Why the Moist Critikal Technoblade LARP Scandal Blew Up The Internet
PDS Published 07/14/2026
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We've got to break down this weird MoistCr1TiKaL, Technoblade LARPing scandal that's blown up, why it broke through gamer containment, and what it really exposes about the future of entertainment and celebrities.
The Bibi Netanyahu gym-maxing allegations are now just the latest controversy coming out of Israel.
Taco Bell is now being investigated in connection to the Cyclospora explosive diarrhea outbreak.
What really happens now that Trump named the U.S. guardian of the Strait of Hormuz as more strikes are being carried out?
We're talking about all of that and even more on today's brand new Philip DeFranco Show, your daily dive into the news.
The Rise of "LARPTubers"
Starting with, silence is not consent.
That is just one of the now huge flashpoints around this whole MoistCr1TiKaL, Technoblade LARPTuber trend and controversy that has completely spiraled out. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about here, trust me, that is completely normal.
I didn't know this world existed until about a week ago.
LARPTubers are these people who LARP, or imitate, famous YouTubers, copying their look, their voice, their cadence, kind of everything about them.
One of the first ones you might have seen go viral back in May appears to be Lava Flower, who impersonates huge YouTuber Markiplier.
"Hello everybody. My name is Lava Flower, and welcome to Let's Play Slender: Hospice."
Since then, you've had a lot more popping up, mimicking PewDiePie, MoistCr1TiKaL, LeafyIsHere, and a ton of others.
For a while, and still for many, it generally seemed like good fun.
But then you had someone crossing into different territory where people started saying, "Okay, there's the LARPTuber community... and then there's this."
Because someone started LARPing as Technoblade.
Why Technoblade Is Different
Technoblade was one of the most beloved Minecraft creators online. He had over 10 million subscribers while he was alive. He had been creating content for years, and then he got cancer.
At first, he announced it in the most Technoblade way possible.
"Of all the phone calls I've made, nobody took the news worse than my health insurance provider. They've been inconsolable for weeks. They were like, 'You got what?'"
Then, several months later in 2022, his dad appeared in a video to announce that Technoblade—Alex—had died at the age of 23.
"I got down on my knee at his bedside and I said to him, 'You've done so much for so many people. If you want to now, you can rest.' He lived about another eight hours after that."
Following that, the community was absolutely heartbroken.
His dad has remained very active in the community ever since. They've continued raising money for cancer research, and the channel now has over 20 million subscribers.
The Technolava Controversy
That brings us to the current controversy.
You have this LARPTuber by the name of Technolava.
For comparison, here's the real Technoblade.
"It's a pig. It's a plane. It's Techno Plane. On sale now."
"I wake up on Monday, I stab celebrities in Minecraft, and then I go to sleep for another week because... what else is there to do?"
Then here's Technolava.
"Well, I'm Techno..."
You might be thinking, "That's a stupid LARP."
But this creator has built a growing community that really loves this content.
As you might expect, there were also a lot of people who were really irked by the whole concept of imitating a dead person.
Especially because he hadn't gotten permission from Technoblade's family.
He admitted in a since-deleted post that he had reached out to Technoblade's dad but got no response.
Though he argued that he also wasn't asked to stop, saying:
"We don't know his thoughts yet. Let's give him time to figure out if he likes it or not."
Many people weren't buying that.
MoistCr1TiKaL Weighs In
Then you had MoistCr1TiKaL giving the whole thing a huge boost when he made a video on it.
"So he's taken that silence as like a thumbs-up to keep doing it in the meantime. Like, I feel like if you cared enough about it, you'd probably wait to hear his thoughts on it instead of still just going hog wild with it."
Soon after, Technoblade's dad responded, posting:
"I've been avoiding addressing this for a while now. I just don't know how to react. Certainly it's flattering to Techno, but what am I supposed to say? My response is inconclusive. I'm still ruminating on the whole thing."
Even though that wasn't a firm "no," several other Minecraft YouTubers and many fans argued that the post clearly showed he was uncomfortable.
Some criticized Technolava for putting Technoblade's dad in that position, speculating that he felt pressured not to outright tell Technolava to stop because he didn't want to become an enemy of that community.
