Debt deal would boost SNAP outlays marginally, says CBO
The debt limit deal between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy would expand rather than cut SNAP enrollment and spending — an unexpected result given Republican insistence on broader application of work requirements, said the Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday. The increases would be modest, amounting to an additional 78,000 people and from $200-$400 million a year in a program with 42.5 million participants at latest count.
In California’s Central Valley, the ‘Big Melt’ might be less catastrophic than feared
California’s historic snowmelt is refilling the Central Valley’s Tulare Lake Basin and reviving what was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River, but state officials now expect the flooding will be less devastating than previously feared.
Winter wheat crop in slightly better condition
Nearly half of the U.S. winter wheat crop is in drought but its condition improved slightly in the past week, said the USDA on Tuesday. The weekly Crop Progress report also showed growers in the upper Midwest were rushing through corn and soybean planting after a slow start due to cold and wet weather.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Joni Ernst, political star: Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, an Agriculture Committee member, is on the rise politically; she’s the fourth-ranking GOP Senate leader, mentioned as a vice presidential candidate and host of the annual Roast and Ride on June 3, an important stop for presidential aspirants. (Politico)
Seeking Black Sea guarantee: Ukraine wants a guarantee that its grain exports will continue to flow through the Black Sea if it allows Russia to ship ammonia fertilizer across Ukrainian territory to the port of Odessa. (Reuters)
Georgia peaches decimated: Horticulturists at the University of Georgia say roughly 90 percent of the Peach State’s crop has been destroyed by bad weather and a warming climate. (WABE)
Hybrid vs heirloom artichokes: An ambitious campaign to produce a year-round artichoke has altered the flavor, color, texture and even the taste of California’s state vegetable, as well as where it’s grown. (The Mercury News)
Four endangered rural sites: The National Trust for Historic Preservation named four rural sites, from the Osterman Gas Station in Arizona to the Pierce Chapel African Cemetery in Georgia, to this year’s list of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” (Daily Yonder)
