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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health and regulatory officials, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections in two states linked to Emek branded pistachio cream. On Monday, the CDC issued a food safety alert warning consumers not to eatand businesses not to sell or servethe nut butter spread used in desserts and other dishes. As of June 13, four people in two states, three in Minnesota and one in New Jersey, have gotten sick. One person has been hospitalized and no deaths are reported. State and local public health officials have determined all four reported eating pistachio cream in the week leading up to when they got sick, with three of the four eating at the same restaurant. (Officials have not disclosed the name of that restaurant.) The pistachio cream is a shelf-stable nut butter cream manufactured in Turkey by a company whose full name is listed as Emek Dogal Saglik Urunleri Iklim Gida Insaat San Tic Ltd Sti. The product was imported into the United States, where it sold online for wholesale distributors, restaurants, and food service locations nationwide. What do I need to know about the outbreak? The illnesses started on dates ranging from March 10, 2025, to May 19, 2025. The recalled product is as follows: Product Name: Emek brand pistachio cream Use-by date: October 19, 2026 Package: May be packaged in an 11-pound white tub Production code (PNO): 241019 The investigation is ongoing and the FDA is working to determine if additional lots or products are affected. According to the CDC, the total number of people made sick is likely much higher than the number reported, and this outbreak may not be limited to the states with current known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak. What is Salmonella and what are the symptoms? Salmonella is a bacterium that can make you very sick if ingested. Most infected people experience diarrhea, stomachaches, and fever. Those at greatest risk are children under 5 years of age, adults ages 65 and over, and those with compromised immune systems. According to the CDC, symptoms usually begin 6 hours to 6 days after infection and last 4 to 7 days. However, as we mentioned above, some people dont show or experience symptoms for weeks. What should I do if I have the product? Do not eat or serve Emek pistachio cream. If you do have the product, wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have come in contact with the it, following the FDA’s safe handling and cleaning recommendations to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. You can read more information on the CDCs Salmonella page.
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A different kind of pie chart is being used to predict global crises. A surge in takeout deliveries to the Pentagon has become a surprisingly accurate predictor of major geopolitical events, dubbed the Pentagon Pizza Index. Tracking activity at local pizza joints in Arlington County, the X account Pentagon Pizza Report noted an uptick in Google Maps activity from four pizza places near the Pentagon on June 12. We, The Pizza, District Pizza Palace, Dominos, and Extreme Pizza all reportedly saw higher-than-usual order volumes around 7 p.m. ET. As of 6:59 p.m. ET nearly all pizza establishments nearby the Pentagon have experienced a HUGE surge in activity, the X account posted. The timing? Just hours before news broke of Israels major attack on Iran. As of 6:59pm ET nearly all pizza establishments nearby the Pentagon have experienced a HUGE surge in activity. pic.twitter.com/ZUfvQ1JBYM— Pentagon Pizza Report (@PenPizzaReport) June 12, 2025 The U.S. announced it was not involved in the attacks. We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement released by the White House on June 12. However, as the theory goes, the surge in traffic at local pizza joints close to government buildings may have signaled hungry military leadership hunkering down to monitor unfolding events. The kind of analytics we love,” read one comment on X. Google Maps research beats some spy agencies around the world,” another user reacted. The predictive power of pizza isnt a new theory. As Alex Selby-Boothroyd, The Economists head of data journalism, wrote on LinkedIn: The Pentagon Pizza Index has been a surprisingly reliable predictor of seismic global eventsfrom coups to warssince the 1980s. During the Cold War, Soviet operatives reportedly monitored pizza delivery activity in Washington, believing a sudden uptick in late-night orders signaled military personnel working overtime. They even gave it a code name: Pizzint, short for pizza intelligence. In January 1991, Frank Meeks, who then owned 43 Dominos outlets in the Washington area, told the Los Angeles Times: The news media doesnt always know when something big is going to happen because theyre in bed, but [pizza] deliverers are out there at 2 in the morning. He added that on the night of August 1, 1990, the CIA ordered a record number of pizzas in a single night21 pies. A few hours later, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait, marking the beginning of the Gulf War. As CNNs then-Pentagon correspondent Wolf Blitzer reportedly said in 1990: Bottom line for journalists: Always monitor the pizzas. Of course, a correlation between pizza delivery and global crises is not a verified method of tracking world events. In a statement to Newsweek, the Pentagon dismissed the theory, noting they have plenty of pizza options inside the building, along with sushi, sandwiches, and donuts. They also disputed the timeline suggested by the Pentagon Pizza Report, saying it did not align with the events. Still, if you notice a spike in pizza orders near the Pentagon, it might be worth keeping an eye on the news.