The Debate Gets Bigger
In his defense, supporters noted that Technolava claimed he wasn't trying to replace Technoblade.
He said he was simply an obvious knockoff meant to entertain people.
Critics also pointed out that he collaborated with one of Technoblade's friends, Skeppy, arguing that crossed the line into becoming a replacement.
"Oh my God! No! Yes!"
People reacted by saying:
"He's actively trying to collab with Technoblade's friends while pretending to be their deceased friend. I have some skinwalker-type feelings about that. It just kind of rubs me the wrong way. I feel like the guy is probably approaching it with good intentions, but I still find it to be off-putting."
Donations and Profiting
During a later livestream, Technolava joined MoistCr1TiKaL's chat.
He said:
"My family has been threatened. Some other LARPTubers are also under attack."
Moist responded:
"Well, that's awful. I'm sorry to hear that."
Technolava argued that Moist had missed some context.
Moist replied:
"Is the context that Skeppy reached out to you? Because I didn't miss that. I just didn't find it to be an important thing to mention. It's not who reached out to who—it's the fact that you still did it in the first place."
Moist later released a follow-up video.
One of the biggest questions surrounding all of this was whether Technolava had been profiting from the persona.
On Twitter, Technolava claimed that his YouTube videos were demonetized and that he would only earn money if Technoblade's dad gave permission.
Moist responded:
"Because again, so many people, like myself, were under the impression that all of this was done with no financial gain on his own end—just all money going to charity through this. Well... that's a half-truth."
He explained that while charity donations were collected through streams, Technolava also had:
A personal donation link.
Sponsored server hosting through Prism Nodes.
A creator code that financially benefited him.
Moist concluded:
"So you are financially benefiting from this."
Technoblade's Dad Makes His Position Clear
Meanwhile, Technoblade's dad defended Technolava against the doxxing and threats that were reportedly happening, calling that behavior completely unacceptable.
But he also posted a lengthy Reddit statement explaining his position.
He wrote:
"When this was first brought to me by one of Alex's YouTube friends, I was under the impression that it might be a one-time thing. However, this has continued for several weeks, and it is now clear that an identity is being built as an ongoing public persona."
He added:
"That is a different thing from a parody."
He continued:
"Despite being Techno's dad, I cannot speak unilaterally on behalf of all of Alex's family, friends, and fans, who no doubt have a variety of reactions."
But after careful consideration, he concluded:
"I am asking for this to please stop. No blessing or permission for this, or for any similar persona now or in the future, has been given."
He also encouraged aspiring creators:
"Find your own voice. Show us who you are. A sincere presentation of your authentic self will always be better than an imitation of someone else."
He finished by asking the community not to harass anyone involved.
"I do not believe there was malicious intent."
Technolava Responds
Following that statement, Technolava's response video was briefly taken down for violating community guidelines.
It later returned, and he uploaded a new video titled "The End of Techno."
In it, he said:
"I'm really relieved that I even got an answer. I didn't really mind if it was yes or no. I respected any decision."
He added:
"Everything I did was not for some crazy evil scheme. I was just trying to have fun doing the LARP trend and making content similar to one of my favorite creators."
He explained:
"I can't really change how I sound because it's my normal voice, but I can definitely take off the skin. I can change the name."
He then announced:
"You guys can just call me Striker now."
He also addressed criticism about keeping the channel's roughly 200,000 subscribers.
He said:
"If you're only here for the Technoblade persona, I highly advise that you unsubscribe."
He promised that the Technoblade LARP videos would remain online but would not be monetized.
Public Reaction
Reactions have been mixed.
Some applauded him for doing what they believed was the right thing.
Top comments included:
"Goodbye Techno. Hello Striker."
"Thank you for respecting Techno Dad's decision. Good luck, Striker."
Others continued raising concerns about the money that may have already been earned and argued that, if he truly wanted a clean slate, he should start a completely new channel.
Technolava responded that he already has another channel, but Minecraft content wouldn't fit there, and many viewers simply want to watch him play Minecraft regardless of the LARP.
Whatever ultimately happens to this channel and this creator's career, the entire controversy has sparked a much larger conversation around the LARPTuber community.
People are debating:
Where should the line be drawn?
Is permission required?
Should creators be allowed to profit from impersonation?
