Free meals when schools are open, EBT when they’re not, say activists
When it reauthorizes child nutrition programs, Congress should provide meals for free to all students at public schools and offer financial assistance to low-income parents to buy food for their school-age children during the summer and holidays, activists said at a House hearing on Thursday.
?After months of waiting, labor advocates disappointed new OSHA rule excludes food system workers
After months of delay, the Biden administration on Thursday released a rule dictating how employers in the healthcare sector should protect workers from the spread of Covid-19. The exclusion of meatpacking, food processing, farm, and grocery retail workers from the new workplace standards sparked an outcry from worker advocacy groups and unions.
Senators propose loan forgiveness for small farmers
The Agriculture Department would offer small farmers one-time loan forgiveness of up to $250,000 under legislation announced by five Democratic senators on Thursday. Lead sponsor Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said she would try to include debt relief in the upcoming infrastructure bill “to make certain our farmers are not left behind.”
Fewer over-the-counter antibiotics for livestock
Drugmakers will have two years to change the sales availability of some medically important livestock antimicrobials to prescription-only, said the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday. The shift from over-the-counter sales would mean the drugs can be used only under veterinary supervision.
Today’s Quick Hits
Vote for Hipp: The Senate Agriculture Committee cleared the nomination of Janie Hipp to be general counsel of the USDA for a full floor vote. (Senate Ag)
Turnabout on inflation: Consumer prices rose by a hot 5 percent over the past year, but food inflation cooled to a moderate annual rate of 2.2 percent. A year ago, the food inflation rate was 4 percent and the overall CPI was a tiny 0.1 percent. (Labor Department)
Allergies and food banks: It’s hard to find food for people with allergies at food banks and other charities, and the pandemic has made the situation worse. (Associated Press)
Drought draining Lake Mead: The water level in Lake Mead, in the drought-battered West, is its lowest ever — just 36 percent of capacity — and is forecast to continue falling in coming months. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
JBS paid ransom: The world’s largest meat packer said it paid the equivalent of $11 million to criminals in response to a ransomware attack “to mitigate any unforeseen issues related to the attack and ensure no data was exfiltrated.” (JBS USA)
