WASHINGTON — Cases of that stomach-churning cyclosporiasis continue to spread across the US. At last update, the CDC said 31 states are reporting cases, including Virginia and Maryland. Investigators are still looking for the source. Some say the job may be made harder due to firings and budget cuts to federal and local health agencies. Cyclosporiasis is caused by a parasite often found on produce. The CDC said it has sickened hundreds of people across the country, from five to 88-years old. "It's usually a month or so of being pretty uncomfortable,” said Bill Marler is a food safety lawyer who has been investigating outbreaks like this since the 90s. He and his epidemiologists are currently tracking the source of cyclosporiasis for his clients who have been diagnosed. He said it's a tough job that has been made harder due to cuts to the FDA, CDC, and state and local health authorities. "When you cut that, there aren't the people with boots on the ground finding out what you and I ate in the last month that made us have explosive diarrhea. And we're not catching it, we're not stopping it, and we're not preventing the next one,” he said. The current outbreak hasn't been linked to any one food yet. Past breakouts have been tied to foods like raspberries, fresh cilantro, basil, snow peas, and prepackaged salads. Washing your food isn’t enough to eliminate risks. Consider buying whole heads of lettuce where you can remove the outer leaves before washing. Frozen foods won’t fully protect you either unless you know they were frozen well before the outbreak that started in May. Cooking your food is the best bet, as you can kill the parasite by cooking food to an internal temperature of at least 158 degrees. "I hate to be the guy that makes people paranoid, but until they figure out this outbreak, until they are able to link it to a particular thing. I would stay away from fresh fruits and vegetables," said Marler. He recommends caution, especially if you are pregnant, immunocompromised, or a child under 10. He said in the past, cyclosporiasis outbreaks usually came from imported food, but more recently, they’ve come from American-grown products. “If we don't get a handle on this soon, we may have this conversation every year for the next foreseeable future in June, July and August. Where we're talking about explosive diarrhea month. And that's just not something we want to do,” Marler said.

WASHINGTON — Immigration arrests continue to be a major component of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on crime in D.C. Groups that support migrant families in the District said they have been overwhelmed with calls for support, with many people fearful to leave their homes or go to work with the increased ICE activity. "People are missing their dialysis appointments," said Nadia Salazar Sandi, a core organizer with El Colectivo de Familias Migrantes. "People are using cloth diapers and washing them at home because they don't want to go out of their home to buy diapers. People are missing work because they don't want to go to work and get picked up." Salazar Sandi said since the federal takeover of DC Police, she and other community organizations and volunteers, have been busy. They’ve been on the ground monitoring police check points, and filming law enforcement interactions, in the hopes that if an arrest is made, they can inform that person's family, and track where they are being taken. "MPD is rolling around with the feds," Salazar Sandi said. "They're usually with them, it's rare to see them alone these days honestly." She claims drivers, delivery workers and street vendors are being racially profiled and targeted by law enforcement. Gloria Gomez has been a fruit vendor on 14th street in Columbia Heights for 11 years. She said her street has been silent and empty lately, as many are scared to leave for work and never come back home to their family. Gomez said she has watched on as her neighbors were taken by ICE. "Y es muy duro quedarse callado sin poder hacer nada,” Gomez said. Salazar Sandi translated, saying Gomez said it has been really hard for her to stay quiet and not do anything. Gomez took cellphone video from her stand on Tuesday, showing the community rallying together and shouting at federal officers to go home, until they left the area. Gomez said what gives her comfort right now is the community taking care of one another.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — As ICE raids continue across the country, some families have been forced to leave their pets behind. And some rescues and shelters in the DMV are feeling the strain. Over the past two months, Knine Rescue in Montgomery County has helped dozens of local dogs whose owners are facing deportation. On Tuesday alone, they took in two more. “Their owner was deported. This is Ava and Zsa Zsa,” said Amy Creel, the President of Knine Rescue. "They're so incredibly sweet, and we're going to look to find them homes." She said the calls and emails from people facing immigration issues are only ramping up. They've had to turn some animals away. She said her partners across the country are seeing the same thing. "The dogs themselves are so confused. They don't know what's going on. They're coming from loving homes, and now they're taken away from that,” said Creel. She said it's families who don't want to surrender their animals, but don't have a choice. As they may have lost the breadwinner in their family, face legal fees, or have to leave the country. A few days ago, Creel took in a young dog named King. "The father in the family is in an ICE detention center. And the family is having to pool all of their resources, financial, energy, time to try to help him." She said King's family loves and wants him, but they are in an impossible situation. "The only thing that's sad is that he really does just look out the fence, and I feel like he's looking for his owner,” said Creel. King was Lillian Garcia Nunez's dog until her husband was detained by ICE. She and her two young daughters live in D.C., and now have to try to move forward without their dad and their dog. "King was a very loved dog. He wasn't something that you just replace,” said Garcia Nunez She's lost her husband's income, lost benefits, and has additional legal costs. She said King deserves better than what she has to offer right now. "I hope he goes to someone with a big yard, and someone who gives lots of experiences. I want him to go on a farm because he's great with cats, he's great with dogs,” said Garcia Nunez. Creel said she hopes the family can find comfort in that they are taking amazing care of King and will find him a new forever home. Creel added that this influx comes at a time when most shelters are at or over capacity. She said the best thing you can do to help is to adopt an animal or support your local shelter or rescue. The Garcia Nunez family has started a petition and fundraiser to bring her husband back home.

