Author: Errica Jensen

The teal-packaged bar, which was infused with mint and sweetened with dates, looked as pristine as the brand promised. However, stories about food safety don’t always begin with symptoms. First, they use a barcode. Spring & Mulberry declared a voluntary recall of its Mint Leaf Date Sweetened Chocolate Bar on January 12. A single batch, designated #025255, was detected following the discovery of a possible Salmonella risk by third-party testing. Nobody had gotten sick. No public alarm, no enraged parents. Just a subtle shift, led by proactive quality assurance. Most chocolate buyers feel that a recall is inconsistent with the…

The odd and silent horror described by diplomats and intelligence officers from Cuba to Vienna is not well captured by the term “anomalous health incident.” The symptoms that U.S. officials stationed in Havana started to experience in late 2016 were hard to describe but strikingly consistent: extreme vertigo, blinding migraines, and a sharp feeling of pressure inside their skulls. What came next was a trail of cases, always cloaked in suspicion, that moved slowly but steadily across continents and embassies. The U.S. government transitioned from passive monitoring to active testing by obtaining an enigmatic equipment through a clandestine operation. The…

It started off quietly, as these things always do, with a warning from Nestlé about a problem with some infant formula batches. Nearly 80 batches had then been removed from stores in 49 countries by the end of the week. What started off as a small issue turned into a recall that directly impacted the relationship of trust between a food company and the parents it caters to. Cereulide, a bacterial toxin that is known to induce nausea and vomiting, lies at the heart of this incident. Despite the fact that no illnesses have been formally reported, Nestlé took precautions.…

Before the day he named 4,500 federal officers, very few people had heard of Dominick Skinner. He still seldom ever displays his face, preferring to let his work elicit a response. And it was provoked. Skinner’s website, ICE List, saw an increase in traffic and new names in the weeks following the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. The ICE List was a small database at first, but it changed after a Department of Homeland Security whistleblower made a huge disclosure. The file allegedly included the personal data of thousands of agents, which Skinner…

On January 7, Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis shortly after daybreak. Protests that had been simmering since the previous year were rekindled by the shooting, and within days, an unprecedented event occurred: a big data breach rather than a march or a proposed policy. Approximately 4,500 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol workers’ names, personal information, and images were posted online on the ICE List website. The Netherlands-based platform didn’t try to conceal its intent. Its founder, Dominick Skinner, claims that the leak wasn’t an accident. It was “the final…

Perfidy is more than just a legal term. There is a basic flaw in the way that conflicts are meant to function. Damage extends much beyond the immediate victims when a combatant launches an attack while posing as something protected, such as a civilian, a medic, or a surrendering soldier. It challenges the flimsy presumptions that, ironically, enable some people to survive conflict. The law permits ingenuity. Camouflage, feints, and strategic misdirection are perfectly acceptable. However, there is a very distinct line. It becomes a crime when someone adopts the posture or symbols of protection and then takes advantage of…

Janelle James and Connor Storrie had just wrapped up their roles as presenters of the Actor Awards nominees when the subject shifted, and they were standing in front of a wall of flashing bulbs and handheld microphones. They had joked around, enjoyed some chemistry onstage, and executed their lines. Then a red carpet interviewer entered the spotlight and went way too far. With a hazy wink, the query asked James what she thought of seeing Storrie today, obviously alluding to the private moments in Heated Rivalry, the series that gave Storrie his big break. James answered with remarkable grace and…

One of Canada’s most compelling wildlife discoveries has taken place in a Montreal neighborhood, somewhere between the sound of boots scraping on ice sidewalks and the quiet clicks of telescopic lenses. A European robin, never seen in Canada previously, has been seen scuttling between backyard bushes and slack trees along Rougemont Avenue. This is no typical guest. It is distinguished by its renownedly rich orange breast and a posture that almost seems courteously inquisitive. It is little, ferociously round, and endearingly puffed up against the Quebec cold. The robin is a common companion for walkers and gardeners throughout Europe. It…

For more than 50 years or half a century, the eatery served more than just hearty bowls of wor wonton soup and spicy amin chicken. Generations celebrated anniversaries, birthdays, and Sunday dinners under its golden glow, using it as an anchor. The type of establishment where patrons didn’t require menus and where the staff knew both your name and the names of your children. The fragrance of cooked garlic filled the lobby before the doors had even opened when I went there last autumn. The odor hasn’t altered in many years. Tracy Luu, the 79-year-old owner, has lived most of…

Brayden Point had just scored his 11th goal of the year during a power play. Something changed in the moment as he stretched across the crease, battling for the rebound, and Flyers defenseman Cam York stumbled onto his right leg. Point was down for longer than normal. There was a silence. And then worry. He attempted, but was unable, to get up. Trainers skated off. His teammates approached him but remained silent. The gloomy hush at Amalie Arena spoke loudly as Point was assisted off the ice without any pressure on his leg. Another important player suffering an injury at a…