

Sometimes I Feel Like Somebody’s Watching Me

What’s going on: A federal judge gave Meta the green light yesterday to fire 26 people who have sued the company for wrongful termination. Back in April, Meta announced plans to lay off 8,000 employees –– or, literally 10% of its global workforce –– as part of the social media giant’s pivot to AI. The plaintiffs sued to block their termination, arguing that Meta decided who to fire based on an AI-driven scoring system that vacuumed up individual employee data on everything from emails to mouse movement to browser history (Meta previously explained it was collecting all of this in the name of “training AI”). But there’s one input that the AI missed: These 26 employees weren’t “productive” because they were all OOO — on maternity, disability, and family medical leaves that are supposed to be federally protected. The case will still move forward… they’ll just have to update their resumes in the meantime.

When being human doesn’t compute: This case is the first to challenge how US tech giants are using AI to decide which humanoids can remain employed. Meta swears the layoffs were ultimately decided by actual people –– though the company still has to submit evidence. But this comes as the Trump administration is backing away from enforcing discrimination law, saying that it undermines “meritocracy.” And, despite the obvious flaws in AI tools that lack critical context (like giving birth), companies are going full-steam ahead, using AI to track everything. The reliance on imperfect AI for employee evaluation is especially concerning, given the tech has a history of gender and racial bias. We wish this was one big hallucination.

Related: This Conversation Is Being Recorded. They All Are. (The Wall Street Journal gift link)

Retirement

The 20-Year Hobby

What's going on: Knitting a sweater for everyone in your family, visiting every national park, mastering the perfect chocolate soufflé — some hobbies can sustain 20 years of dedication. Advice on planning for retirement typically focuses on financial matters, like maxing out your 401(k), and while that’s important, some experts say that planning how you’ll spend your freed-up hours is just as crucial. Americans are living longer, with four million baby boomers putting a 65th candle on their birthday cake between this year and next. Many people now live about 20 years after retirement, and some live 30 or more. As in, the same number of years it's been since the "Macarena" was released. But research shows that retirement is associated with several risk factors for depression, including losing the part of your identity tied to your career, increased social isolation, and lack of routine. Turns out all those meetings that could’ve been emails were good for something after all.

Your new 9-to-whenever: One researcher told the BBC’s Science Focus that retirement is “an inflection point”: All that new free time can lead to better or worse health outcomes, depending on how retirees approach it. There’s a lot of variation in the ways happy and fulfilled retirees spend their time — caregiving for grandchildren, working part-time, participating in community service, or embracing new (or newly rediscovered) hobbies. But the commonality is finding a sense of purpose. As one puppy-loving septuagenarian who began raising service dogs put it, “I wanted to have structure in retirement and not find myself wondering, ‘What am I going to do today?’” Surrounding yourself with new furry friends sounds like the paw-fect answer to us.

Related: This Naughty License Plate Is the Talk of One Retirement Community (USA Today)

Quick Hits

👶 President Donald Trump shared the first pic of Vice President JD and Second Lady Usha Vance's newborn son. Big uncle energy. 

☕ According to the latest research from the American Heart Association, black coffee drinkers have a reason to celebrate — and pour another cup. 

💍 This former Spice Girl got married — and wore a wedding dress borrowed from another Spice Girl. Make it last forever, friendship never ends.

🏀 A Portland teen thrifted a legendary piece of Knicks history for $3 — and it’s now worth up to $250,000. Macklemore could never.

🤫 Stephen Colbert broke his social media silence since The Late Show ended, and it was for a fairly special occasion. He's got his priorities straight. 

🎽 The latest shirt trend is bringing us back to our early 2000s Aeropostale era. So many layers to unpack. 

Summer’s Not Over

As August nears, the infamous school scaries can start to creep up for many parents. We’re here to remind you that some glorious beach and pool days are still ahead, even if you’ve received the dreaded back-to-school supply list. To make the most of your time, here are the essentials:

• A scented body wash that makes wind-down routines more effective

• The sunscreen stick that’ll keep the entire family protected while outside

• A digital calendar that brings everyone’s schedules into one interactive place (use code SKIMM30 for $30 off) 

• The cream moms should treat themselves to that’ll enhance me-time

All of the reporting featured in today’s Daily Skimm was written, edited, and fact-checked as of 6 am ET. 

Skimm'd by: Marisa Iallonardo, Molly Longman, Aryanna Prasad Bhullar, Erika W. Smith, Kylie McConville, Kate Preziosi, Jessica Prois, and Marina Carver. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.