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — D.C. is a big step closer to getting new Metro rail cars. The facility that will make the rail cars had their grand opening in Hagerstown on Monday. The $100 million Hitachi Rail factory will be making rail cars that will be delivered across the country, including Philadelphia, Baltimore, and D.C. The brand new 307,000-square-foot facility will build WMATA’s new 8000 series cars. “As a daily Metro rider myself, I'm very excited, because these vehicles are going to allow us to replace the 3000 series trains that have been around since the early 80s," said Randy Clarke, the general manager and CEO of WMATA. "Almost all of the reliability issues we have out on the system are generally a 3000 series car." Clarke said their first order is for 256 new rail cars, with the first pilot cars coming off the line in 2027. "We're going to hold them accountable," Clarke said. "We're spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these rail vehicles, we want them to be of the highest quality, safely made, and to work, and not have to have defects when they get there." The facility will be able to make 20 rail cars each month. It features $30 million in digital technology like AI, 3D printing, and robots like “Spot,” a dog-like robot that works at night inspecting for defects as small as .1 millimeters. Hitachi's president and CEO said the Hagerstown facility will benefit the entire region, creating around 200 immediate jobs, and around 460 by 2027. "For our area this is a major investment, not just for today, but for the future," Clarke said. "If you buy a rail vehicle we might have it for 40 years." Clarke said Maryland sub-suppliers will also be providing parts that will be used to build the trains, furthering the local economy. Hitachi estimates the facility will generate $350 million in added value for the area. The company said their facility is carbon neutral and will operate with zero landfill waste. It will also feature an immersive customer experience center, where visitors can learn about how the plant works.

ASHBURN, Va. — Family and loved ones of Washington Commanders players and staff came together Wednesday to give back during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The group of about 70 volunteers packed HOPE Kits for women going through breast cancer, filled with items to bring them comfort and encouragement. The Commanders teamed up with Johns Hopkins Medicine and the National Breast Cancer Foundation to pack 400 kits. "Giving back to the community is something me and my husband have always been really passionate about. This is both of our rookie years here so the first opportunity I saw, I was like 'yes I would love to help in any way I can,’” said Ariana Lane, a volunteer and wife of Commanders player Jaylin Lane. Each kit was packed with care, filled with sweets, beauty items and other gifts to show support and bring a smile. "They made personalized notes in each box, and I hope that that gives them a little bit of strength to get through what they're going through,” said Rachel Bellore, a volunteer and wife of Commanders player Nick Bellore. "I know that there's nothing that's going to make it completely better, but I just hope they find a glimpse of happiness and joy from it,” said Toria Moore, a volunteer building the kits and wife of Commanders player Chris Moore. Washington Commanders president Mark Clouse said the cause is particularly important to him. “My wife Kathy, who is here today, was diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Clouse. He said the Commanders are proud to support women like his wife and the other cancer survivors in attendance. "There is always hope. And that early detection is the best way to go,” said cancer survivor Ruby Epps Whitfield. "I am a two-time cancer survivor, and I just feel it is my duty to help other people,” said Leslie Jackson-Vallade, a volunteer with the American Cancer Society. This is the Commanders’ third year hosting this event. This year, they will pack 400 HOPE Kits, bringing their three-year total to 1,000. The HOPE Kits will be sent to women across the country who are undergoing breast cancer treatment.

(CBS DETROIT) - Researchers at Michigan State University have found that honey bees could detect lung cancer. Bees have long provided humans with honey, wax, and the pollination of around 80% of our flowering plants, but they could also sniff out cancer in the future. Dogs have been used as a medical diagnostic tool, as they can sense seizures, among other things. However, MSU researchers said bees also have an incredible sense of smell, are cheaper, and require less training and upkeep than dogs. The process starts with brain surgery on the live bees, done under a microscope. "You definitely notice how much your hands shake," said Michael Parnas, a Ph.D candidate at Michigan State University. He said they used a 3D-printed harness to hold the live bee as they opened its head to the part of its brain dealing with smell. "And we can plant an electrode in there to basically record how those are responding as we present odors to the insect. Parnas said they then presented the bees with a mixture replicating the breath of someone with lung cancer, using lab-grown human cancer cells. They found bees could detect biomarkers or chemical concentrations associated with cancer. The insects were not only able to distinguish between cancer and healthy breath but could also differentiate between the six different types of lung cancer cells they smelled. They could also detect very small concentrations of cancer. "Think like one molecule in a swimming pool sort of concentrations," Parnas said. "It doesn't surprise me at all," said Brian Peterson-Roest, the co-founder and president of Bees in the D. Bees in the D is a nonprofit that provides education and conservation for pollinators. Peterson-Roest said bees have an incredible sense of smell. "It's kind of funny, I tell people. With my truck, there's all kinds of bee smells because I take honey frames and stuff like that. Literally within a minute if not 30 seconds, bees start showing up. Because they can smell those different odorants that are in the back of my truck," he said. He said bees are crucial for our food industry and ecosystem and could soon be for our healthcare. MSU researchers said the science on cancer detection is early, but they hope that based on their findings, people could soon get a noninvasive early-detection cancer test.

