After his company received a lawsuit for a mass-action over an outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasites, the CEO of the California-based produce giant speaks out.
According to the FDA, the multi-state outbreak of cyclosporiasis is under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration. It has “been linked to iceberg salad sourced from Central Mexico and recalled” by Taylor Farms de Mexico.
Bruce Taylor, the chief executive officer of the Salinas, California-based firm, expressed his displeasure to legislators about being “excluded from the outbreak investigations process” after having complained to them about their frustration.
Taylor stated that “Americans avoid healthy, fresh foods to their detriment.”
Food and Drug Administration announced on July 17 that the outbreak was a nationwide one, affecting thousands of people who contracted cyclospora from lettuce at Taco bell.
The report stated that a traceback “identified convergence” on one supplier Taylor Farms de Mexico who provided the shredded iceberg salad used at Taco Bell restaurants where people became ill before eating it.
The FDA reported that a sample of lettuce from the giant produce company was falsely positive.
The FDA posted a statement on its site that clarifies, “This false-positive laboratory sample DOES NOT CHANGE THE BASIS OF FDA’s ONGOING EPISTEMIC INVESTIGATION OR THE OVERWHELMING EPISTEMIC DATA SUPPORTING TAYLOR FARMS’ CURRENT VOLUNTARY RECALCULATION.”
The FDA’s investigation into the traceback of iceberg salad from Taylor Farms to growers in Mexico continues. “We encourage consumers to continue avoiding all the products that are listed on Taylor Farms voluntary recall.”
Taco Bell has removed the affected Taylor Farms products from all of its restaurants. Taylor Farms has also issued a voluntary list of all the products that are affected.
Taylor Farms issued a Friday press release that stated: “When concerns were raised regarding the origin of the Cyclospora outbreak we removed any product potentially involved from the market and, out of an excess of caution, we issued an additional recall for all icebergs lettuces sourced in the area.”
We have also suspended all production and sourcing of iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico.
It also said that it had commissioned an independent expert to perform a “top-to bottom review of our food safety protocols and processes in central Mexico”; and as of 18 July, they have “temporarily halted production of all of its products, including iceberg lettuce.”
The update states that “we continue to work closely with customers, health authorities and our independent farm partners in order to resolve this issue.”
The FDA confirmed that there were no positive samples for Cyclospora product tests as of July 24th, 2026.
Two people sued Taylor Farms on July 23 alleging that they had been sold fast food products which were then linked to an outbreak. The two also claimed that they were and other people served unfit food.
Food that contains or bears a toxic or deleterious material, that has been prepared, packaged, or stored in unsanitary conditions that may have contaminated it, falls under the definition of adulteration under 21 U.S.C. The suit stated that SS 342 cannot be lawfully entered into commerce.
The defendants sold the lettuce as a normal, healthy food to consumers.

The final stage of the Tour de France was cut short to allow security staff to be redeployed to battle the raging fires.
More than 250.000 people have been displaced by the latest fires that raged across southern Europe, with 70,000 of them being evacuated from central Spain. The municipality of Manises reported the death of a man on Facebook, marking the first fatality in these blazes.
The A400M, a giant transporter, swooped low in France to drop a plume of retardant ochre over the drought-hit forests in southwest France as firefighters on the ground battled flames authorities were worried could spread towards the city of Bordeaux.
The Paris Police Department and race organizers announced on Sunday that the 21st stage and final of the 3-week Tour de France, France’s biggest sporting event each year, would be shortened. This reflects the enormous strain two major fires are creating in southwest France for emergency services.
The race will be held in Paris on Sunday, instead of starting at Thoiry west of Paris. This is a shorter circuit than the original 133 km (82.5 miles) planned. According to a statement about the “exceptional actions” made by this situation, a part of the security team will “reinforce response efforts in areas affected by wildfires.”
Shifting winds raise concerns for Bordeaux
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that the wind would shift from west to east on Saturday, which could push flames towards Bordeaux. Fire crews were digging trenches to block fires. They also used retardants.
The fire, he said, was located about 20 miles (30 kilometers) to the west of Bordeaux and had lost some intensity over night. Prefect of Gironde, which includes Bordeaux, said that the fire grew to “a storm” by Friday morning after it started earlier in the week. He warned that the blaze “remains hazardous” despite the progress made by firefighters.
To protect the public from choking fumes, the government sent 1.5 million masks in order to mobilize soldiers and join fire departments.
