I subscribe to a lot of newsletters and Substacks because, well, in my line of work, you gotta keep up. But many’s the time I look at them and deeply resent the time and money lost for content that all too rarely enlightens or surprises.
The one thing I never, ever resent spending my time or money is for the digital subscription to Esquire that delivers the Last Call newsletters from Charles P. Pierce, who might be the single greatest reported opinion columnist in the country. (If there’s a better one, I never heard of them.)
This week, in a column called “Have You Noticed Our Food Is Killing Us?”, he talks about the fact that, thanks to corporate indifference and a federal inspection system that falls far short, our food supply is literally killing us. This being Charles Pierce, he also goes deeply into the history of food inspection in America.
CBS has totaled up the butcher’s bill for the last year. And the gardener’s bill. And the kid behind the counter at the fast-food joint’s bill, as well.
