Let's walk through what actually happened here, in order.
DOGE cut the USAID program specifically designed to prevent screwworm from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. DOGE cut USDA's animal disease control and prevention funding. That funding had supported more than 180 outbreak investigations in 22 countries and capacity-building in more than 160 laboratories. The screwworm monitoring and response program that watched the border for exactly this parasite - cut.
Then screwworm showed up in Texas cattle. Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a disaster for Zavala and Uvalde counties this week.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins went on CNBC this morning and blamed the Biden administration, 17 months out of office.
Her specific words: "obviously not much had been done to push back."
The program that was supposed to push back existed. DOGE eliminated it in March 2025. Rollins has been Agriculture Secretary since February 13, 2025. The cuts happened on her watch.
Beef prices are already high. Ranchers in south Texas are now dealing with a flesh-eating parasite that was eradicated in this country in the 1960s - eradicated, specifically, using the sterile fly program her department defunded.
The flies existed. The program existed. The budget existed.
Until it didn't.
@MeriwetherFarms@ProjectLincoln You voted for this. Project 2025 was out there, it was explicit these cuts were going to happen, yet you voted for this to increase your personal wealth. It is impissy to muster any sympathy for your plummeting profits. You voted for this.
BREAKING: Three counties in Texas have declared local state of disaster declarations on the New World Screwworm: Kinney, Jim Webb and Uvalde
Three others are pending: Webb, La Salle and Val Verde
The reasoning behind these declarations is because they feel they are not getting the federal nor state support needed to combat this crisis
Its long past due for the President to declare a National Emergency Declaration so local officials on the front lines are getting the support they need
@LuciditySyx@NewsHour And YOU missed MY point. They are removing the sensors so no data will be gathered. The private sector is NOT going to pay over $1 billion to reinstall OOI sensors in the north Pacific and Atlantic to privatize oceanic/atmospheric data gathering.
@theliamnissan@TheRickWilson Ah. Northern Ireland by way of Japanese auto manufacturer by way of parody. We really do have pervasive brain rot in the keyboard warrior class.
@HomelandDems@MalcolmNance The dumbfuckery of it all. One of the first bulwarks against illegal entry into the country — CBPUSA at international arrivals — and he thinks pulling them will enhance their efforts at combating illegal entry. Yeah. Dumbfuckery.
@bernhtp@Martina ‘Martial’ law, meaning related to the military NOT the military rank or proper name. Lincoln declared martial law AND suspended habeas corpus (a guarantee of Anglo-American law since Magna Carta). When your predicate is erroneous, your conclusions are ineluctably wrong.
@bernhtp@klarajayavesela@Martina Let’s at least acknowledge two things that differentiate the American Civil War: The nature and capability of weaponry (it was mostly a cavalry and infantry war with cannon cover) AND the vastly different sized physical front.
@DebbieD35391475@tbpn@ericries The $60 annual membership does not really offset Costco taking the hit for increased fuel and product prices due to exogenous factors. It may function as a kind of fiscal Dolby — cutting off the highs and lows — but it doesn’t alter the basic analysis.
@digiphile@AdamKinzinger@MalcolmNance Exactly! When someone is reduced to ad hominem attacks it means they are losing the point. Cheung’s vile words and ideas should be attacked and with logic, not playground taunts.