5 Years After Space Shuttle, Obama’s NASA Still Can’t Put A Man Into Space

The last Space Shuttle launched 5 years ago Thursday, but NASA still cannot put men into space without Russian cooperation due to President Obama's cuts to the agency's exploration and spaceflight capability. NASA plans to return to Earth's orbit are entirely dependent on private companies, some of which are scheduled to launch by the end of next year.

Humans Are Playing High-Risk Ecological Roulette

Humans have reduced biodiversity - the teeming variety of plant and animal life that competes and co-operates in every ecosystem - to below safe levels across more than 58% of the planet's land surface . This is ultimately bad news for human food security because biological diversity underwrites what naturalists call the resilient ecosystem services on which humans and all higher animals depend - crop pollination and pest control, nutrient decomposition and recycling, water and air purification - and because that 58% of the terrestrial planet is home to 71% of all humans, That humans are reducing biodiversity - and at a cost to the disturbed ecosystems - is not news.

‘Earthquake’ reported off Florida waters was really a Navy test

Remember all that social media buzz over the weekend about an earthquake off the coast of Daytona Beach? Never mind. It appears the “earthquake” detected by the U.S. Geological Survey on Saturday was really triggered by a manmade explosion designed to test the seaworthiness of a new Navy vessel.

Feed Quality Demand Drives Haying Innovations

The end-user, whether it be the cow or the cattle feeder, is becoming more important to hay and forage producers, and because of that, the equipment in the hay meadow is changing. "Forage vs. baleage is the trend I'm seeing," says Gary Berger, sales and marketing director for Edney Distributing Co., a machinery distributor serving the upper Midwest.

Dead whale that keeps floating to coast may have returned

Officials say a dead whale that keeps returning to the Southern California coast after being towed out to the ocean might have floated back to the coast again. Officials say a dead whale that keeps returning to the Southern California coast after being towed out to the ocean might have floated back to the coast again.

USDA Funds 81 Distance Learning and Telemedicine Projects in 32 States

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will fund 81 Distance Learning and Telemedicine projects in 32 states. These projects will help connect rural communities with medical and educational experts in other parts of the country, increasing access to health care, substance misuse treatment and advanced educational opportunities.

Congress OKs bill requiring first GMO food labels

Consumers wanting to know if their foods contain genetically modified ingredients will be able to find out for the first time. Congress sent legislation to President Barack Obama on Thursday that would require most food packages to carry a text label, a symbol or an electronic code readable by smartphone that indicates whether the food contains genetically modified ingredients, or GMOs.

Microsoft Wins Appeal on Overseas Data Searches

Microsoft has won an appeal in a closely watched legal case that tests the limits of law enforcement's ability to obtain data stored outside of the United States. On Thursday, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed a lower court's ruling that Microsoft must turn over e-mail communications for a suspect in a narcotics case stored in a Microsoft data center in Dublin.

Mosquito Mascot Trolls Senate Republicans At Zika Hearing

A man in a full-body mosquito costume trolled Senate Republicans on Wednesday by distributing insect repellent outside of their hearing on the Zika virus. The human-sized mosquito, a reproductive rights advocate with NARAL Pro-Choice America, made an appearance to denounce Republicans' lack of action on the Zika epidemic.

Farm Journal Foundation Congratulates Congress On Enhancing Global Food Security

FARM JOURNAL FOUNDATION CONGRATULATES CONGRESS ON ENHANCING GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY Jul. 11, 2016 Source: Farm Journal Foundation news release On behalf of the Farm Journal Foundation, our Farmers Feeding the World leaders across the United States and more than twenty thousand HungerU student advocates, we would like to thank Congress for passing the Global Food Security Act of 2016. This bi-partisan bill affirms U.S. leadership in enhancing global food security, primarily by helping farmers in developing countries produce more of their own food to improve their livelihoods.

Wish for Water: Grant provides help to those without water

Marilyn La Combe stood outside an outbuilding at the Evansville Fire Department, dropped a quarter into the slot and jiggled the handle until water came out of the short hose. She gets about three minutes worth of water for each quarter, but the pressure is lower in the afternoon than it is in the morning, she said.

USDA FoodKeeper App to feature new food safety tools – Spanish and Portuguese functionality

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced new updates to its popular FoodKeeper application, which will increase the app's food safety features while empowering more consumers help reduce food waste in the U.S. The app has been updated to include information in Spanish and Portuguese, making it easier for Spanish and Portuguese speakers to use its storage recommendations for 400+ items covered by the tool, including various types of baby food, dairy products and eggs, meat, poultry, produce, seafood, and more. The next planned update, coming in September, will allow the app to alert users of food recalls and include instructional videos on proper handling and storage of food.