Alliance including farm groups seeks tax credits to fight climate change
The government would create a range of tax credits to encourage carbon sequestration in the soil and forests, deploy “digesters” nationwide to convert manure into energy, and work more aggressively to reduce food waste if it follows the recommendations of farm, conservation and food retail groups released on Tuesday.
Merrigan, former No. 2 at USDA, ‘would welcome the opportunity’ to lead agency
Kathleen Merrigan, the deputy secretary of the USDA during the Obama era, said on Tuesday she “would welcome the opportunity to be considered” for agriculture secretary in the Biden administration. “Honestly, it is the job of a lifetime and I have been in training for it my entire career.”
Coronavirus infection ends Grassley’s 27-year voting streak
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley said on Tuesday he tested positive for coronavirus and would quarantine at home, ending a 27-year streak of voting in every Senate roll call — a record 8,927 in all — since 1993.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Flash-frozen ‘murder hornets’ sent to D.C.: Five flash-frozen specimens of the 2-inch-long Asian giant hornet, taken from “nest zero” in Washington State, were shipped to the nation’s capital for preservation and study by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and the Smithsonian Institution. (USDA)
Britain to nix junk food ads online: In a more sweeping proposal than it previewed last summer, the British government unveiled a plan to ban online advertisements for junk food in an attempt to reduce obesity rates. (Guardian)
Senate sends grains bill to House: On a voice vote, the Senate passed a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the U.S. Grain Standards Act, which allows the USDA to collect user fees that defray the cost of federal grain inspection, and sent it to the House. (Senate Agriculture)
Drones and invasive species: In the fight against invasive weeds, scientists in Wyoming are experimenting with drones that can detect the electromagnetic energy produced by the unwanted plants. (Wyofile)