The authorities ordered the evacuation of people living between the fire’s location and Bordeaux, as well as from the western suburbs of Bordeaux and nearby towns and villages.
Sebastien lecornu, the Prime Minister of France, described the fires in Gironde as being unprecedented. He said that the fire became so powerful on Friday it began to generate its own wind. Lecornu announced that firefighting teams would be reinforced by hundreds of additional soldiers, and respiratory masks filtering out potentially toxic smoke particles will be rushed to the exposed.
The city of Bordeaux has taken in thousands evacuees and provided them with food and shelter at an exhibition centre. Its mayor stated that the facility could accommodate up to 10,000 people, if necessary. Airport officials said that the airport remained open, but bus and tram service had been suspended.
Sophie Brocas, prefect of Gironde, said that special alerts were sent to mobile phones to instruct people to evacuate. Sophie Brocas, Gironde prefect said that the fire destroyed approximately 140 houses in the area.
Authorities were caught off-guard by the magnitude of wildfires
A400M, a French A400M aircraft specially modified for firefighting was an important new weapon in the fight. Nunez reported that it was working with at least 18 water and fire retardant dropping aircraft and helicopters in the Gironde area, rotating in smoke-filled skies.
Fire crews and officials were caught off-guard by the virulence and severity of wildfires in France and Spain, which was fueled both by the high temperatures of summer and the effects of global warming.
The fires in Spain spread so quickly and violently, that firefighters could not fight them head-on. Some people fled France by boat as flames consumed tourist towns along the Atlantic Coast.
Javier Organista said, “We have never seen anything as bad.” The fire that charred the chestnut trees in El Tiemblo west of Madrid was a first for him. When we saw flames engulfing our village, surrounding us and leaving us virtually no escape, all of the neighbors came together to stop it’s advance.
He said, “It is just so sad.”
Fires are fueled by climate change
Spain sent 2,600 firefighters and police to fight two fires in the west of Madrid. They were backed up by helicopters and 19 aircraft that dropped water.
France sent 1,400 firefighters for the Gironde wildfire and another 100 to another fire further south, in the Landes area. Authorities reported that dozens of firefighters were injured amid scenes of panic, with people fleeing in cars and the police going door-to-door to warn them to evacuate.
The heatwaves that have swept Europe this year with temperatures breaking records, and spreading across Europe, has turned the scrublands and forests into fire-prone areas.
The Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez announced Saturday that 130,000 hectares had been burned in Spain this year, compared to an average annual burn of 100,000 hectares for the last decade.
The fire chief said that Saturday’s more favorable conditions provided “a window” of opportunity for firefighters to put the blazes out. Madrid’s Regional Government said that the intensity of fires dropped as temperatures and winds decreased.
Manises is part of Valencia’s wildfire affected region.
The other European nations are also helping. Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and the Netherlands have already sent or will soon send water-dumping helicopters and planes to help fight the fires in Spain and France.
___
Leicester contributed from Paris. The Associated Press contributed by Barry Hatton, in Lisbon, Portugal, Manu Fernandez, in El Tiemblo (Spain), and Joseph Wilson, in Barcelona.

MADISON (AP) – In Wisconsin’s progressive capitol city, Madison, where residents are proud of their long history of political activism, a recent police shooting has disrupted many of the most important and popular summer events, and brought to the forefront the persistent and deep racial divides.
Corey Ruiz was killed on Wednesday by a Madison Police officer after a short scuffle near a 52-year old food co-op located in the most liberal part of Madison.
Madison Police have killed someone three times since 2012. This shooting has led to renewed calls for reforms in the police force and forced a city with a 70% black population to face the racial injustice issues raised by the Black community.
Madison’s summertime signature events have been cancelled or disrupted due to protestor pressure and sympathy.
Clyde Mayberry, a Black activist who posted to Facebook Friday in the midst of a series cancellations: “This is not business as usual.” Your decisions helped to ensure that the city acknowledges the pain, loss and call for accountability.
After the shootings, protesters went to the streets and disrupted a Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra concert that is held every summer at the Capitol. The event attracts around 30,000 people. Many of the protesters were Black and stood in front of white concert goers who had rented tables for $1,800 a night near the stage.
The concert organizers cancelled the event.