What responsibilities come with building an audience around someone else's identity?
Personally, I'd really love to know your opinion and your reaction to all of this, especially down in the comments.
For me, this has been a weird, wild story to watch.
I'm still kind of digesting it.
Especially because so much of my focus has been on AI clones of living people and where all of that is heading.
You're already seeing more proposed—and even passed—legislation, state by state, regarding AI-generated likenesses.
Here, though, it's being performed by a human.
And unless you get into selling merchandise or other commercial uses, a lot of this ends up playing out in the court of public opinion.
Then, from that, we should talk about the story that really has people talking.
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And it starts with the question:
Does an 18-year-old swimming athlete just drown?
And why would his friends try to get rid of the evidence that they were with him when it happened?
Because that is what many, including his family, are asking about the mysterious death of 18-year-old Daniel Irving.
Right now, Daniel was a senior at a North Texas high school. He was on the honor roll and a member of the swim team.
Back in April, he went out to Lake Ray Hubbard to go swimming and fishing with 19-year-old Lucas Roper and an unnamed 17-year-old.
That was also the last time Daniel was seen alive.
Daniel Irving Goes Missing
Almost immediately, Daniel's mom, Mikea Irving, had a feeling that something bad had happened to her son.
When he still hadn't come home the next day, she filed a missing persons report with the Rowlett Police Department.
Local police issued a community alert, but it wasn't until three days later that Daniel's body was found and recovered from the lake.
From there, the Dallas Police Department took over the death investigation, and the medical examiner concluded that Daniel's cause of death was drowning. It was officially ruled an accident.
Questions Surround the Investigation
But if it was an accident, why didn't anyone call for help or come forward when it happened?
What were Daniel's two friends doing?
It seems police asked those same questions because, last week, Lucas Roper and the unnamed teenager were arrested in connection with the case.
Specifically, they were charged with tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.
According to the arrest affidavit, when Daniel drowned, Roper and the other teenager panicked.
They took Daniel's clothes, hid them in the tree line, and got rid of his cell phone.
Investigators also say Roper deleted every conversation he had with Daniel that day from his phone.
According to police, both teenagers admitted they were worried they were going to get in trouble and panicked.
Family Calls for Murder Charges
But for many people—including Daniel's family—the explanation and the evidence tampering charges are not enough.
Daniel's mother said:
"There is absolutely more to this story than what they've gotten so far."
She continued:
"If you are not guilty of a crime, why would you throw away his clothes, delete messages, and not even call his mother?"
The family is now calling for murder charges.
Their attorney has also promised to conduct an independent investigation.
He said:
"This family has lost confidence in the system that is supposed to protect them."
"This family has a distrust of the Dallas Police Department."
"They have not given this death of an 18-year-old, Daniel Irving, the urgency it deserves."
He also pointed out that Daniel was a member of the swim team.
"He was a strong, healthy young athlete. For these two suspects to say he drowned and they left—it doesn't add up."
"Something smells off."
Criticism of Police Handling
The family has also criticized law enforcement's handling of Daniel's disappearance.
His sister said the case was treated with no sense of urgency, leaving the family in agony for months.
That criticism has also been echoed by activists, including Dominique Alexander, founder of the Next Generation Action Network.
Alexander published an open letter criticizing the Dallas Police Department for its handling of the case while also accusing the Rowlett Police Department of dragging its feet.
He wrote:
"A young Black student goes missing, and instead of immediate action, his family is met with delay and dismissal."
"We are not going to accept excuses."
"We are not going to accept delays."
"And we are certainly not going to accept a narrative that asks this family to move on without answers."
"Justice requires action, and action must happen now."
Where the Case Stands
Police continue to maintain that Daniel's death was an accident.
As the case has gained national attention, many people have drawn comparisons to the case of Nolan Wells, another tragic case we've covered several times.
Many believe both young men deserve justice, their families deserve answers, and neither case should simply be swept under the rug.
While we wait for more answers and updates, of course, our hearts go out to the family of Daniel Irving and Nolan Wells.
Then there's so much more we've got to dive into in just a minute.
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The first line for this story, I want you to know, I'm not having a stroke. This is actually a real news story.
