House bill would cut $4B a year from food stamps [Associated Press]
The
House is expected to consider a bill this week that would cut food stamps by an
estimated $4 billion annually and allow states to put broad new work
requirements in place for recipients….The vote comes after the House defeated a
wide-ranging farm bill in June because many conservatives believed the cuts to
the nearly $80 billion-a-year food stamp program weren't high enough….Food
stamps have for decades been part of farm legislation. But House leaders
separated the food and farm programs after the bill's June defeat and passed a
farm-only bill in July….Even if the bill does pass, the cuts are unlikely to
become law. The Democratic Senate passed a farm bill in June with one-tenth of
the cuts in the House bill, or about $400 million a year, and President Barack
Obama has strongly opposed any major cuts to the program.
Antibiotic-Resistant
Infections Lead to 23,000 Deaths a Year, C.D.C. Finds [New York Times]
Federal
health officials reported Monday that at least two million Americans fall ill
from antibiotic-resistant bacteria every year and that at least 23,000 die from
those infections, putting a hard number on a growing public health threat….One
point of contention has been the extent to which industrial-scale animal
farming contributes to the problem of antibiotic-resistant infections in
humans. The government has estimated that more than 70 percent of antibiotics
in the United States are given to animals. Companies use them to prevent
sickness when animals are packed together in ways that breed infection. They
also use them to make animals grow faster, though federal authorities are
trying to stop that. The report said that “much of antibiotic use in animals is
unnecessary and inappropriate and makes everyone less safe.” It also said that
about half of antibiotic use in people is inappropriate.
Editorial: Carve billions from
pork-filled water bond [Riverside Press-Enterprise]
Legislators
should finish next year a task they started in the just-finished session:
crafting a more realistic water bond measure focused on the state’s most
pressing water needs. California needs to ensure a reliable supply of water for
the future, but asking wary voters to approve a bloated water bond is not a
feasible way to reach that goal….And legislators should keep the bond proposals
tightly focused on the state’s primary water issues, such as the need to shore
up the system of water exports that support much of the state….California also
needs more water storage in reservoirs and underground basins. Some long-range
forecasts predict the state will see winters with less snow and more rain. The
state may need to collect and store more winter storm runoff for the rest of
the year, instead of relying on mountain snow packs to store the water until
the hotter summer months.
Editorial: Chicken cage
compromise is not radical: Our view [USA Today]
…California
led the way in 2008 with a voter initiative requiring that chickens be raised
in environments where they could move about freely….Now Rep. Steve King,
R-Iowa, who hails from the nation's top egg-producing state and who has opposed
assorted animal protection measures, wants the federal government to gut the
California law — and with it a wide swath of state laws on everything from food
safety to the regulation of livestock, which in some states includes dogs and
puppies…. King insists that the California law threatens interstate commerce
because it mandates that all eggs sold in California, including out-of-state
imports, adhere to California production rules — a knotty legal issue that
could tie up courts for years. But there's no need for such an extended battle,
because a better solution exists: a compromise struck by the Humane Society and
the United Egg Producers. These natural adversaries agreed on an "enriched
colony cage" that would allow the birds more space, to be phased in gradually.
All that's needed is Congress' blessing, which so far hasn't come.
Commentary: Fight the spread of
citrus disease [San Luis Obispo Tribune]
Generations
of San Luis Obispo County residents have enjoyed the ability to eat fresh
citrus straight from their backyard trees. Unfortunately, these cherished
memories may not be possible for future generations. A pest called the Asian
citrus psyllid, which can spread a deadly citrus disease called Huanglongbing
(HLB) from tree to tree as it feeds, was recently discovered just south of the
county line in Santa Maria. The only way to overcome this threat in San Luis
Obispo County is to come together as a community and take preventative actions
to ensure the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB do not become established in our
county….The Asian citrus psyllid and HLB are the biggest threat ever to face
California’s $2 billion citrus industry and our citrus heritage. Substantial
efforts are under way by citrus growers, government officials and others who
cherish California citrus.
Ag
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