Trump talks Agriculture position with former TX lawmaker

Bonilla made his comments Friday after traveling to Florida for a meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, telling reporters that the meeting "went very well" and that he remains under consideration for the post. "I didn't ask him about other interviews or who else has been through here but I sense that they're close to making a decision, they've got quite a few people, that's my understanding."

USDA announces new conservation farmland transfer policy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a new policy designed to allow farmers to take land out of a conservation program early if it is to be transferred to the next generation of farmers. Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Lanon Baccam says beginning Jan. 9, the USDA will offer an early termination opportunity for certain Conservation Reserve Program contracts.

Obama names Utah, Nevada monuments despite opposition

President Barack Obama designated two national monuments Wednesday at sites in Utah and Nevada that have become key flashpoints over use of public land in the U.S. West, marking the administration's latest move to protect environmentally sensitive areas in its final days. The Bears Ears National Monument in Utah will cover 1.35 million acres in the Four Corners region, the White House said.

Letter writer fears return to 19th century rape of land

Donald Trump's pick of fossil fuel-friendly Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency means we can finally start plundering the planet again without regard to the consequences. Let's emulate the regulation-free 19th century when we raped and pillaged the environment to enrich the greedy robber barons - the 1 percent of their day.

Election system susceptible to rigging despite red flags

Jill Stein's bid to recount votes in Pennsylvania was in trouble even before a federal judge shot it down Dec. 12. That's because the Green Party candidate's effort stood almost no chance of detecting potential fraud or error in the vote - there was basically nothing to recount. Pennsylvania is one of 11 states where the majority of voters use antiquated machines that store votes electronically, without printed ballots or other paper-based backups that could be used to double-check the balloting.

Recounts or no, U.S. elections are still vulnerable to hacking

Jill Stein's bid to recount votes in Pennsylvania was in trouble even before a federal judge shot it down Dec. 12. That's because the Green Party candidate's effort stood almost no chance of detecting potential fraud or error in the vote - there was basically nothing to recount. Pennsylvania is one of 11 states where the majority of voters use antiquated machines that store votes electronically, without printed ballots or other paper-based backups that could be used to double-check the balloting.

Legal Loophole Lets Feds Delete Tons Of Official Records

A loophole in federal law allows Environmental Protection Agency employees and other federal workers get away with deleting millions of official records created using cellphone text messaging, according to government transparency experts. The Federal Records Act and EPA policy allow individual employees who create and receive cell phone text messages to decide whether a particular one constitutes a federal record before deleting or preserving it.

Almond drink? Soy juice? Some lawmakers want to crack down on what can be sold as ‘milk’

A group of more than 20 U.S. legislators sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration demanding it require the makers of soy milk, almond milk and rice milk to drop "milk" from the label of anything that doesn't come directly from an animal. In the latest salvo in a nearly two-decades-old fight over what should and shouldn't be called milk, a group of more than 20 U.S. legislators sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration demanding it require the makers of soy milk, almond milk and rice milk to drop "milk" from the label of anything that doesn't come directly from an animal.

USDA Blog: ‘Minneapolis School Embraces Family-Style Dining’

"What if school lunchtime was more than just a wait in line and a race to find a seat and eat, but instead was more like a traditional family meal a time when friends gather to enjoy their food, engage in meaningful conversation, build relationships and gain important life skills?" That's the question posed by the principal of a Minneapolis public elementary school in a blog posted Tuesday on the Agriculture Department website. The principal explains that her school decided to abandon the typical chaotic and impersonal lunchroom experience and create a family-style dining program.

USDA will allow lemon imports from Argentina

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Dec. 20 that it would publish its final rule allowing lemon imports from areas of Argentina into the U.S. Its pest risk assessment and three site visits, most recently in September, led the agency to conclude that a systems approach requiring registration, monitoring, treatment and traceability protocols for production and packinghouses, among other measures, would reduce the risk of introducing Argentine pests into the U.S. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service sent the rule to the Federal Register, to take effect 30 days after publication.

Electoral College Members Meeting Across the Country to Cast Votes

But in cases where breast milk is not available from an infant's mother, getting access to saf... - The 538 electors are meeting Monday to cast their votes in the last step of the presidential election. But what is usually a formality has taken on new significance this year with Donald Trump's election and calls for electors to defect.

EU Brandishes Climate Credentials Amid Doubts Over Trump’s Aims

As U.S. President-elect Donald Trump pledges to bolster industries blamed for global warming, the European Union is forging ahead with legislation meant to increase the cost of the dirtiest forms of energy. Environment ministers from the EU are due to meet in Brussels on Monday for deliberations over tighter emission caps on power plants and factories, aiming to make good on a vow to slash greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide by 40 percent in 2030 compared with 1990 levels.