You now have Clix claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to gym-max with him to improve his public image.
That's coming directly from Clix, who, if you don't know, is a massive, controversial looksmaxxing streamer who's blown up over the last year.
He claimed that he had dinner with Netanyahu's advisors, along with other tech and U.S. officials.
According to Clix:
"I was talking with one of these people about looksmaxxing—how he could looksmax. That's what they asked."
"They said, 'Hey, Bibi's been having a lot of trouble humanizing himself to the younger generation. They think he's too old and out of shape. Would you want to do a gym stream with him or something like that?'"
"They asked if I had any ideas about his fitness because he's getting into sports or something. And I was like, 'Sure, man. I'd be happy to.'"
Internet Reacts
Clix made these claims while streaming from Israel, where he'd spent the last few days visiting.
There were already several controversies surrounding the trip, but this alleged gym stream proposal generated even more attention.
Many people simply didn't believe him.
It was difficult for many to imagine Netanyahu and Clix appearing together on a livestream, pumping iron in an attempt to rehabilitate the Prime Minister's public image.
Though, as a counterpoint, this is also the same Netanyahu who appeared on the NELK Boys Podcast.
Backlash Over the Israel Trip
There was already backlash after reports surfaced that Clix had met with Netanyahu's advisors.
Some argued that no one could convince Netanyahu to stop bombing people simply by taking part in a gym stream.
That also led into another controversy because Clix has faced accusations of antisemitism in the past.
While he's primarily known for looksmaxxing content—which itself is controversial because it often promotes extreme methods of improving appearance, including supplements and even bone-smashing—he has also been criticized for his connections to the manosphere and far-right influencers.
He has appeared on streams with Nick Fuentes, who is widely known for antisemitic views.
He has also associated with the Tate brothers and other controversial internet personalities.
Earlier this year, those associations drew widespread criticism after a Miami nightclub played Kanye West's song "Heil Hitler," with several people reportedly singing along.
Because of that history, many questioned why Clix was in Israel at all, let alone potentially meeting with people close to Netanyahu.
Some wondered why he had even been allowed into the country when other controversial influencers had previously been denied entry.
Netanyahu's Advisors Respond
According to several Israeli media reports, at least one of Netanyahu's advisors acknowledged speaking with Clix.
However, they claimed the interaction was simply a chance meeting at a club.
They also said Clix apologized for his past antisemitic controversies.
That claim attracted attention because, publicly, Clix has largely avoided addressing those controversies and has often appeared frustrated whenever they are brought up.
Clix Walks Out of an Interview
During one interview, Clix walked away after a journalist repeatedly questioned him about his visit to Israel and asked whether he had apologized for previously singing "Heil Hitler."
The exchange included:
Journalist: "So you basically came here to apologize?"
Clix: "No. We came here to explore Tel Aviv and show that it's a really fun city."
When the questioning continued, Clix responded:
"If you're going to be negative and ask about old situations that aren't positive, then I really don't want to talk to you."
The interviewer pushed back, saying:
"It's not that old. You got kicked out of a club. Why not clear the air?"
Clix replied:
"Why don't you talk about how much I've done for this country's reputation?"
When asked again why he wouldn't simply apologize, he ended the interview.
IDF Soldier Under Investigation
The controversy didn't stop there.
Reports also emerged claiming that an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldier was facing disciplinary action after appearing in Clix's livestreams.
The soldier appeared in several broadcasts alongside Clix and reportedly worked for the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
During one stream, she identified herself as someone working on the IDF's social media channels.
According to Israeli media, the IDF launched an internal investigation.
She has reportedly been removed from social media duties and transferred to another unit.
Some reports even claimed she had been reassigned to kitchen duty.
Clix Says the Trip Isn't Political
Throughout all of this, Clix has repeatedly insisted that his trip to Israel was not political.
At one point, he criticized a Free Press reporter who questioned why he was visiting the country, writing:
"You essentially advocating for a 20-year-old to share his political opinions with the massive audience I have is wildly irresponsible."
"I'm very conscious of the influence I have, which is why I only speak about topics such as looksmaxxing, which I've spent years researching."
Phil then added his own perspective.
