Today’s Big Story

Raw Milk

Everything you need to know about unpasteurized milk, a distinctly dangerous food trend

We’re hearing a lot about raw milk lately, right? Google searches are up and it’s become a common rallying point for right-wing media and wellness influencers alike—and a cause that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could supercharge as President-elect Trump's Health and Human Services secretary nominee. So what’s the deal? Does it actually have any health benefits, or is buying a jug at Erewhon simply an easy way to end up with vomiting and bloody diarrhea?

“Raw” milk is just that: Milk that comes straight from the cow and hasn’t been pasteurized—that is, heated to a temperature high enough to kill bacteria and viruses. Though the precise temperature required varies depending on the process, most experts agree that milk should be heated to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of 15 seconds for it to be considered fully pasteurized.

And it’s nothing new. Raw milk has had a niche following that transcends partisanship for decades. But federal health officials say the lack of heating and pasteurization poses risks like exposure to harmful bacteria like E. coli and listeria—a concern that's been amplified by bird flu that is spreading among dairy cattle. In fact, according to FDA data, prior to pasteurization becoming mainstream, unpasteurized milk was responsible for nearly a quarter of all food- and waterborne illnesses. Thanks to pasteurization, the rate of reported illnesses per billion servings of milk is at less than half of one percent, according to one 2015 study.

Of course, most people just buy their milk at the grocery store, where they can (currently) be assured that their milk has been pasteurized to kill anything that’s going to turn your stomach inside out. But last month, Kennedy posted to X that with Trump’s win, the “FDA’s war on public health is about to end.” “That includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics, stem cells, raw milk...,” he wrote.

Experts worry RFK Jr.'s advocacy could undermine science. “What I’m more worried about is that the influence of statements from a position of authority might be misinterpreted as scientific fact, when in reality there's very, very strong evidence to the contrary,” Meghan Davis, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies environmental health and infectious disease, told Axios. But plenty of people are happily taking a risk. State laws easing the sale and purchase of raw milk have contributed to its rising popularity. So, too, has increasing distrust of public health authorities. Weekly raw milk sales were up in May by as much as 65% compared with the same period last year.

Putin Says Ukraine War Is Going Global

He touted Russia’s new missile and delivered a menacing warning to NATO

The new ballistic missile fired by Russia struck a military-industrial facility in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, but its real mission was delivering a deadly new message to NATO. Hours after Thursday’s strike touched off a debate over whether the Ukrainian plant was hit by an intercontinental ballistic missile, President Vladimir Putin made a rare and surprise appearance on Russian television to clear up the mystery.

He described it as a new, intermediate-range ballistic missile that raced to its target at 10 times the speed of sound. “Modern air defense systems that exist in the world and anti-missile defenses created by the Americans in Europe can’t intercept such missiles,” Putin declared in an icy and menacing tone. According to U.S. and Western officials who spoke with CNN, the ballistic missile carried multiple warheads, which may be the first time such a weapon has been used in war.

Putin made clear that this strike was in response to a recent decision by the Biden Administration to grant Ukraine permission to use American-made ATACMS ballistic missiles to hit targets inside Russia. The United States, Putin said, was pushing the world towards a global conflict. "And in case of escalation of aggressive actions, we will also respond decisively and in a mirror manner," he said.

Digital Wallets to Face Greater Government Scrutiny

New rules treat Big Tech payment processors just like banks

Digital wallets and payment apps—like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo and PayPal—are facing stronger regulations under the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the nation's bank and financial service watchdog. Through a new rule passed Thursday, the agency will have the power to supervise the behavior and policies of nonbank companies offering digital funds transfer and payment wallet apps—recategorizing these processors and their Big Tech owners under similar rules to banking institutions.

Under its new powers, the CFPB can keep a closer eye on data collection and sharing, monitor fraudulent transactions and disputes, and act as a safeguard for users who are forcibly unbanked by having their accounts closed or frozen. “Today's rule represents the latest step to strengthen oversight of large technology firms in consumer financial markets,” the agency wrote. “The CFPB warned Big Tech firms in 2022 about their obligations under consumer protection laws when using behavioral targeting for financial products.”

According to Reuters, some bank industry representatives welcomed the move, saying providers of bank-like services should be regulated like banks. However, the Financial Technology Association, whose members include Amazon Pay, PayPal and Intuit, called for the CFPB to withdraw the rule, saying it addressed no clearly identified problem.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Landman’ + a Maple Mule Cocktail

The Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan's fictional universe continues to expand at Paramount with the recent launch of Landman. The series, which dramatizes the oil boom in the heart of west Texas, is based on the 11-part podcast “Boomtown”. The series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.

The show has an impressive cast including Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, Ali Larter and Jon Hamm. And while there's plenty of melodrama, critics are praising the show's humor, too. A rich deposit of laughs should be credited to star Thornton, who can deliver astute lessons in petrochemical economics one minute and then tell a bartender “I quit drinkin’, I’ll stick with beer” the next.

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