Few vote early in Trump-tinged primary in Central Valley
Although the former president stayed out of the race, his name might as well have been the first words uttered by Chris Mathys, a conservative challenging Rep. David Valadao in the Republican primary in a U.S. House district in the Central Valley. “I will do everything in my power to defeat Congressman David Valadao, who voted to impeach President Trump,” says Mathys on his campaign website, while Valadao offers “strong, practical leadership in Congress” on his.
Nationwide waivers for infant formula
To increase access to infant formula for low-income families enrolled in WIC, the Agriculture Department offered on Monday nationwide waivers to states to receive and distribute imported formula. The waivers were part of administration responses to formula shortages.
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TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Russia pilfers grain — Blinken: There are “credible reports” that Russia is pilfering Ukrainian grain to sell as its own, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken, following published reports that the United States had warned 14 countries about stolen grain. (AFP)
California mulls water buyout: Democrats in the state Senate have proposed spending $1.5 billion to buy senior water rights from farmers in order to reduce demand for water and cope with long-running drought. (Associated Press)
HPAI hits duck farm: After four months of outbreaks, 37.95 million birds in domestic flocks have died of highly pathogenic avian influenza or cullings of infected flocks. The most recent large outbreak came last Thursday on a duck farm in southeastern Pennsylvania with 30,100 birds. (USDA)
Rural hospital risks persist: A wave of pandemic funding may make rural hospitals appear more financially stable than they actually are, meaning that hundreds of hospitals may face closure when the aid money runs out. (North Carolina Health News)
Lawmakers argue for preemption: The senior Republicans on the House and Senate Agriculture committees said federal pesticide-label law preempts a California state law calling for a cancer warning on glyphosate, a key issue in lawsuits against the most widely used weedkiller on earth. (Senate Agriculture)