The city postponed the opening of the new market on Thursday due to the threat of protests. This was just a few streets away from the location of the shooting. In response to potential protests, a popular festival in the neighborhood near the shooting, called AtwoodFest and scheduled to start on Saturday, has also been canceled.
The festival organizers wrote: “Our community, and the Marquette residents who live nearby witnessed yet another horrifying officer-involved incident just blocks away from our festival grounds. We are left in deep grief and anger that is justified.” This year’s AtwoodFest is cancelled in recognition of the many incidents that have occurred across our nation and community.
On Saturday, in solidarity with the protesters, the downtown farmers’ market, which attracts 20,000 visitors each week to the Capitol Building, closed nearly four hours early than normal.
Market organizers shared on social media that they mourned with their community. We agree that business can’t continue as normal.
Around 10 am, a few protesters appeared at the Capitol while vendors were tearing down their booths.
Reba Bergmann said, “This is not just a Saturday,” as she sat next to Lilly Nimmer and held a sign reading “Justice for Corey.”
Nimmer stated, “Life is not normal.” We should be madder. “We should be more mad.”
Charles Alt (30) supported the closure of early.
Alt said, while shopping in the market, “It is important to focus on what’s really tragic, namely that somebody was killed.” Alt, who was shopping at the market, said, “It’s sad that you missed some of your market time but it’s not important.”
Rodney Hathaway was surprised by the early closing of the Madison market. He was on a visit to Madison from Milwaukee.
He said, “It is ridiculous.” This is the livelihood of people. Just unfortunate. “We have a very short summer for them to market their goods.”
The investigation into the shooting continues. Ben Crump is a civil rights lawyer who represents Ruiz’s family. He said at a conference held in the Capitol on Friday that the officer responsible for the shooting should be charged criminally.
Madison’s white police chief, John Patterson, tried to ease tensions by allowing protesters, along with the city mayor, to overwhelm a press conference he and the mayor were holding inside the department headquarters in downtown Madison on Thursday.
Patterson answered questions from protesters who were angry. One protester held up a sign that read “corrupt police deserve to die, too.” Patterson calmly replied, “I’m glad you are here.”

Key events
That was hairy for Leclerc and Antonelli after the yellow and the deletion, but they make it through. How much of that was real, how much was it shadow? Because Antonelli was 0.937 behind Norris.
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Updated at 10.45 EDT
Q2 eliminations
Out go Lawson, Gasly, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Ocon and Alonso.
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Leclerc is safe, second fastest, as long as his time stands.
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Antonelli pushes Charles Leclerc into the bottom six.
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Antonelli had his time deleted and is down in 15th!
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Hadjar puts a time on the board, and what a time! 1:17.872, top of the standings.
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Alonso into 10th, a 1:19.8! For how long?
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The drop zone shaping up as Gasly, Colapinto, Ocon, and the timeless Hadjar and Bortoleto.
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Antonelli on the radio: “I have zero grip.” But he was second, just 0.247 behind Hamilton.
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Updated at 10.33 EDT
Hamilton fastest in 1:17.931!
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Lando Norris on a used set 0.317 behind Verstappen. Russell lost his flying lap to the yellows needed after Hadjar’s spin. Yet more bad luck.
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Hadjar spins! Manages to get going again off the grass but could affect his Q3 chances.
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Everyone is out early for Q2. Verstappen is the first contender over the line in 1:18.249.
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Q2 is go with Alonso showing off.
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At the top, Norris was fastest in 1:18.277, from Verstappen and Antonelli. Russell was only seventh. But Hamilton and Leclerc advancing on mediums could give them an edge.
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Q1 eliminations – and Alonso makes Q2
Out go Bearman, Sainz, Albon, Stroll, Bottas and Perez. James Vowles apologises to Sainz and Albon for the state of the Williams car. Aston Martin have achieved their aim, even if Stroll goes out.
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Updated at 10.21 EDT
Alonso up to P14 provisionally … Gasly beats him and so does Colapinto, but Alonso makes it to Q2!
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Bortoleto gets to P9 with a 1:19.069.
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Antonelli up to second but 0.277 slower than Norris.
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Stroll is in 16th, the last place in Q2, with one last chance for him to be ousted.
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The drop zone is shaping up as Bearman, Albon, Sainz, Bottas, Perez and, after a deletion, Bortoleto.
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Norris follows up FP3’s best time with a 1:28.277, 0.379 faster than Verstappen.
