AgClips
Recent AgClips
How Arctic Drilling, Stymied for Decades, Made Surprise Return in Tax Bill
The New York Times | Posted onDecember 13, 2017 in Energy NewsAs another fevered push to open the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to energy exploration collapsed on the Senate floor in December 2005, Ted Stevens, then the powerful and wily Republican senator from Alaska, declared it “the saddest day of my life.” At that moment, it looked as though the decades-long fight over drilling in 1.5 million acres of the remote refuge could finally be at an end. Republicans essentially gave up for the remainder of the George W.
Bipartisan bill might seed the future of organic farming
Civil eats | Posted onDecember 13, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal NewsIn order to move this needle, Pingree in May introduced the Organic Agriculture Research Act of 2017 (H.R. 2436), which proposes more than doubling the program’s funding to $50 million per year through 2023, with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Support for the legislation has been picking up steam, with more than 50 new co-sponsors (47 Democrats, 4 Republicans) signing on between September and November 2017.
Twelve states want the Supreme Court to axe California’s anti-confinement egg laws
The New Food Economy | Posted onDecember 13, 2017 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsBetter make that back to the court we go—and this time with a bigger posse: Last week, 12 states banded together to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to block the “egg sales law,” alleging that it cost consumers upwards of $350 million in higher egg prices and is unconstitutional because it violates the interstate commerce clause—meaning that it’s preempted by federal law.This suit cites a study from a University of Missouri economist, which, the L.A.
Ag sector fear of NAFTA withdrawal intensifies, despite Trump's reassurances
Agri-Pulse | Posted onDecember 13, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal NewsPresident Donald Trump’s repeated threats to pull the U.S. out of the North American Free Trade Agreement have kept the U.S.
Minnesota joins U.S. states limiting Dicamba
Reuters | Posted onDecember 13, 2017 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsMinnesota became the latest U.S. state on Tuesday to restrict controversial weed killers made by Monsanto Co and BASF SE that were linked to widespread crop damage, while Arkansas took a step back from imposing new limits.The United States has faced an agricultural crisis this year caused by new versions of the herbicides, which are based on a chemical known as dicamba.
Perdue: SNAP changes won't threaten 2018 farm bill
Politico | Posted onDecember 13, 2017 in Federal, Food NewsAgriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Tuesday that he did not believe that GOP-desired changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, like stricter work requirements for able-bodied adults, would disrupt Congress' ability to pass a farm bill."I think the coalition that has passed the farm bill for years will be maintained," Perdue said during a speech at the National Press Club, referring to the long-standing alliance between anti-hunger and agriculture groups that has been crucial to securing votes for farm bills."By and large, there is a bipartisan group of people that bel
White House pressures Big Corn to meet on U.S. biofuels policy
Reuters | Posted onDecember 12, 2017 in Agriculture, Energy, Federal NewsPresident Donald Trump’s administration called two lawmakers from the U.S. corn belt to convince them to join talks about potential changes to biofuels policy to ease the burden on oil refineries, according to a spokesman for one of the lawmakers and a source briefed on the matter.
New Jersey looks to make ‘drunken-droning’ a crime
New York Post | Posted onDecember 12, 2017 in NewsState lawmakers on Thursday passed legislation that would bar people from operating drones while drunk.The New Jersey bill would make operating a drone under the influence of alcohol a disorderly person offense, which carries a sentence of up to six months in jail, a $1,000 fine or both, upon conviction. It also would make using a drone to hunt wildlife and endanger people or property a similar offense.The Democrat-led Senate approved the legislation 39-0. Lawmakers say the changes are aimed at pre-empting local ordinances that might vary.
To Fend Off Hackers, Local Governments Get Help From States
Pew Charitable Trust | Posted onDecember 12, 2017 in SARL Members and Alumni NewsThe city of Mill Creek, Washington, has only 55 full-time employees and just one of them — James Busch — is responsible for handling information technology and cybersecurity. He worries about the growing sophistication of hackers and cybercriminals and the city computer network’s vulnerabilities. So when the Washington State Auditor’s Office started offering local governments a free, in-depth evaluation of their cybersecurity systems, Mill Creek, a city of about 20,000 near Seattle, jumped at the chance in 2015.
Scientists call on US to allow research on pot meds for pets
Leader-Telegram | Posted onDecember 12, 2017 in Agriculture, Federal, Rural NewsA push is underway to have the U.S. government remove barriers to clinical trials of marijuana to see how effective it is in treating ailments in both pets and people, and one university in Colorado is already testing dogs with arthritis and epilepsy.People anxious to relieve suffering in their pets are increasingly turning to oils and powders that contain CBDs, a non-psychoactive component of marijuana.