A grassroots push for higher SNAP benefits
Anti-hunger activists hope one-on-one conversations with senators on their home territory over the next couple of weeks will overcome opposition to a 15-percent increase in SNAP benefits during the coronavirus pandemic
Coronavirus pay raise proposed for farmworkers
Farmworkers would gain a $13-an-hour hazardous-duty pay raise and 10 days of paid sick leave under a bill filed by six Democratic senators on Tuesday.
Think tank proposes dramatic expansion of conservation easements
The government can buffer the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on farmers, ranchers, and forest owners by a dramatic expansion of conservation easement programs that prevent development of private lands, said the Center for American Progress (CAP) on Tuesday.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
‘Put a sock in Navarro’s mouth’ (FERN’s Ag Insider): President Trump “ought to put a sock in Navarro’s mouth,” said Senate Finance chairman Chuck Grassley after Trump wrote a late-night tweet to override his trade adviser’s remark that the trade deal with China “is over.”
Warning label nixed for glyphosate (Associated Press): A federal judge ruled against a proposed label on containers of the weedkiller glyphosate warning the herbicide was a possible carcinogen, saying state officials did not meet the legal standard for requiring the label.
Vote possible on WTO withdrawal (Politico): The House and Senate could vote this summer on whether to end U.S. membership in the WTO, according to rulings by parliamentarians in each chamber that resolved procedural questions about the resolutions of withdrawal.
Soybeans, yes; coronavirus, no (Reuters): Chinese soybean importers are asking suppliers to sign letters that guarantee that shipments are free of the coronavirus, according to a U.S. Soybean Export Council official.
Coronavirus aid asked for apples (Brindisi): Two dozen U.S. representatives, echoing calls by an industry trade group, said the USDA should modify its $16 billion coronavirus relief program to include apple growers.