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Russell only fifth fastest, 0.266 behind Verstappen. Leclerc makes a decent mark on mediums, saving those softs.
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Through comes Antonelli in second, 0.070 slower than Verstappen.
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1:18.656 for Verstappen on softs, only just ahead of Hamilton on mediums.
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Leclerc exceeded track limits on mediums so will have to go again to get through to Q2, whereas Hamilton has probably managed that already.
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Aside from the McLarens, most of the top teams are out. Hamilton gets a 1:18.730.
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Updated at 10.11 EDT
Alonso’s 1:20.565 won’t trouble the contenders but is a good start.
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Lance Stroll and Alonso both faster on first runs than Albon.
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Updated at 10.04 EDT
Out the cars go. And Ted Kravitz predicts Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin can make Q2.
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The wind is up. That’s what was hurting Mercedes, especially, among the frontrunners in FP2.
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We are dealing in fractions, David Croft proclaims: the past four poles here have been settled by a combined total of less than one tenth.
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So the bosses have been busy … now time for the drivers.
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Malaysia to step in for Bahrain, Imola finale on the cards
There has been an update on the chance of calendar changes mentioned in the preamble, with Imola rather than Portimão in Portugal slotting in as a season finale if Donald Trump manages to get Qatar and Abu Dhabi cancelled, and the putative race in Malaysia being branded as Bahrain:
double quotation markThis year’s Formula One season finale is set to take place at the home circuit of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari team in Imola if the scheduled final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi cannot be staged. F1 bosses have been forced to amend the championship calendar due to the Middle Eastern conflict, with a new round in Malaysia on 4 October also expected to be confirmed in the next 24 hours.
The Press Association understands the Sepang International Circuit, 40 miles south of Kuala Lumpur, will fill a void between the races in Azerbaijan on 26 September and Singapore on 11 October. F1 bosses had looked at reviving the postponed Bahrain Grand Prix – which had been due to take place on 12 April – instead. But continued uncertainty in the region has made that impossible.
PA has been told the Malaysian round, which could be confirmed as early as Sunday, is set to be called the Bahrain Grand Prix, with money for the event bankrolled by Bahrain – and Sepang in effect hosting the Gulf kingdom’s race. The circuit last held an F1 event in 2017.
It is understood F1 chiefs have subsequently plotted a contingency plan with Imola poised to take Qatar’s place on the same weekend if the Middle Eastern races are scrapped. It would mark the first time an F1 season has concluded in Europe for nearly 30 years, after Jerez staged the concluding round of the 1997 campaign. PA Media
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Updated at 10.22 EDT
And how do the constructors’ ones look?
1 Mercedes 358pts
2 Ferrari 285
3 McLaren 195
4 Red Bull 151
5 Alpine 61
6 Racing Bulls 61
7 Haas 21
8 Williams 11
9 Audi 10
10 Aston Martin 1
11 Cadillac 0
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What do the standings look like?
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 204pts
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 159
3 George Russell Mercedes 154
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 126
5 Lando Norris McLaren 103
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren 92
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull 91
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull 60
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine 42
10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 39
11 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls 22
12 Franco Colapinto Alpine 19
13 Oliver Bearman Haas 18
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 10
15 Carlos Sainz Williams 6
16 Alexander Albon Williams 5
17 Esteban Ocon Haas 3
18 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1
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As “a lap from nowhere” is always a possibility, there is no truly reliable guide to qualifying. And remember, Mercedes have taken pole position for every main race (Antonelli 6, Russell 4). But FP3 suggested they have a battle on their hands.
double quotation markLando Norris saw off the challenge from Ferrari to finish fastest in final practice for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton was quickest at the Hungaroring on Friday, but he ended the last running before qualifying 0.117sec behind Norris’s McLaren.
Hamilton ran wide at the chicane after beating Norris’s first sector to suggest there will be more to come from the seven-time world champion in qualifying.
Kimi Antonelli finished a distant 13th on Friday but the championship leader returned to set the third-fastest lap, just 0.129 sec off the pace. Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari, while George Russell’s troubles appear to have carried over to Hungary.
Russell said Mercedes had solved the engine glitch which scuppered his previous outing in Belgium. However, he was six tenths slower than Norris and nearly half a second back from his teammate, Antonelli. PA Media
Also of interest is that two Aston Martins in 17th and 18th, rather than at the back, and Alonso within 0.5 of 13th.
