Long Island’s last commercial duck farm is rebuilding after a bird flu outbreak forced the destruction of its entire 100,000-bird flock in January. The first wave of more than 900 young ducks arrived at Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue at the end of May. More arrived this month and others will arrive later. They were raised at a nearby farm while the original site was thoroughly sanitized. Crescent Duck Farm owner Doug Corwin said the ducklings hatched from eggs that health officials allowed it to preserve from the outbreak. Long Island was once a center of U.S. duck production with more than 100 farms.
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Americans are losing an array of people and programs dedicated to keeping them healthy. State and local health departments responsible for invisible but critical work including inspecting restaurants, monitoring wastewater for new and harmful germs, responding to outbreaks — and a host of other tasks to protect both individuals and communities — are being hollowed out. The Trump administration is cutting health spending on an unprecedented scale, pulling $11 billion of direct federal support and laying off tens of thousands of workers at national health agencies that support local public health work. It wants billions more slashed.