Tainted Eats

Good morning, curious minds!

Whatever your coffee's doing, we've got your fast pass to today's stories. Here's what's stirring the pot worldwide, from a hotel-turned-holding-cell saga in Panama to that big A$AP Rocky verdict (yes, Rihanna was there). Ready to dive in? Let’s roll.

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Your daily lens on the world starts here:

So you thought rinsing your veggies was enough? Think again: a new report says hospitalizations and deaths from foodborne illnesses doubled in 2024. Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria led the charge—lurking in everything from cucumbers and onions to deli meats.

Apparently, cooking your food is not the only risk; produce (the stuff we usually eat raw) is also a big risk. What's the lesson? Keep washing your hands, monitor recalls, and maybe give your carrots an extra scrub. Bon appétit (carefully)!

Bonus: All safety alerts & recalls from FDA / USDA

Heartbreak Hotel

Imagine fleeing your home country to find safety, only to end up in a hotel-turned-detention-center in Panama. That's the surreal reality for hundreds of migrants the U.S. can't—or won't—send back to their original countries. Passports confiscated, trapped behind locked doors, and uncertain if they'll face more danger, they're playing a transcontinental game of hot potato.

Panama insists these folks are being cared for; the detainees, however, paint a far bleaker picture—one window sign even reads, “Only a miracle can save us.”

Jubilation

He came in facing serious jail time—but A$AP Rocky strutted out a free man after a Los Angeles jury cleared him of assault charges. His courtroom cameo was fit for a blockbuster film, literally leaping into Rihanna's arms as the verdict was read.

The takeaway? Now he's back to music, fashion, and fatherhood, without prison bars. You might be wondering who's happiest about it all, but just picture Rihanna, front row at the trial with her two kids—what a family celebration!

Crypto Cinderella Story

Ever lost something important and turned the house upside down looking for it? Well, James Howells is taking that concept to the extreme—he's convinced his ex threw away a hard drive worth $770 million in a Welsh landfill.

When digging it up, the courts said, "No dice," so he's talking about buying the whole dump himself. Desperate or genius? Either way, the "Buried Treasure" saga continues—and if Howells ever finds that mega-wallet, he might rewrite the rules of lost-and-found.

💬 Beyond the Core

Long Flight: How to teach an endangered Ibis Species to migrate?

Oral Grail: Years of designers' search for the perfect toothbrush: a two-minute clean.

SNL Moments: The best Saturday Night Live sketches, according to the creators, plus SNL 50 special highlights.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

Photos from Venice Carnival opening: biodegradable streamers and an ode to Casanova.

🧮 Core Count: 157

It's the number of false killer whales stranded on a beach in Australia.

.🗓️ Flashback:

356 - Roman Emperor Constantius II closes all pagan temples.

1600 - Peruvian stratovolcano Huaynaputina explodes in the most violent eruption in South American history.

1878 - Thomas Edison is granted a patent for his cylinder phonograph.

1942 - Around 150 Japanese warplanes launched an attack on Darwin, Australia.

1945 - The US 5th Fleet launches an invasion of Iwo Jima against the Japanese with 30,000 US Marines.

2008 - Toshiba has officially recalled its HD DVD video format, ending the format war with Sony's Blu-ray Disc.

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Fatih Taskiran