Nearing end of review, EPA finds no risk to human health from glyphosate
Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the world, poses no threat to human health when used as directed and is unlikely to cause cancer, said the EPA in an interim decision on Thursday. Environmental groups denounced the decision as faulty.
FCC establishes $20 billion fund for rural broadband
In what it described as its biggest step yet to close the digital divide, the Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to establish a “rural digital opportunity fund” to provide up to $20 billion over 10 years for high-speed internet networks in rural America.
Talks & Eats – Manhattan – Surf ‘n’ Turf: Can our seafood survive Big Ag and climate change?
As oceans warm, our major fisheries are shifting. At the same time, farm runoff is contributing to dead zones from the Gulf of Mexico to Long Island. Both of these issues – climate change and farming practices – affect the health of ocean ecosystems and, ultimately, the seafood that winds up on our plates.
Join moderator and best-selling author Paul Greenberg for a stimulating discussion Feb. 10, 2020, 7:30 p.m., at Subculture in Greenwich Village. VIP reception with drinks and bites beforehand.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Amazon-USDA partnership grows (ABC): Amazon has expanded its pilot program with the USDA to accept SNAP benefits online to Washington State.
NPPC takes aim at faux pork (Pork Business): The National Pork Producers Council is running ads critical of plant-based faux meats in Des Moines, Iowa, during the presidential caucuses.
Protest at Aramark meeting (NRDC): Students from Philadelphia universities protested at the Aramark shareholder meeting on Wednesday, calling for the foodservice company to serve more plant-based meals.
Vaccine against African swine fever (Bloomberg): Although it is not yet ready for commercialization, a vaccine developed by the USDA and academic experts has shown to be highly effective against the strain of African swine fever that has killed millions of hogs in Asia.
Regulatory plan for cell-based meat (Johnson): A bill backed by Reps. Dusty Johnson and Darren Soto would formalize the USDA-FDA division of oversight of cell-based meat and give the USDA authority over the names and labels that go on the products.
LaMalfa facing rematch battle (Redding Record Searchlight): Fourth-term Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, faces his most serious challenge in years in ardently conservative Northern California, where Democrat Audrey Denney, who lost by 30,000 votes in 2018, is running against him for the second time.