(CBS DETROIT) - All operations at Wayne State University will remain online until further notice. The university cites safety concerns with a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. All classes have been moved online, as well as an orientation scheduled for Wednesday. All faculty and staff have been told to work remotely, and all events on campus have been canceled. "There's no safety concern here. We're peaceful protestors," said Ali Hassan, a Wayne State University student and president of the Muslim Coalition. He said the university moving operations online shows just how much power the encampment has. "We feel good. We feel as if this is the university, not having the upper hand on us." The university cited a "public safety issue" as their reason for moving classes online. "I think if that is true, then they should talk to the Fire Marshall they sent down here twice," said Hassan. Demonstrators said previously they were told to remove electrical cords and rubbing alcohol, and they complied. They also condensed their camp to keep walkways open. Patrick Lindsey, the university's vice president of Government and Community Relations, visited the encampment on Tuesday and offered two students an in-person meeting. "The offer still stands to meet with both President Espy, Gov. Stancato, and myself," Lindsey said in a YouTube video posted by WSU. Demonstrators turned the offer down, saying they want to be able to send whoever they choose into the meeting. They said the two students chosen to participate in the meeting were not Palestinian. Adding that they would want any meeting with the university president to be open to the public "We need to meet on our terms as well. This isn't the representation we want for a meeting to discuss divestment," said an encampment organizer. The group said they have no plans to leave the encampment until the university meets with them under their conditions and agrees to start divesting from companies and funds tied to Israel. "The university has a rich history in divestment. They've divested during the South African apartheid. They divested in tobacco companies. They've done this. This university is built off of social justice. So it's very possible," said Hassan. The encampment has been in place since last Thursday. WSU told the encampment to disperse by 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, but the group refused.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Clinton Township declared a local state of emergency on Tuesday following the massive industrial fire that left one person dead. They did so with the hopes of being reimbursed for damages from the fire. While the fire is now out, there are still public safety concerns. Officials are warning the public to be aware of undamaged butane canisters that could explode. Officials said the warehouse, owned by Select Distributors, a vaping materials supplier, illegally held hundreds, if not thousands, of 10-15 pound canisters. "They were not permitted to have them in this building. They were illegally in that building," said Clinton Township Mayor Robert Cannon. The building was last inspected in 2022. "Since then, we've had one complaint on the property, and that had nothing to do with anything internal. It was for the storage of duck boats out in front of the business, which was in violation of their site planning usage," said Barry Miller with the building department. Most of the butane canisters exploded in the fire, but some remain undamaged, pressurized, and capable of exploding. Public works have been clearing debris from every yard and sidewalk in a two-mile radius of the blast. They have found 25 undamaged canisters and have turned them over to the Michigan State bomb squad. Cannon said people have been collecting the canisters like souvenirs. "Please don't put yourself, your family, and your friends in jeopardy because those are dangerous," said Cannon. "Anybody who saw anything at all from last night knows what could possibly happen to them. If you go, take a look at some of the buildings where they are embedded in the building or in the roofs of buildings in the area. You don't want those in your car, or in your home, or near any family members. Please don't do it." Marie Ainsworth was one of the many residents who collected debris from the explosion. Before she knew about the dangers, she had picked up a butane canister with plans to show it to her coworkers. "And I did," she said. "Until I got the phone call and all the notification. 'That can explode.' I said, 'Oh, I think I better leave.'" She then wanted to turn it over to officials and drove it over to the scene of the fire very carefully. "Serious, it was 'I'm not taking this road cause it's too bumpy.' Easy on them breaks." Crews at the site, however, are not accepting canisters. Anyone with one must call the city and turn it over to the bomb squad. The Clinton Township Fire Chief said the investigation into the fire will take time – and they are grateful for the support they've received. "I'm exceptionally proud of our people, the people that came in to help from the other communities. So it's chaos, but it was controlled chaos," said Chief Tim Duncan. Police said the owners of the facility are being cooperative. They and the employees who were there at the time of the fire are being questioned.