SNAP costs down 5 percent by CBO
The largest U.S. anti-hunger program, SNAP, will cost $59 billion less over the coming decade than thought in February because food prices are moderating, said the Congressional Budget Office. The updated CBO baseline also indicated that savings assumed in the House Republican farm bill were too high and not nearly enough to pay for the plan’s proposed increases in crop insurance and subsidy payments.
Dean to lead Global Food Institute
Stacy Dean, a key Biden administration figure in public nutrition policy, was named executive director of the Global Food Institute, announced George Washington University on Tuesday. Dean will join the institute in mid-July.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Michigan offers H5N1 funds: The state’s agriculture department offered up to $28,000 apiece to as many as 20 Michigan dairy farms with herds infected with the avian flu virus if they agree to participate in research into the disease. (Michigan Department of Agriculture)
USDA suspends inspections: The United States suspended inspections of avocado and mango shipments in the Mexican state of Michoacán after two USDA inspectors were assaulted and temporarily held by assailants, said Ken Salazar, ambassador to Mexico. (Associated Press)
‘Farm to trouble’: Despite a quarter century of government effort and billions of dollars in funding, the Mississippi River basin is “not even close” to the goal of controlling the so-called dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a package of five stories about the crisis. (The Lens)
Wonderfully influential: Lynda and Stewart Resnick, owners of Wonderful Co., stand out among Los Angeles philanthropists with their $750 million donation that single-handedly made Caltech a leader in sustainability research. (Los Angeles Times)
Parsons to lead NASS: Joseph Parsons, who began working at the National Agricultural Statistics Service in 1985 and rose in authority over the years, was named NASS administrator following several months as its acting head. (USDA)
