DOA? Mulvaney rolls out proposal to consolidate Labor, Education, food safety

What came first - the USDA-regulated chicken or the FDA-regulated egg ? OMB director Mick Mulvaney wants to end that question entirely by eliminating silly overlaps in government. The White House rolled out its long-awaited government reform program, which headlines a consolidation of the Departments of Labor and Education into one Cabinet-level office.

Federal food aid to Puerto Rico high in salt, sugar

An analysis of federal food aid delivered in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria reveals that much of the food exceeded federal dietary guideline limits for sugar and sodium. Credit: Uriyoan Colon-Ramos After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September of 2017, the Federal Emergency Management Agency began distributing emergency food.

House Republican Farm Bill Will Hurt People With Disabilities and…

The highly partisan 2018 Farm Bill proposal , which House Republicans released in mid-April, threatens to compound the hardships faced by millions of disadvantaged Americans by substantially increasing hunger and food insecurity for those who rely on food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program . The bill's effects would be especially severe for those with disabilities and for older adults-both of whom disproportionately struggle in the labor market.

Chinese Soybean Purchases Plant Seeds of Concern for US Farmers

Matt Aultman, a grain salesman and feed nutritionist with Keller Grain & Feed, Inc., shows locally grown soybeans during an interview at their facilities in Greenville, Ohio, April 5, 2018. Farmer Scott Halpin is facing another year of high prices for seed and fertilizer, and low prices for the corn and soybeans his family is planting on farmland outside Morris, Illinois.

Trump’s anti-life, anti-work initiative

How can we reduce the number of abortions in the United States? One way is to make sure women are confident they'll have medical coverage throughout their pregnancies and after. And how can we encourage people to work? By making work pay, which is why Republicans and Democrats have supported the Earned Income Tax Credit, known as the EITC, which tops off the pay of low-income employees.

Maple, honey producers not sweet on added sugars label Source: AP

Producers of pure maple syrup and honey aren't sweet on a plan to label their pure natural products as containing added sugars. They say the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's upcoming requirement to update nutrition labels to tell consumers that pure maple syrup and honey contain added sugars is misleading, illogical and confusing and could hurt their industries.

Maple, honey producers not sweet on added sugars label

Producers of pure maple syrup and honey aren't sweet on a plan to label their pure natural products as containing added sugars. They say the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's upcoming requirement to update nutrition labels to tell consumers that pure maple syrup and honey contain added sugars is misleading, illogical and confusing and could hurt their industries.

Ag groups express opposition to amendments to Farm Bill

INSURANCE ARGUMENT: A monster hail storm that hit Kansas on the night of May 14 provides an illustration of why farmers so strongly support crop insurance. This field in Scott County was just one of many that were wiped out in the storm, which destroyed thousands of acres of wheat.

House panel moves to curb food stamps, renew farm subsidies Source: AP

A bitterly-divided House panel Wednesday approved new work and job training requirements for food stamps as part of a five-year renewal of federal farm and nutrition policy. The GOP-run Agriculture Committee approved the measure strictly along party lines after a contentious, five-hour hearing in which Democrats blasted the legislation, charging it would toss up to 2 million people off of food stamps and warning that it will never pass Congress.

Drug testing plan considered for some food stamp recipients

The Trump administration is considering a plan that would allow states to require certain food stamp recipients to undergo drug testing, handing a win to conservatives who've long sought ways to curb the safety net program. The proposal under review would be narrowly targeted, applying mostly to people who are able-bodied, without dependents and applying for some specialized jobs, according to an administration official briefed on the plan.

Trump faceoff with China exposes GOP weakness in rural U.S.

Matt Aultman, a grain salesman and feed nutritionist with Keller Grain & Feed, Inc., speaks beside grain and soybean silos during an interview at their facilities in Greenville, Ohio. Matt Aultman, a grain salesman and feed nutritionist with Keller Grain & Feed, Inc., speaks beside grain and soybean silos during an interview at their facilities in Greenville, Ohio.