1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:17.939 2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.117 3 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.129 4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.352 5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.499 6 George Russell Mercedes +0.602 7 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.717 8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +1.004 9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.149 10 Nico Hülkenberg Audi +1.221 11 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.399
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.784
13 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.956
14 Franco Colapinto Alpine +2.116
15 Esteban Ocon Haas +2.356
16 Oliver Bearman Haas +2.373
17 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +2.454
18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.994
19 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +3.360
20 Carlos Sainz Williams +3.467
21 Alexander Albon Williams +3.574
22 Sergio Pérez Cadillac No time
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Updated at 09.40 EDT
There was no Antonelli in FP1 as Frederik Vesti had a run-out and, as frequently happens in such situations, the Italian was feeling his way a little in FP2. He and Russell were not alone in finding life difficult when the wind got up, while for fans of prancing horses it will have been pleasing to see Charles Leclerc and Hamilton in the top three both times, with the latter third then first and the former first then second:
1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:18.729 2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.148 3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.499 4 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.692 5 George Russell Mercedes +0.933 6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +1.071 7 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.312 8 Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.372 9 Nico Hülkenberg Audi +1.396 10 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.524 11 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.745
12 Esteban Ocon Haas +1.828
13 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +1.964
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine +2.087
15 Oliver Bearman Haas +2.221
16 Alexander Albon Williams +2.244
17 Carlos Sainz Williams +2.697
18 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +2.713
19 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +2.990
20 Sergio Pérez Cadillac +3.063
21 Franco Colapinto Alpine +3.063
22 Lance Stroll Aston Martin DNS
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Updated at 09.39 EDT
While Mercedes have been fixtures of a sort at the front of the grid, Aston Martin have been largely glued to the 11th row. There was the false start over signing with Honda while unaware their former title-winning power-unit team had been disbanded, and that cannot easily be fixed. But there are 16 upgrades to the car for this weekend and maybe a glimmer of hope.
Sure enough, though it’s hard to judge on free practice, especially with five reserve drivers having a run in the first session, Fernando Alonso came in a promising 13th. However, Lance Stroll had a suspension failure and wound up missing FP2 as a result.
Here are the full FP1 timings:
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:19.075 2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.484 3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.543 4 Isack Hadjar Red Bull +0.922 5 George Russell Mercedes +0.991 6 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1.285 7 Frederik Vesti Mercedes +1.392 8 Nico Hülkenberg Audi +1.548 9 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1.685 10 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.791 11 Lando Norris McLaren +1.949
12 Esteban Ocon Haas +1.976
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +2.475
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine +2.629
15 Alexander Albon Williams +2.744
16 Leonardo Fornaroli McLaren +2.815
17 Ryo Hirakawa Haas +2.926
18 Sergio Pérez Cadillac +3.014
19 Paul Aron Alpine +3.093
20 Colton Herta Cadillac +4.043
21 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +4.396
22 Carlos Sainz Williams +4.659
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There are bigger problems in F1 than one man and his straight-line speed: the whole grid has had problems caused by the new formula. The problem was exposed again at Silverstone and Spa, two classic circuits that were diminished by the lack of corners to recharge the electrical power, and Lando Norris has been speaking out:
double quotation mark“The thing that’s a shame is that Formula One’s gone too heavily led by the fact it’s a business nowadays and not how can you make the sport the best possible,” he said. “It’s how can you just make the most money as a business and that’s just not what it should simply be. That’s not how a sport should be run.”
As Giles Richards explains:
double quotation markThe use of an almost 50-50 split in electrical power and the internal combustion engine is understood to have been central in attracting manufacturers such as Audi and Honda into F1 this season. However, it has proved hugely unpopular with drivers, who now have to manage their use of energy rather than being able to race flat out and has introduced some variables into performance influenced by the algorithm that governs the deployment of electrical power.
Still, Audi’s presence has brought Allan McNish into the sport, and Giles has been chatting to the sportscar great:
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Giles continued:
double quotation markThe shortcomings of the new regulations were shown starkly at the last two rounds at Silverstone and Spa. Both circuits are considered energy-starved, leading to a chorus of complaints over race weekends, and at Spa the lack of power left one of the great tracks an anodyne affair.
The good news for this weekend’s spectacle is that the Hungaroring’s twists and turns will offer mitigation, charging up the electrical power through the braking, meaning the straights are taken flat-out.
