U.S. hits REvil ransomware group linked to attack on JBS
The Justice Department is seeking extradition of a Ukrainian man on ransomware charges and has seized $6.1 million in alleged ransom payments from a Russian man, said Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday. Both men were part of the REvil cybercriminal gang linked to an attack on meatpacker JBS.
‘SNAP gap’ for meals narrows as benefits expand
The Biden administration boosted SNAP benefits by $36 per person per month in October in a move expected to help millions of Americans avoid hunger. “This increase helped close the gap between SNAP benefits and meal costs, but it did not close it for everyone,” says the Urban Institute.
Today’s Quick Hits
Deere eyes options: The chief administrative officer of Deere and Co. said the company was considering whether it could blunt the impact of a strike by 10,000 unionized workers by importing farm equipment from overseas or using strikebreakers. (CNN Business)
States seek E15: Seven Midwestern governors asked the EPA for guidance on how they could authorize year-round sale of a 15 percent blend of ethanol into gasoline; a U.S. appellate court overturned a federal rule allowing year-round sales. (Farm Progress)
‘Cow tax’ scare talk: The “build back better” bill awaiting a House vote would not impose a fee on methane emissions from livestock, but there’s no prohibition so “I think we have a right to be concerned,” said Rep. Kat Cammack, a Florida Republican who voted to overturn President Biden’s election. (Cammack)
Rural Housing director: Joaquin Altoro, head of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, was appointed administrator of USDA’s Rural Housing Service. (USDA)
Neil Harl dies: Agricultural economist Neil Harl, a salient figure in efforts to resolve the farm debt crisis of the late 1980s, died at age 88; he was a faculty member of Iowa State University for half a century.
