Diarrhea in Every Pot and a Gun in Every Mailbox - Home ❧ Current Affairs

What the report says

Current Affairs published a polemical essay by Alex Skopic on July 23, 2026, arguing that two issues — a reported multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak and proposed loosening of gun-shipping rules — reflect deeper failures in U.S. governance. The article says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a widening outbreak of the intestinal parasitic illness, with cases reported across at least 34 states and Michigan described as the hardest-hit state.

The piece links the public-health problem to weakened food-safety and disease-monitoring systems. Citing reporting it attributes to CNN, CBS, Wired and the New York Times, Current Affairs says federal staffing and budget reductions at agencies including the CDC, USDA and FDA have impaired outbreak detection and food inspections. It also discusses lobbying by Taylor Farms, described in the article as connected to lettuce associated with the outbreak, and frames the episode as part of broader deregulation under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

The essay then turns to firearms policy, criticizing a reported Trump administration proposal to end Postal Service restrictions on mailing guns and remove an in-person background-check step for online gun purchases. Current Affairs says current rules generally require online or catalog purchases to be sent to a federally licensed dealer for pickup, allowing identity checks and a face-to-face review before transfer.

The article is written as opinion, using sharp language to argue that U.S. leaders are neglecting basic public services while expanding access to firearms. Its significance lies less in a single new disclosure than in connecting food safety, public-health capacity, deregulation and gun policy into a broader critique of state priorities.