Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Friday, July 17, 2026

Mexico has issued a formal travel advisory warning citizens about a growing diarrhea-causing outbreak in the United States, as cases linked to a foodborne parasite continue to climb across dozens of states.

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The government cut the funding for the program that tracks forever diarrhea, and now people are getting forever diarrhea @michaelkosta.bsky.social

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-- The Daily Show (@thedailyshow.com) 5:59 PM · Jul 16, 2026

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"Taco Bell - Enjoy a taste of irony!"

#1 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2026-07-17 10:41 AM | Reply

In the fetid swamps where MAGAdreams are born and from which they emerge as nightmares into the world of normals - only to be discarded as artifacts of a comic book "ideology" - one hears the phrase "Taco Bell ... Montezuma's Revenge." Those words arrive at one's ears as a whimper, a single MAGAt cowering out there, somewhere in the dark wetlands, out behind the fog.

Silence.

Then, as with the frogs, the words are picked up as another MAGAt replies: "Taco Bell ... Montezuma's Revenge ... Taco Bell ... Montezuma's Revenge ... "Soon, the swamp is ablaze with a roar: "TACO BELL ... MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE ... TACO BELL ... MONTEZUMA'S REVENGE!!!"

There's more, the story goes on of course but now maybe you'll have a better idea of how one might go about answering the question: "How did Trump get the US into a war with Mexico that ended up with him surrendering by signing that MoU at the repatriated Alamo, huh?"

#2 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-07-17 11:02 AM | Reply | Funny: 1

This is what the descent into failed state status looks like.

Congrats, Republicans, you built that!

#3 | Posted by jpw at 2026-07-17 11:05 AM | Reply

Make America a Third World Country Again!

We deserve to be mocked for putting this criminal in Office.

#4 | Posted by Corky at 2026-07-17 11:15 AM | Reply

Daaaaaang... here we go again... Remember, during COVID, they had travel restrictions for us. Gracias, seor Trompanzee, lo hiciste de nuevo ...

#5 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2026-07-17 11:52 AM | Reply

This will not impact Caravan Cruise shares since they are sponsored by Chipotle.

#6 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2026-07-17 12:26 PM | Reply

"Taco Bell - Disfruta de un poco de irona!"

#7 | Posted by redlightrobot at 2026-07-17 12:27 PM | Reply | Funny: 1

Remember when they banned travel during COVID? Gracias seor Trompaanzeeee lo hiciste de nuueeevoooo ay ay ay

#8 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2026-07-17 12:58 PM | Reply

damn it! pinches deleted my tilde!

#9 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2026-07-17 12:59 PM | Reply

Pres Trump likes to put his name on things.

Maybe this outbreak should be named... Trump-Diarrhea?

#10 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-07-17 01:08 PM | Reply

Everything trump touches turns to ----.

#11 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2026-07-17 01:09 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

@#9 ... pinches deleted my tilde! ...

You need to use the HTML code for those special non-ASCII characters. Also, you need to make sure the HTML code is present when you save the preview version.

For example ... señor.

HTML code is: & ntilde ;

(remove spaces before and after "ntilde")

#12 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-07-17 01:22 PM | Reply

"forever diarrhea"

Points for making that the second line of a haiku.

#13 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-07-17 02:02 PM | Reply

Taco Bell let us get us
Backyard hit so hard
Remember the Alamo

#14 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-07-17 02:21 PM | Reply

Montezuma prayed
Remember the Alamo
Ole, Taco Bell!

#15 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-17 02:28 PM | Reply

Runs for the border
forever diarrhea
fuchi capesta

#16 | Posted by qcp at 2026-07-17 02:33 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

LOL the current outbreak in the US is caused by lettuce from Mexico ..

#17 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-07-17 10:05 PM | Reply

Vegetable supplier Taylor Farms to pull some products amid cyclosporiasis outbreak
thehill.com

... California-based vegetable producer Taylor Farms said Friday that it will remove products potentially linked to a growing cyclosporiasis outbreak across the country.

"Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico," the company said in its statement.