While he agreed that not every influencer should be forced to comment on politics, he argued that visiting a country during an active war—while discussing the possibility of doing a gym stream with someone many consider a war criminal—is inevitably political.
Whether Clix intended it or not, Phil argued, Netanyahu could have used that appearance to normalize his image among a young, impressionable audience.
At the same time, Phil noted that not everyone in Clix's audience supported the trip.
Much like the backlash surrounding the NELK Boys interview with Netanyahu, many viewers strongly rejected the idea.
Phil also joked that perhaps Clix's only advice for Netanyahu would be:
"I don't know... putting lifts in his shoes so he can join the six-footer club."
What's Next?
As of now, Clix has said he's leaving Israel—if he hasn't already—and that the next country he hopes to visit is Russia.
While he continues insisting he's not interested in politics, it certainly appears that he's choosing politically contentious places to stream from.
Whether that's simply for views, controversy, or genuine curiosity remains to be seen.
Ultimately, time will tell how all of this plays out—both wherever Clix goes next and with everything that unfolded during his trip to Israel.
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And then we should also talk about, well, you've had Trump stirring up even more controversy.
There are a lot of Israelis right now who are thrilled with another American in the region, and that is Donald Trump.
That's because he has relaunched his war against Iran and reimposed his blockade on the country, all while threatening to upend centuries of American policy supporting freedom of navigation around the world.
Despite all of that, he doesn't appear any closer to achieving his original war aims.
Meanwhile, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to its lowest level in a month.
If you ask Trump, however, he continues to insist that it is safe to travel.
Trump Declares the U.S. the "Guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz
Trump claimed on social media that the Strait of Hormuz is open and will remain open—with or without Iran.
He also announced the return of a blockade affecting Iranian ships and their customers, while stating:
"All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait."
He then added that the United States would now be known as the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz and would be reimbursed at a rate of 20% on all cargo shipped to cover the costs of providing safety and security in what he described as a very volatile region.
Later, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump explained:
"I want to be reimbursed because we're protecting a very rich portion of the world."
"We're spending money, and so what we've done is we are going to be reimbursed for protection."
A Major Shift in U.S. Policy
In making those remarks, Trump also appeared to contradict centuries of U.S. policy—as well as the position of his own administration—that international waterways should remain free of tolls and shipping fees.
Just weeks earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had stated:
"No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway."
Critics argued that Trump's proposal effectively legitimized Iran's long-standing claim that it should be allowed to charge fees for passage through the Strait.
Iran Responds
Iran's foreign minister responded on social media with a mocking statement:
"POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this."
He added:
"Iran has always been the guardian of the Strait and will remain so."
Before joking:
"Twenty percent is, of course, too much."
Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command announced that the blockade would return beginning July 14 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
The announcement itself did not mention any shipping fees.
Instead, it instructed commercial vessels near the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz to contact U.S. naval forces for additional guidance.
Shipping Traffic Drops
At least for now, very few ships are willing to travel through the area.
Only ten vessels reportedly passed through the Strait the previous day—the lowest number seen in a month.
Before the recent conflict, more than 130 vessels typically passed through the Strait each day.
The market reacted immediately.
Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, jumped roughly 9% following Trump's announcement and rose another 2.5% the next day to around $85 per barrel.
Fighting Continues
All of this comes as missiles and drones have continued flying across the region on an almost daily basis for nearly a week.
As we discussed last Wednesday, Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran was over following another round of fighting.
On Friday, he formally notified Congress of renewed military action against Iran.
The distinction matters because the War Powers Act requires the President to notify Congress within two days of committing U.S. forces to hostilities.
After that notification, the President has 60 days to either conclude military operations or receive authorization from Congress, with the possibility of an additional 30-day extension.
Trump argued that the April 7 ceasefire effectively reset the timeline and that a new 60-day clock began following strikes on July 7.
Many legal experts rejected that interpretation.
They pointed out that the United States and Iran exchanged fire during the supposed ceasefire, making the legal justification highly questionable.
Others argued that the original strikes against Iran violated both domestic and international law from the beginning.
Escalation on Both Sides
The fighting has continued almost nonstop.
On Saturday, Iran fired what it described as a warning shot that struck a commercial vessel traveling through the Strait.
The ship had reportedly been following a route recommended by the United States along the coast of Oman.
