USDA and SBA to collaborate on rural development
The Agriculture Department and the Small Business Administration agreed on Monday to increase investments in small and underserved rural communities, said agency leaders. The USDA has a portfolio of billions of dollars in grants, loans, and loan guarantees for rural housing, business development, and electricity, water and sewer, and internet projects.
On his birthday, Biden let’s freedom ring for two Thanksgiving turkeys
In an event that traditionally opens the holiday season in Washington, President Biden pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys, briefly plugged his rural policies, and joked about his age — 81 — on Monday, his birthday. “I want you to know, it’s difficult turning 60,” he said, evoking laughter from a couple of hundred people on the South Lawn of the White House. “Difficult.”
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Over the climate threshold: For two days in a row — last Friday and Saturday — the global average surface temperature was 2 degrees Celsius warmer than before the industrial age, a key threshold in measuring climate change, according to unofficial measurements. (Axios)
Italy bans cultured meat: The Italian parliament voted to ban the production, importation, or sale of cell-cultured meat in a step the far-right government called a defense of Italian culture. (BBC)
Critics urge crop insurance reform: An array of think tanks and small-farm advocates say federally subsidized crop insurance needs reform to cut costs and reach a larger group of farmers; the program covers the majority of cropland and is popular among lawmakers. (Marketplace)
Food banks face high demand: With the end of pandemic aid, food banks across the country say they are seeing an upsurge in visitors while coping with inflation. (USA Today)
A bigger ‘food basket’: Meeting in Rome, 600 delegates from around the world will consider whether to make additions to the list of 64 key crops that make up the global “food basket” to reflect the rising role of plant-based proteins and changes in consumer preferences. (FAO)