F1 has deigned to address Norris’s concerns:
double quotation markA Formula One spokesman responded to Norris’s comments by saying drivers were listened to more than ever. “The sport on track is, and always will be, the priority,” he said. “Everyone has benefited from the commercial success of Formula One – the drivers included. Decisions are made for the best strategic outcome for everyone – the fans, teams and partners.” Reuters
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The good news for Mercedes is that the problem has been fixed, it seems. Russell said as he prepared for the Hungaroring:
double quotation mark“I’m feeling good and glad there are some positive answers that have come back from the battery and it’s eyes forward now. These new power units are just exceptionally complex, and there was something deeply embedded in the calibration of the code that was almost impossible to see unless … you knew exactly what to look for. So I’m glad we have found it. Spa and Silverstone probably exposed the issue just because of the nature of the track.”
So two questions. Will Hungary see a swing back to Russell? And will it finally see the two Mercedes gaining comparable results? Send me your thoughts.
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There’s 40 minutes till qualifying. The last few F1 races have brought to mind … cricket, such has been the scale of the swing we have seen, like Bob Massie on rubber and petrol.
The disparity in the fortunes of the two Mercedes means that only once in the last eight rounds have they finished within 10 points of each other, when George Russell was first and Kimi Antonelli third in Austria. In Japan the swing was an unlucky 13 against Russell. In Miami, with the sprint, it was 11. WIth the Canadian sprint it was 23, then 25 in Monaco. Then it was 18 in Russell’s favour in Barcelona and at Silverstone, either side of Austria, before last week’s 25-point swing to Antonelli after Russell’s first-lap exit at Spa.
In the Australian season opener, Russell was first and Antonelli second, with those placings reversed in Japan. Austria is the only full race since where the two cars of the constructors’ title leaders have finished within two places of each other. In 24 full races last season, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished within two places of each other 16 times.
At Silverstone Russell lucked into second place with Antonelli’s mechanical misfortune and was worried by his relative lack of straight-line pace, and that was what the Briton blamed for last Sunday’s Spa crash, rather than Lewis Hamilton for clipping him:
double quotation markI exited the first corner 35% down … I got to the top of Eau Rouge with 0% battery ​and quite frankly it ​was dangerous.
I got swamped by three ​cars and I shouldn’t have been in that position in the first ​place, and that is ‌why I am ​most angry. The ​incident with Lewis was a racing incident. He didn’t do it on purpose. He was more to blame than I, but he didn’t do anything reckless.
Toto Wolff backed Russell up, saying the problem was “100% on us. George has 100% our support.”
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Preamble
Ready for one last F1 fix before the summer break? Tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix is the last action for four weeks, as the circus crew head to the beach, the mountains or wherever for a well-earned rest.
Quite how restful the time off will be depends on what happens now – first in qualifying and then in the race. Will George Russell, in what was supposed to be his long-awaited year, put a dent in Kimi Antonelli’s substantial lead, to cut down on the sighing? Can Lewis Hamilton, in second place between the two Mercedes, build on a decent few weeks for Ferrari, which brought his first win in red, and head off with a smile?
Will Aston Martin’s upgrades suggest there is light at the end of the wind tunnel? What food for thought will Red Bull manage to give Max Verstappen, linked with a move away from the team and even the sport?
And how will the sport’s chiefs rest? There has already been a longer, unscheduled break in the schedule because the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain legs were (minor) casualties of Donald Trump’s Iran war. With the season due to wrap up with a second Middle East tour, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the prospects of further cancellations and possible additions to the season – Malaysia in October and Portugal in November – need discussing. And on top of that there’s the whole debate over the new formula, and the drivers’ dissatisfaction with the erosion of racing, which isn’t going away any time soon.
For now, all that will be determined is the grid for tomorrow’s race. Qualifying starts at 3pm; join me for the buildup from 2.15.
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Hernando Salado, 83, was shocked when he discovered a swelling of his abdomen in May 2025. He was 83 years old and had been active all his life. Recently, he had hip pain but thought that it was due to his age. It was a sudden swelling that had no obvious cause.
His doctor performed an endoscopic ultrasonography, which was unable to determine the source of his swelling and pain. A gastroenterologist ordered him to undergo an MRI. He received the devastating news two days later: stage III pancreatic carcinoma.