"While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm that represents less than 1% of the U.S.'s iceberg lettuce supply as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely," the statement continued. ...


#18 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-07-17 10:27 PM | Reply

Is the problem to be resolved going forward the source of imported food products, or the testing of the food products imported?

Asked differently, how has DOGE's whimsical chain-saw cutting of Federal jobs affecting our ability to test and identify issues with imported foods?

imo, the problem is not the source. The problem is the verification of the source.


#19 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-07-17 10:31 PM | Reply

Nobody can grasp why tourism to the US continues to diminish.

#20 | Posted by Jaspar at 2026-07-17 11:21 PM | Reply

@#20 ... Nobody can grasp why tourism to the US continues to diminish. ...

I differ in that opinion.

I'd proffer that many people, especially those on tourism-enabled areas, know why their tourism is decreasing.

Las Vegas tourism drop leaves Nevada workers scrambling for shifts amid declining visitor volume (October 2025)
www.foxbusiness.com

... Visitor volume fell 11.3% in June as hotel occupancy rates declined across southern Nevada ...

The poor job market comes as tourism remains weak, a problem that's persisted for several months.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which releases a monthly summary of tourism data from several agencies including the LVCVA, Harry Reid International Airport, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the NV Dept. of Transportation (NDOT), reported that southern Nevada's tourism sector showed clear signs of strain in June 2025 with visitor volume falling 11.3% compared to the same month last year. ...


So, why might that visitor volume diminished?


#21 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-07-17 11:35 PM | Reply

@#21 ... So, why might that visitor volume diminished?

Well, there seems to be this ...

Canada's U.S. Travel Boycott Is Forcing Las Vegas To Acknowledge The Consequences (August 2025)
www.thetravel.com

... The World Travel & Tourism Council's 2024 Economic Impact Trends Report revealed the United States was the world's most powerful travel and tourism market in 2024, contributing a record-breaking $2.36 trillion to its economy in 2023 alone.

Following such tourism success, travel forecasting company Tourism Economics anticipated back in December 2024 that the U.S. would have nearly 9% more international arrivals in 2025 than the previous year, but that was before global perception of the U.S. shifted following the Trump administration's political controversies, which have been driving international tourists, many from big-spending allied countries, into the arms of Canada instead.

Since then, the company has revised its predictions to a 9.4% drop, while warning the steepest tourism declines could be from Canada -- and it was right.

Canada's travel boycott of the U.S. is hitting America's travel and tourism sector hard.

20.2 million Canadians visited the U.S. in 2024, spending over $20 billion and supporting 140,000 American jobs, according to the U.S. Travel Association and recent figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

That total represents 26% of America's 77 million tourists last year and makes Canada the largest source of visitors to the U.S.

This year, though, their absence -- and that $20 billion potential dent in the United States' pockets -- is being felt as Canadians' boycott continues into its seventh month; just as Tourism Economics announced on 22 August that overseas arrivals to the U.S. dropped 3.1% in July 2025 (a year-to-date downturn of 1.6%), it also noted Canadian visitation continues on a downward spiral"down 25.2% year to date, which includes a 37.0% drop in land arrivals in July alone, as well as air bookings from Canada to the U.S. down by 35.6% to 43.0% compared to this time last year. [can you say, "run-on sentence?" I knew you could.] ...





#22 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-07-17 11:42 PM | Reply

LOL the current outbreak in the US is caused by lettuce from Mexico ..

#17 | Posted by oneironaut

According to who? The 5 guys remaining at the FDA?

#23 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2026-07-18 12:36 AM | Reply

Might be time to plonk that delusional dumbass

#24 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-07-18 01:49 AM | Reply

Apparently now the CDC stands for Can't Do Crap

#25 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-07-18 02:44 AM | Reply

CDC is under the control of a savant with a brain worm who eats road kill and has a thang for raccoon d#cks. So there's that to factor into the equation.

#26 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-07-18 03:22 AM | Reply

Maybe this outbreak should be named... Trump-Diarrhea?
#10 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-07-17 01:08 PM | Reply | Flag LMAO

Hw about...
Donorrhea... because it rhymes with Gonorrhea...

