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McDonald's Can't Control Bacteria Outbreak

McDonald’s E. Coli Outbreak Worsens as Number of Confirmed Infections Rises to 75 Across 13 States

Health officials said on Oct. 25 that the E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has spread more widely and sickened more people, with 75 illnesses across 13 states, including 22 hospitalizations and one death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first announced the outbreak on Oct. 22, when it said that initial investigations suggested that slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder might be the source of the E. coli infections, which at the time numbered 49 across 10 states.

Now, in an update on Oct. 25, the CDC noted that an additional 26 cases have been reported, 12 more people have been hospitalized, and the outbreak had spread to an additional three states—Michigan, New Mexico, and Washington.

“More illnesses have been reported and everyone interviewed continues to report eating at McDonald’s before their illness started,” the CDC said in Friday’s update. “McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers are making people sick.”

Most of the E. coli cases have been reported in Colorado and Nebraska, which have 26 and 15 cases, respectively, the CDC said. Infections have also been reported in Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

“This outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses, and the true number of sick people is likely much higher than the number reported,” the CDC said in a statement.

The reason the CDC believes there are more infections than have been reported is that many people recover from E. coli infections without medical treatment and don’t get tested.

Symptoms of E. coli infections typically include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting, usually beginning 3–4 days after exposure. Most people recover within a week, but severe cases can result in hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition that can cause kidney failure.

The CDC advised people who consumed a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and are experiencing symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, fever over 102 degrees F, or dehydration, to seek immediate medical attention.

The illnesses started on Sept. 27, with the last confirmed infection on Oct. 10, according to the latest update from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To date, two people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome and one, an older adult in Colorado, has died.

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DOJ Indicts Chinese Companies for Distributing & Manufacturing Fentanyl

DOJ Indicts 8 Chinese Companies for Allegedly Distributing, Manufacturing Fentanyl

Eight China-based companies and eight Chinese nationals have been charged with federal crimes related to trafficking synthetic opioids and fentanyl precursors, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Oct. 24.

The defendants “openly advertised their ability to thwart border officials,” used evasive tactics such as mislabeling the contents of shipments, and had shipped “a stable supply of precursor chemicals” to clients in the United States and Mexico for years, according to the DOJ’s press release, citing the unsealed indictments.

“The global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies based in China,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement, according to the press release.

Mexican cartels have been buying precursor chemicals from China and then combining the chemicals into fentanyl and distributing them to the United States.

“In order to break this critical link in the fentanyl supply chain, the Justice Department has aggressively investigated and prosecuted these companies. We will continue to target every organization and individual that fuels the deadly drug trade,” Garland added.

In May, the International Journal of Drug Policy published a report saying that law enforcement seized more than 115 million pills containing illicit fentanyl in 2023, an increase of 2,300 times the nearly 50,000 seized in 2017.

Derek Maltz, former head of special operations at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), told The Epoch Times last month that China’s communist regime is using drugs as part of its “unrestricted warfare game” against the United States.

“For the third time in over a year, DEA investigations have resulted in charges against chemical companies and individuals in China who we allege are supplying chemicals to the cartels to make deadly fentanyl,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement.

China Conducting Problematic Research in Artic

China Is Conducting ‘Problematic’ Research in Arctic, US Lawmakers Warn

The House China panel has called on the State Department and the Pentagon to take stronger action to address “problematic” Chinese research in the Arctic that could be used for both civilian and military applications, saying that these activities may pose significant security risks to the United States and its NATO allies.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) outlined its concerns in an Oct. 16. letter addressed to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“In recent years, the PRC has increased its effort to seek access to and exert influence in the Arctic, including expanding dual civil-military research efforts in the region,” Reps. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), chairman and ranking Democrat member of the panel, respectively, wrote in a letter, using the acronym of communist China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.

“The Arctic is critical to U.S. national security interests and the defense of our homeland, and we must work with our allies to preserve our defense treaty commitments.”

The lawmakers pointed out that China’s “access to the Arctic for satellite communication ground stations and scientific research greatly expands the operational effectiveness of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and furthers the PRC’s global ambitions.”

The bipartisan panel wants to know, among other things, how the U.S. government evaluates the threats posed by Chinese research involvement in the Arctic, especially “in terms of missile defense, submarine detection, and satellite tracking capabilities.”
The lawmakers requested a response by Nov. 15.

China has teamed up with Russia to expand its military and coast guard presence in the Arctic region, which harbors an estimated 13 percent of the planet’s undiscovered oil and 30 percent of its undiscovered natural gas reserves, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Earlier this month, China announced that its coast guard vessels had ventured into the Arctic Ocean for the first time, conducting patrols alongside Russian ships in waters where the CCP had long sought to exert its influence.

Despite being 900 miles away from the Arctic Circle, China has declared itself a “near-Arctic” state and has added the “Polar Silk Road” to its Belt and Road Initiative, a multibillion-dollar project aimed at bolstering Beijing’s geopolitical sway by building ports, railways, and other infrastructure worldwide.

Trump on China's Blockading Taiwan

Trump Says He ‘Wouldn’t Have To’ Use Military Force If China Blockades Taiwan

Former president Donald Trump said he “wouldn’t have to” use military force against a China blockade of Taiwan because Chinese communist leader Xi Jinping respects him and “knows I’m [expletive] crazy.”

Trump told the Wall Street Journal editorial board on Oct. 17 that if re-elected, he would use the threat of increasing tariffs on China-made goods to 150–200 to dissuade Xi from besieging Taiwan.

A blockade to cut off the trade routes of the self-governed island, to cause natural resource depletion and panic among the Taiwanese, is a tactic that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could deploy in an attempt to force Taiwan to surrender to its governance.

The former president’s comment regarding not using military force aligns with most Americans.

Annual surveys by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs show a year-on-year decline in the American public’s support for using the U.S. Navy to counter a CCP blockade of Taiwan. In 2022, over 60 percent of Americans supported that approach. The support ratio decreased to half last year and 37 percent this year.
The think tank also reported that Americans prefer Taiwan to maintain its status quo over seeking independence or unification with the mainland. Americans support Taiwan’s inclusion in international organizations, arming and providing other supplies to Taiwan, but not sending U.S. troops to the island.

President Joe Biden has said several times that the United States would defend Taiwan if Beijing tried to annex the island by force. However, his officials walked back those statements each time, saying U.S. policy is deliberately vague on what it would do.

Vice President Kamala Harris said in September 2022 that the United States would “continue to oppose any unilateral change to the status quo” and “continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense, consistent with our long-standing policy.”

Trump commented on the issue amid rising cross-strait tensions.

China’s People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan’s Republic of China (ROC) celebrated their respective national days on Oct. 1 and Oct. 10. On Oct. 5, days before Taiwan’s National Day, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said that the PRC had just celebrated its 75th birthday, while the ROC was approaching 113 years old.