Farm-state Republicans object to climate focus in land stewardship
Climate mitigation does not deserve priority over other soil and water conservation goals notwithstanding the $20 billion earmarked for it, said two senior Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday. “I don’t feel bound by the amount of funding or the specific program allocation passed in the partisan (climate, health and tax) bill,” said Pennsylvania Rep. Glenn Thompson, the Republican leader on the committee.
Largest U.S. Covid fraud scheme victimized child nutrition program, say feds
The Justice Department on Thursday accused 47 people of looting $250 million from the federal child nutrition program by fraudulently claiming to feed thousands of poor children daily in Minnesota during the pandemic. Instead, they allegedly spent the money on cars, houses, jewelry, travel and real estate in the United States, Kenya and Turkey in what Attorney General Merrick Garland said was “the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme” yet.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
More U.S. humanitarian aid: President Biden is due to announce more than $100 million in new U.S. humanitarian aid on Wednesday that will help build agricultural systems overseas, said national security adviser Jake Sullivan. (Washington Examiner)
Baby-formula shortage report: FDA commissioner Robert Califf said an internal review of the agency’s response to the infant formula shortage identified areas for improvement by the agency and that accountability would be “handled through the personnel process.” (Politico)
More online SNAP retailers: In the past four months, 44 retail chains, with a total of 1,240 stores, joined the USDA program allowing SNAP participants to shop for groceries online, “providing 99 percent of all SNAP participants with access to online purchasing.” (Food and Nutrition Service)
Tight race in Georgia: Sen. Rapheal Warnock, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, was the leader in one poll and trailed Republican Herschel Walker in another — both within the margin of error — in the race for Senate in Georgia. (The Hill)
Biden’s rural base: President Biden, who won the popular vote in only 10 percent of rural counties, did best in counties with the largest declines in population and which also had higher percentages of ethnic or racial minorities. (Daily Yonder)