Iran argued that the United States had violated the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries the previous month.
Following that incident, the United States launched multiple overnight strikes inside Iran.
Iran's chief negotiator responded by posting the text of the MoU, highlighting the section stating that Iran would be responsible for arranging the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait.
Iran then launched additional attacks across several countries in the Middle East and declared restrictions involving the Strait of Hormuz.
That prompted another round of U.S. strikes.
Iran responded yet again, saying it had targeted American military facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, and Iraq.
Trump Signals More Strikes
The situation escalated further when, only hours after announcing the blockade, U.S. Central Command confirmed it had begun a third consecutive night of strikes against Iran.
Shortly beforehand, Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt:
"We're going to hit them very hard tonight."
"We're going to hit them hard tomorrow."
"There's not a damn thing they can do about it."
"They have nothing."
Trump also appeared to dismiss the Memorandum of Understanding that he had previously praised as a major diplomatic achievement.
He said:
"A memorandum of understanding, when you're dealing with sleazebags, doesn't mean much."
"And they don't mean much when you're dealing with honorable people either, because it's just a memorandum of understanding."
Another Policy Reversal
Phil noted that, regardless of political views, one recurring pattern is how quickly Trump's positions can change.
Just the day before, Trump had announced what he described as a world-changing policy involving a 20% reimbursement fee for passage through the Strait.
The following day, however, he announced a completely different plan, writing:
"Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States reimbursement fee with trade and investment deals that the various Gulf states will be making into the United States."
At the time of the announcement, no details were provided regarding those supposed agreements.
Where Things Stand
So, despite all of these developments, we appear to be stuck in the same place.
Neither side seems eager for the war to continue.
At the same time, neither side appears willing to back down.
Meanwhile, civilians continue to suffer.
Some are dying.
The economic consequences continue to spread.
And unless something changes soon, the conflict—and its fallout—is likely to continue.
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It's just going to continue.
And then, actually, there's even more that we've got to dive into in just a minute.
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And then, for your final block of news today, let's cram in some more news you need to know because there's just so much.
But let's start with Taco Bell.
Because if you've been planning on a late-night Taco Bell run, you might want to hold off on the lettuce, the tomatoes, or really any of those fresh ingredients that help make us think it's kind of healthy.
That's because right now, health officials are investigating a massive multistate outbreak of Cyclospora, a parasite that causes explosive diarrhea and may be tied to Taco Bell.
What Is Cyclospora?
Unlike your normal boozy 2:00 a.m. trip to the bathroom, diarrhea caused by Cyclospora can last for weeks, making it one of the fastest ways to become severely dehydrated.
In more serious cases, it can lead to hospitalization.
Why Taco Bell Is Being Investigated
While Taco Bell is currently the main focus of the investigation, many experts believe the contamination likely began higher up in the supply chain.
That could mean:
A regional supplier of fresh produce.
An agricultural source before the food ever reached restaurants.
Unfortunately, that's especially concerning because Cyclospora is most commonly spread through water contaminated with human feces.
Because of that, there's a good chance the problem extends beyond Taco Bell's produce.
Health Officials Issue Warnings
State and local health officials have begun issuing precautionary recommendations.
Among them:
Some supermarkets are advising customers not to purchase certain pre-packaged produce.
Officials in Michigan and Texas have warned consumers about fresh produce in general.
San Diego County has gone even further, recommending that people avoid fresh produce for at least a week while investigators determine the source of the contamination.
Why Washing Produce Isn't Enough
One especially important detail is that Cyclospora cannot simply be washed off like many other contaminants.
Instead, the parasite must be killed through heat.
And honestly... who wants to boil their lettuce?
For now, many people are waiting to see whether the FDA issues a formal public recall.
Privately, investigators may already be tracing contaminated products through the supply chain.
And In Other News...
Also making headlines, New York has now become the first state.
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To finally put a hold on data centers with a moratorium that will last for up to a year.
Massive data centers are being built across our state and across our country.
The scale and speed of this development have placed unprecedented demands on energy and water resources, while also threatening to drive up utility costs.
Before this goes any further, we need safeguards in place to protect New Yorkers.
