Behind The Claims About Migrants Eating Cats & Dogs
Plus, a look at the FDA investigation into toxic metals found in tampons
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Good morning,
Around the world in 108 days— on a bike! That’s what "ultra-endurance" cyclist Lael Wilcox completed this week, breaking the women’s world record by 16 days.
Wilcox, 38, of Alaska, started and finished in Chicago, taking exactly 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes to cycle 29,169km (18,125 miles).
The Guinness Book of World Records requires that riders make it at least 29,000 km, start and end in the same place, and always travel in the same direction.
Maybe our 20 minute Peloton ride isn’t so bad 😉
Have a good one!
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!
📌 WHERE DID THE EATING CATS & DOGS STORYLINE ORIGINATE?
During the presidential debate on Tuesday night, former President Donald Trump repeated a claim that Haitian migrants in Ohio are stealing and eating pets.
Three days later, it’s still a thing. The exchange has gone viral, it has become a meme that people are making dances to on TikTok, but it’s also leading to some real consequences and even death threats.
Springfield, Ohio is a small city of about 60,000 people. It’s had a massive influx of about 15,000 Haitian immigrants since 2020, with the promise of jobs and affordable housing, but local and state officials say that city resources have been strained. Here is a bit of background.
BUT ABOUT THOSE RUMORS?
Local Springfield police attributed the rumors to a Facebook post that cited the user’s “neighbor’s daughter’s friend” had a pet cat, which was hanging from a branch at a Haitian neighbor’s home after being carved up to be eaten.
It picked up attention after Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, shared a post on X repeating the claim.
A day later Vance posted that his office “received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who've said their neighbors' pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants. It's possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.”
Then later that day, at the presidential debate, a question on immigration led Trump to say, “In Springfield, they are eating the dogs.”
Debate moderator David Muir fact-checked Trump, noting that the Springfield City Manager said there were no reports of pets being harmed by immigrants.
WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING
Local police, the state’s Republican governor, and that city manager all have said there is no evidence to substantiate those claims.
BTW, a video going around online of recently released bodycam footage shows a women being arrested after allegedly eating a cat in Canton, Ohio. That city is over 170 miles from Springfield, and she is not Haitian. The woman was born in Ohio .
Background: Many Haitians have come to the U.S. to flee poverty and violence. Most are using legal pathways to enter, and account for less than one percent of recent southern border arrests this summer.
The Biden administration is enabling about 300,000 Haitians to remain in the US through early 2026, with eligibility for work authorization, under a law called Temporary Protected Status.
MO NEWS COMMUNITY WEIGHS IN
But we’ve heard from many people who live in the area and are frustrated, saying this misinformation is distracting from a real and legitimate issue in Springfield and other communities dealing with an influx of migrants— and not enough resources to handle it.
One person from Cedarville, Ohio, about 13 miles from Springfield, said no one could corroborate the pet eating story, but there’s a very real public health concern when a large group of unvaccinated individuals arrive very quickly, with healthcare officials saying they’ve had outbreaks of TB.
She says that they’re in desperate need of additional federal assistance to help with food and shelter and education for these migrants, but instead, have become a meme.
HELP ON THE WAY?
The city is facing challenges from the influx of migrants: from higher housing costs, newcomers taking jobs at factories, worsening traffic, low vaccination rates, and an overall straining of city services.
Hours before the debate, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that he is adding more law enforcement and health care resources to help.
DeWine said the Haitians who have moved to Ohio are generally hard-working people who are seeking to escape the gang violence in their home country.
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said Thursday the false claims are “hurting our citizens and hurting our community.”
📌 FDA LOOKING INTO WHETHER METALS IN TAMPONS ARE HARMFUL
A recent first-of-its-kind study found that common tampon brands had levels of heavy metals like arsenic and lead. Now, the FDA is trying to study whether these metals may be released into the human body during their use, and if there are potential health impacts from such exposure.
THE FINDINGS
Published in July in the Environment International, researchers detected amounts of 16 heavy metals in 14 unnamed organic and non-organic tampon brands. It did not dive into the harms the exposure might cause or if/how the body reacts.
Organic tampons contained higher levels of arsenic, while nonorganic tampons had higher levels of lead, the study found.
“The average lead concentration in tampons was about 10 times higher than the maximum levels currently allowed in drinking water,” the senior study author said, adding that arsenic levels were five times lower than current limits for drinking water.
The researchers found that people who menstruate may use more than 7,400 tampons over their reproductive years, and up to 80% of women in the US use tampons during their periods.
Other research has shown that heavy metal exposure is linked to adverse health effects, from damaging the cardiovascular, nervous and endocrine systems to increasing cancer risks.
How metals get into tampons:
Manufacturers sometimes introduce metals into tampons when adding anti-microbial, whitening, lubricating, and odor reducing agents.
The cotton in tampons may contain metals from agricultural or manufacturing processes. Contaminated soil, pesticides, and fertilizers can contribute.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
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📌 North Dakota judge strikes down the state’s abortion ban (AP)
📌 News photographers slam Harris for reduced access (AXIOS)
📌 NYC Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigns after being raided by federal agents (CBS NEWS)
📌 Alberto Gonzales, Bush's attorney general, endorses Kamala Harris, warning of Donald Trump's "threat to the rule of law" (FOX NEWS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
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📌 Death toll in Vietnam from typhoon impacts rises to 226, as pressure eases in Hanoi (REUTERS)
📌 Ancient jar smashed by "curious" 4-year-old is back on display at museum after repairs (CBS NEWS)
📌 650-foot tsunami in Greenland fjord made waves that lasted 9 days, scientists find (NBC NEWS)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 A bag of Cheetos created a huge impact on a US national park ecosystem (AP)
📌 AI power players go to the White House to discuss AI’s massive thirst for energy (CNN)
📌 Four civilians on a daring SpaceX mission complete the first commercial spacewalk (FOX BUSINESS)
📌 Gen Z ditches Google for this next most popular search engine (NY POST)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Harvey Weinstein indicted in connection to new sexual assault allegations (DEADLINE)
📌 US gymnast Jordan Chiles speaks for first time on Olympic bronze medal controversy: 'I felt like everything has been stripped' (YAHOO SPORTS)
📌 Cardi B gives birth, welcomes baby No. 3 with estranged husband Offset (E!)
📌 A'ja Wilson breaks the WNBA's single-season scoring record and eyes another milestone (NPR)
🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN WEEKEND
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: Jill: Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos~ HBO; Mosheh: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives~ Hulu.
WHAT WE’RE READING: Mosheh: Daring Greatly~ Brene Brown; Jill: Social-Media Companies’ Worst Argument~ Zach Rausch, Jonathan Haidt, and Lennon Torres for The Atlantic.
WHAT WE’RE EATING: Mosheh: Good Culture Cottage Cheese; Jill: Birch Bender Pancakes: 2/3 Protein, 1/3 Funfetti.