#27 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2026-07-18 09:02 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Make America a Third World Country Again!
We deserve to be mocked for putting this criminal in Office.
#4 | Posted by Corky at 2026-07-17 11:15 AM | Reply | Flag:

Yeah!!! Because Taco Bell sold some tainted lettuce...

#28 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-07-18 11:32 AM | Reply

According to who? The 5 guys remaining at the FDA?

#23 | Posted by SpeakSoftly at 2026-07-18 12:36 AM | Reply | Flag:

According to Taylor Farms, the source of the lettuce.

"Fruit and vegetable producer Taylor Fresh Foods says it is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market amid an ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak across the country that has sickened more than 1,600 people."

#29 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-07-18 12:11 PM | Reply

lol, "5 guys remaining". There's over 15,000 people working at the FDA right now.

For this silly bit to be true, that would mean Trump and Elon's DOGE accomplished their goals of massive government reduction. They did not. Don't lie for them.

#30 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-07-18 12:13 PM | Reply

"There's over 15,000 people working at the FDA right now."

Maybe. Are they "working" tho? And what are they "working" on?

Sweeping reorganizations have reduced the FDA's workforce by nearly 20%, heavily targeting administrative and review staff. The proposed budget also cuts the agency's funding and shifts some routine food inspection responsibilities to individual states.

This administration has moved away from relying heavily on outside advisory panels for drug approvals, opting instead to fast-track products, authorize controversial items like flavored e-cigarettes, and review certain substances via HHS-assembled panels based on ... the whims of Mr Toad and his band of loyalists?

#31 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-07-18 12:24 PM | Reply

Fascists (like the MAGAts) are always looking for ways to unwittingly hasten their own eventual doom.

#32 | Posted by NerfHerder at 2026-07-18 12:29 PM | Reply

Maybe. Are they "working" tho? And what are they "working" on?

#31 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-07-18 12:24 PM | Reply

Yes, contaminated lettuce.

How little you people think of long time government servants just because they're under temporarily shitty management never ceases to amaze me.

#33 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-07-18 12:38 PM | Reply

Re 33

Bro. I am NOT blaming the folks who survived the Purge. I am blaming leadership.

The outbreak started in May. It's July. We've done better.

Federal budget constraints resulted in personnel cuts and the scaling back of tracking programs. Most notably, the CDC narrowed its sentinel network program, dropping Cyclospora and several other pathogens from required mandatory tracking.

The FDA delayed the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Food Traceability Rule. This rule would have mandated the specific digital lot-level records needed to quickly trace produce back to the farm. Without it, investigators were left manually analyzing paper records to track ingredients across multiple states.

DESPITE these hurdles, dedicated state-level tracking and federal traceback investigations eventually isolated the culprit as shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico.

#34 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-07-18 12:51 PM | Reply

Uh uh. With casual oversimplification, appeal to consequences, post hoc, and speculatively counterfactual statements. You can do better than pretending a massive, multi-national corp doesn't use mostly digital records to begin with.

#35 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2026-07-18 01:14 PM | Reply

According to who? The 5 guys remaining at the FDA?
#23 | Posted by SpeakSoftly

LOL Swing and a huge miss.....

Seems like Sitz is passing out the dunce hats as needed.

#36 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-07-18 01:24 PM | Reply

You can do better than pretending a massive, multi-national corp doesn't use mostly digital records to begin with.

#35 | POSTED BY SITZKRIEG

Maybe you cannot read well? First the FDA had to track it to Taco Bell before they could use Taco Bell's digital records. Obviously.

Without it (FSMA), investigators were left MANUALLY analyzing paper records to track ingredients across multiple states.

So maybe you and commie spyboy can explain why it took three months to figure it out if the Trumpy modified FDA is working so well?

#37 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-07-18 01:57 PM | Reply

Montezuma lives on ...

#38 | Posted by AMERICANUNITY at 2026-07-18 04:41 PM | Reply

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