That's New York Governor Kathy Hochul, saying that as data center development creates growing uncertainty for New Yorkers, it's her responsibility to take action.
Why New York Is Pausing Data Center Development
To her point, this move places New York right at the center of the debate over how to handle the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and the infrastructure needed to support it.
It's an issue that has been growing nationwide.
Studies have shown that Republicans and Democrats alike generally don't want large data centers being built in their communities.
The concerns are largely the same:
Environmental impacts.
Increased energy consumption.
Pressure on local power grids.
Rising utility costs.
Increased water usage.
What Happens During the Moratorium
While the moratorium is in effect, New York will develop a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS).
The goal is to ensure that future data centers are evaluated under consistent environmental standards while addressing the concerns raised by residents and local governments.
State officials say the long-term objective is to establish clearer regulations governing:
Power grid capacity.
Land use.
Environmental protections.
Future data center development.
Once those standards are finalized, the moratorium could be lifted.
Projects That Are Exempt
The state is not stopping projects that have already received the necessary permits.
However, any proposed project requiring more than 50 megawatts (MW) of electricity will be placed on hold while the review process continues.
Part of a Larger Climate Strategy
This move didn't come out of nowhere.
New York has been gradually moving toward stricter oversight for data centers.
Just last month, the state legislature passed a broader bill that would impose tighter regulations on facilities consuming more than 20 megawatts of electricity.
That legislation would also require projects using more than one megawatt of power to rely almost entirely on renewable energy by a future deadline.
However, that bill has not yet reached Governor Hochul's desk.
Previous Climate Policies
Even before that, New York passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019.
That law was designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while expanding protections for environmental justice.
At the same time, critics have argued that the state has struggled to meet some of its climate commitments.
Governor Hochul has also faced criticism after moving to roll back portions of earlier environmental agreements.
Some environmental advocates viewed those decisions as weakening the state's climate agenda.
Because of that, many supporters see this new moratorium as a step back in the right direction for New York's environmental and climate goals.
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But then, for your last story today, you have Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett appearing before Congress to request more than $15 million to expand security for the Supreme Court and federal judges across the country.
Justice Kagan explained:
"Throughout the judiciary, including the Supreme Court, judges continue to do their jobs without fear or favor. But the threat level is really high."
Rising Threats Against Judges
According to the justices, during the 2025 fiscal year, there was a 57% increase in what the judiciary classifies as significant security incidents.
So far this year, there have already been:
More than 370 reported threats.
512 security investigations.
Officials also expect those numbers to increase by another 38% before 2027.
What Those Threats Look Like
Many of the threats come through:
Online comments.
Emails.
Social media.
Other digital communications.
But officials emphasized that the danger has also become very personal.
Justice Barrett said:
"Many of us, me included, have received threatening anonymous deliveries designed to intimidate and harass us."
The threats don't stop online.
In recent years, protesters have gathered outside the homes of Supreme Court justices.
There have also been more serious incidents, including the arrest of a man outside Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home while carrying a gun and other weapons.
Authorities later said that individual intended to kill three Supreme Court justices.
Personal Impact
Justice Barrett also shared one of the experiences that affected her family.
She said:
"Maybe I lack imagination, but I didn't expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was, and why I had to wear one."
Cybersecurity Concerns
The justices also pointed to another growing concern: confidential information being leaked before Supreme Court decisions are officially released.
Because of that, they are requesting additional funding for cybersecurity.
Justice Kagan explained:
"We can't do our business. We can't engage in confidential communications if you think those views are going to appear on the front page of the newspaper."
The Funding Request
If Congress approves the request, the additional funding would become available beginning in October.
The money would support:
Expanded physical security.
Increased cybersecurity protections.
Additional resources for judges and court personnel.
The Bigger Issue
Of course, even if those funds are approved, they don't address what many see as the underlying problem.
The increasing hostility surrounding American politics continues to spill over into threats against public officials, including judges.
And if the factors driving that hostility aren't addressed, simply increasing security may only treat the symptoms—not the cause.
And then, my friend...
You beautiful bastard.
That is the end of today's Tuesday show.
Of course, until next time, you can keep getting filled in right here, or I've got links in the description.
But no matter what...
Thank you for watching.
I love your faces.
And I'll see you right back here tomorrow.