Salcedo said to CBS News that it was “very hard” for him to receive this diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, most Stage III pancreatic patients live just a few months after diagnosis. The five-year survival rates are only 15%. Salcedo was not a good candidate for surgery, which can remove the cancer. Only aggressive chemotherapy was available to extend his life and not cure the cancer.
In July 2025 he began chemo at the Miami Cancer Institute, but soon suffered severe side effects. He lost weight and couldn’t even eat. Son Mauricio says his father was a person who used to walk two or three miles in the morning. Now he can barely leave home.
“I have never seen my father in bed that long, where he is unable to get out of it,” Mauricio stated.
Salcedo felt pain, and sometimes worse, than before his diagnosis. He was previously uncomfortable. He was barely functioning.
The easiest decision
Miami Cancer Institute expert panel heard Salcedo’s case while he was undergoing chemotherapy. The panels are a great way to discuss innovative treatment options, such as clinical trials. Dr. Ripal Ghandi, the oncologist and radiologist who treated Salcedo, says that.
Salcedo’s case was approved for Salcedo to participate in a trial testing the new RenovoRX chemotherapy delivery system. In most cases, chemotherapy is given intravenously and spreads throughout the body. Gandhi explained that “pancreatic carcinoma has dense tissue and not much blood supply, so a large amount of chemo does not get to” the tumor using this method.
RenovoRX’s RenovoCath System, first approved by FDA in 2014 to be used, is designed to provide chemotherapy with greater precision. In the artery closest to the tumour, a catheter with two inflatable balloons is inserted. The catheter delivers chemotherapy to the tumour as closely as possible, and the balloons block its blood supply.
Prior research revealed that the system was less likely to cause side effects. Gandhi stated that the clinical trial data, presented in 2023 at the World Congress of GI Cancer Patients showed 65% fewer side effects among patients who were treated using the catheter method compared to those receiving traditional chemotherapy. Gandhi stated that participants who were treated with chemotherapy through a catheter saw an increase of six months in their survival.
Gandhi explained that “because you are isolating chemotherapy, very little of it is going to the rest of the body.” The drug will be localized at the location of cancer, and very little of it is going to your other organs.
Salcedo didn’t hesitate when the trial was proposed to him. Mauricio described it as “the easiest” decision of his father’s cancer journey.
This treatment changed my life
Participants in the trial receive chemotherapy as usual for two months. This is followed by a second chemotherapy treatment and radiation. Salcedo had not progressed after these cycles. This meant that he could finally use the catheter-based delivery system. Salcedo, along with other patients in the trial, were randomly assigned to receive standard chemotherapy or the new method.
Gandhi stated that Salcedo received RenovoCath chemotherapy. Gandhi said that he received treatment every two weeks for four months.
Salcedo described the difference between his traditional chemotherapy and this new treatment as being like night-and-day. Salcedo said that he “felt great the following day” after each treatment. “I didn’t feel nausea. “I didn’t feel any pain.” “I didn’t even feel anything. “This treatment changed my life.”
Salcedo was not the only patient who felt better after the trial. Gandhi said that one of his patients survived for four years following her initial diagnosis. This is “really unprecedented in this disease.”
Gandhi stated that “generally, we cannot cure Stage III pancreatic carcinoma.” Salcedo’s quality of life is important to us, but we also want to extend his life. “I could confidently say that we maintained his quality of living.”
A spokesperson for RenovoRX confirmed that the device had been approved by FDA. The spokesperson stated that more research will be conducted and final data from the RenovoCath trial for Stage III Pancreatic Cancer should be available in 2027.
Like you’ve won the lottery
Salcedo is already one year past his initial diagnosis. Gandhi stated that the cancer had been stable for about a month. The cancer has not spread, and Gandhi’s doctors as well as Salcedo are very happy.
Salcedo’s extra time and improved quality of living have allowed him to take part in important family events, such as traveling to Colombia for the wedding of his nephew. Salcedo said he danced all night and felt “perfect.”
Mauricio stated that neither he or his father are under illusions. Salcedo, at 83 years of age, has a bad prognosis for Stage III pancreatic carcinoma. Mauricio says that these extra months are a blessing. Salcedo is back to his daily walks, and he plans even more traveling.
Mauricio stated, “We do not know for how long but we are aware that he is gaining weight and his energy level has returned. His mind also seems to be in order, as he thinks about his future.” What else would you ask for an 83 year old man other than to be happy? It’s like winning the lottery!”