Suggestion Box
Dear Luv Doc,
I saw where you’re over circulation after reading “Mystery Juice” [Feedback, May 29] and wanted to suggest another location to have a stand. I’m talking about the newest HEB location in Pflugerville located at Pflugerville Parkway and 130 Toll Road. I know the other Pville HEB locations have a stand in those stores. I enjoy reading the Chronicle every week!
Hey, here’s another suggestion on a new column where people write in for advice, you could call it Mr. Common Sense. People nowadays seem to be lacking common sense, especially some ATX city management people and Council members. Keep up the good work you do and have a Blessed Day!
Lee Hughes
Ebola Emergency
Dear Editor,
In the D.R.C. and Uganda, a new Ebola strain, the Bundibugyo virus, is spreading. With no vaccine or cure available, it kills nearly half of those infected. Experts warn that delays in response will lead it to spread across borders.
During previous outbreaks, USAID mounted a large-scale response by deploying Disaster Assistance Response Teams, coordinating with the CDC, managing operations from Washington, and supporting health diplomats overseas. Following the dismantling of USAID, that capability has disappeared. Of the agency’s original 1,200 staff, only 500 have been rehired by the State Department. Limited staffing now slows the grants and funding mechanisms needed to support NGO and UN partners.
Although some tools remain available, the State Department must stop canceling awards and restore terminated programs for use. In April, the Trump administration informed Congress it would withhold $19 billion in international assistance, arguing the funds were needed to cover award closeout costs. The math does not hold – closeout costs average 2% of an award’s value – the administration is reserving 100%.
As an intern at the Alliance for American Leadership, I believe the U.S. plays a vital role in monitoring and containing epidemics. Congress must ensure that funding within the withheld $19 billion is redirected toward the Ebola response. Existing USAID playbooks can guide resource deployment and a government response. This does not require new funding, only the release of money Congress has already approved.
I urge Texas congressmen to demand that appropriated international assistance be used to address this outbreak. Failure to act quickly could have deadly consequences. Ebola kills between one-quarter and nine-tenths of those infected, regardless of borders.
Mackenzie McLeod
MAGA Mudslinging
Dear Editor,
The attacks have begun.
Trump called James Talarico a vegan.
I care less about what Talarico eats than the fact that one in five Texas children go hungry. And he’s not a vegan.
Trump faulted Talarico for being “a big Mask Wearer.”
Not entirely sure what this means. I am sure that those who refused to wear masks at the height of the pandemic unashamedly risked spreading the deadly COVID virus.
Stephen Miller called Talarico “the first transgender candidate.” Talarico advocates for the rights of all, including pregnant women who are dying because of Texas’ Paxton-promoted anti-abortion laws. And he’s not transgender.
Truth be damned. Name-calling works for MAGA; the more nonsensical and dishonest, the better.
On election day we will care about what Talarico has done and will do, especially compared to the Republican candidate’s self-serving record.
Just calling Ken Paxton by his name says it all.
Barbara Chiarello
Don’t Save Our Bacon
Dear Editor,
In factory farms across the country, animals are kept indoors, in overcrowded spaces, and shoved into small enclosures that often don’t even allow them to turn around. Even though the majority of Americans believe farm animals should be treated more humanely, Big Ag continues to disregard animal welfare so they can steal profits from the pockets of small farmers. Some states, like California and Massachusetts, have implemented laws that reflect constituent desires, promote positive welfare for animals, and support local farmers. Unfortunately, industrial agribusinesses are coming after these laws through a perilous bill called the Save Our Bacon Act (H.R. 4673).
The Save Our Bacon Act is a poison pill in the House Farm Bill that would overturn state animal welfare laws and prohibit states from implementing laws in the future that protect animals raised for food. This bill would roll back progress for farm animals and make it more difficult to protect them from inhumane farming practices in the future. As the Farm Bill moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration, it’s important to me that my senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, stand up for our state, family farmers, and animals raised for food by keeping the Save Our Bacon Act out.
Joselyn Lozano
This article appears in June 5 • 2026.