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The Louvre, the worlds most-visited museum and a global symbol of art, beauty and endurance, has withstood war, terror, and pandemicbut on Monday, it was brought to a halt by its own staff, who say the institution is crumbling under the weight of mass tourism. It was an almost unthinkable sight: the home to works by Leonardo da Vinci and millennia of civilizations greatest treasuresparalyzed in a strike by the very people tasked with welcoming the world to its galleries. Thousands of stranded and confused visitors, tickets in hand, were corralled into unmoving lines beneath I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid. Its the Mona Lisa moan out here, said Kevin Ward, 62, from Milwaukee. Thousands of people waiting, no communication, no explanation. I guess even she needs a day off. The Louvre has become a symbol of tourism pushed to its limits. As hotspots from Venice to the Acropolis race to curb crowds, the worlds most iconic museum, visited by millions, is hitting a breaking point of its own. Just a day earlier, coordinated anti-tourism protests swept across southern Europe. Thousands rallied in Mallorca, Venice, Lisbon, and beyond, denouncing an economic model they say displaces locals and erodes city life. In Barcelona, activists sprayed tourists with water pistolsa theatrical bid to cool down runaway tourism. The Louvre’s spontaneous strike erupted during a routine internal meeting, as gallery attendants, ticket agents, and security personnel refused to take up their posts in protest over unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing, and what one union called untenable working conditions. Its rare for the Louvre to close its doors. It has happened during war, during the pandemic, and in a handful of strikesincluding spontaneous walkouts over overcrowding in 2019 and safety fears in 2013. But seldom has it happened so suddenly, without warning, and in full view of the crowds. What’s more, the disruption comes just months after President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a sweeping decade-long plan to rescue the Louvre from precisely the problems now boiling overwater leaks, dangerous temperature swings, outdated infrastructure, and foot traffic far beyond what the museum can handle. But for workers on the ground, that promised future feels distant. We cant wait six years for help, said Sarah Sefian of the CGT-Culture union. Our teams are under pressure now. Its not just about the artits about the people protecting it. The Mona Lisas daily mob At the center of it all is the Mona Lisaa 16th-century portrait that draws modern-day crowds more akin to a celebrity meet-and-greet than an art experience. Roughly 20,000 people a day squeeze into the Salle des États, the museums largest room, just to snap a selfie with Leonardo da Vincis enigmatic woman behind protective glass. The scene is often noisy, jostling, and so dense that many barely glance at the masterpieces flanking herworks by Titian and Veronese that go largely ignored. You dont see a painting, said Ji-Hyun Park, 28, who flew from Seoul to Paris. You see phones. You see elbows. You feel heat. And then, youre pushed out. Macrons renovation blueprint, dubbed the Louvre New Renaissance, promises a remedy. The Mona Lisa will finally get her own dedicated room, accessible through a timed-entry ticket. A new entrance near the Seine River is also planned by 2031 to relieve pressure from the overwhelmed pyramid hub. Conditions of display, explanation, and presentation will be up to what the Mona Lisa deserves, Macron said in January. But Louvre workers call Macron hypocritical and say the 700800 million million renovation plan masks a deeper crisis. While Macron is investing in new entrances and exhibition space, the Louvres annual operating subsidies from the French state have shrunk by more than 20% over the past decadeeven as visitor numbers soared. We take it very badly that Monsieur Le President makes his speeches here in our museum, Sefian said, but when you scratch the surface, the financial investment of the state is getting worse with each passing year. While many striking staff plan to remain off duty all day, Sefian said some workers may return temporarily to open a limited masterpiece route for a couple of hours, allowing access to select highlights including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The full museum might reopen as normal on Wednesday, and some tourists with time-sensitive tickets for Monday may be allowed to reuse them then. On Tuesday the Louvre is closed. A museum in limbo The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors last yearmore than double what its infrastructure was designed to accommodate. Even with a daily cap of 30,000, staff say the experience has become a daily test of endurance, with too few rest areas, limited bathrooms, and summer heat magnified by the pyramids greenhouse effect. In a leaked memo, Louvre President Laurence des Cars warned that parts of the building are no longer watertight, that temperature fluctuations endanger priceless art, and that even basic visitor needsfood, restrooms, signagefall far below international standards. She described the experience simply as a physical ordeal. What began as a scheduled monthly information session turned into a mass expression of exasperation, Sefian said. Talks between workers and management began at 10:30 a.m. and continued into the afternoon. The full renovation plan is expected to be financed through ticket revenue, private donations, state funds, and licensing fees from the Louvres Abu Dhabi branch. Ticket prices for non-EU tourists are expected to rise later this year. But workers say their needs are more urgent than any 10-year plan. Unlike other major sites in Paris, such as Notre Dame cathedral or the Centre Pompidou museum, both of which are undergoing government-backed restorations, the Louvre remains stuck in limboneither fully funded nor fully functional. President Macron, who delivered his 2017 election victory speech at the Louvre and showcased it during the 2024 Paris Olympics, has promised a safer, more modern museum by the end of the decade. Until then, Frances greatest cultural treasureand the millions who flock to see itremain caught between the cracks. Thomas Adamson, AP culture writer Associated Press journalist Laurie Kellman in Paris contributed to this report
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