FactCheck.org is reporting that the return of the New World screwworm to the U.S. is affecting the cattle industry and beef prices, with a confirmed detection in a Texas calf on June 3. It said politicians from both parties are engaging in political spin regarding who is to blame. Rep. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat, criticized Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins for federal program cuts, while Rollins blamed the Biden-Harris administration's foreign policy and immigration policies.
However, FactCheck.org's Science Editor Jessica McDonald interviewed entomologists who stated that neither administration is solely responsible. David Taylor, an emeritus adjunct professor of entomology, told McDonald that the factors behind the screwworm's spread are more complex. Dr. Joseph Annelli, a former USDA official, said the return should not be reduced to partisan blame, attributing it to a "long-term preparedness failure involving multiple administrations, multiple Congresses, international partners, workforce shortages, infrastructure limitations, and the natural human tendency to underinvest in prevention until a crisis occurs."
Separately, FactCheck.org noted that John Bolton, former national security adviser, pleaded guilty on June 26 to willfully retaining national defense information. He agreed to a $2.25 million fine and faces a maximum of five years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for Oct. 28.
Additionally, FactCheck.org highlighted a Supreme Court ruling in Trump v. Barbara, where Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion affirmed that under the 14th Amendment, "children born of parents unlawfully or temporarily present in the United States … are citizens at birth." This decision informed FactCheck.org's analysis of claims regarding birthright citizenship.