USDA takes average of 630 days to process civil rights complaints, lawmakers told
For decades, the USDA has been accused of racial and gender discrimination in its programs, hiring and employment practices, and it has been subject to both class action lawsuits and settlements. A hearing on Tuesday examined shortcomings in its handling of these complaints and explored paths toward improvement.
Starbucks workers’ unionization drive spreads in company’s hometown
As waves of Starbucks employees strike and organize across the country, baristas are bringing the fight to the company’s hometown. On Monday, Seattle’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery filed for a union election, joining dozens of Starbucks locations that plan to unionize.
Report: farms in Chesapeake Bay watershed must ‘urgently accelerate’ conservation efforts
In a new report, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation calls on farms in the bay’s watershed to “urgently accelerate and scale up” their conservation efforts, not only to reduce water-borne pollution — a federal mandate — but to slash their greenhouse gas emissions and stoke local economies.
Today’s Quick Hits
Califf confirmed: Robert M. Califf, a cardiologist who led the FDA briefly in 2016, was confirmed Tuesday, 50 to 46, for a second stint as commissioner, giving the embattled agency its first permanent head in more than a year. (Washington Post)
PFAS in groundwater: As drought forces more municipalities to draw water from underground aquifers and wells, emerging data show PFAS contamination could be prevalent in some of those groundwater sources. (Bloomberg Law)
Labor trafficking: Democrat Joaquin Arambula introduced a bill in the California Assembly that would establish a labor trafficking unit within Cal/OSHA to investigate cases of people being forced into jobs with little or no pay. (CalMatters)
Farm Bill priorities: The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture will focus its advocacy efforts regarding the 2023 bill on 10 areas, including voluntary climate initiatives, more flexibility in farm-to-school programs, and maintaining funding for cyber security. (NASDA)
Protect mature trees: A coalition of more than 70 groups is urging the Biden administration to take executive action to protect mature forests on federal lands, which the coalition says are critical to mitigating climate change. (Climate Forests Campaign)
