USDA issues fair play rule on livestock marketing, part of White House competition drive
Farmers will have stronger protections against deceptive contracts and retaliatory tactics from meat processors under a new USDA rule on market integrity, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The new rule, which takes effect on May 6, is part of a USDA initiative for transparency and fair play in livestock marketing.
Four rural districts win USDA school food awards
Rural school districts in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, and Ohio are winners of Healthy Meal Initiatives awards for improving the nutritional quality of meals served to students, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday. Vilsack announced the awards during a speech to school food directors in which he said healthy school meals could combat the rising U.S. child obesity rate.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Summit’s tax-credit cascade: Summit Carbon Solutions and its partners “could be eligible for as much as $18 billion in federal tax benefits over 12 years” if its proposed 2,500-mile carbon dioxide pipeline is built and operates at full capacity — potentially enough to cover all or most of its costs. (InsideClimate News)
Thune runs for GOP leader:South Dakota Sen. John Thune, currently No. 2 in Senate Republican leadership, said he would offer “a new generation of consistent, principled, conservative leadership” if elected to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell as GOP leader. (The Hill)
Soy improves climate score: The “global warming potential” of soybeans, soybean oil, and soybean meal “decreased considerably” between 2015 and 2021, according to an analysis commissioned by soybean groups. (Clean Fuels Alliance America)
Blizzard erases snow drought: The monster blizzard that plastered California with snow over the weekend boosted the Sierra Nevada snowpack to 104 percent of normal for early March, a 24-point increase in four days; March remains a critical month for snowfall. (Los Angeles Times)
