AgClips
Recent AgClips
Rural prosperity center jumps hurdle
Valdosta Daily Times | Posted onMarch 6, 2018 in Rural, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA plan to create an academic center focusing on the needs of rural Georgia cleared a milestone, but conversations about funding still await lawmakers. House lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the measure, sending it to the Senate.
Oregon sues to shut down new mega-dairy, citing repeated manure spills
edairynews | Posted onMarch 6, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsLost Valley Farm opened in April 2017 near Boardman along the Columbia River in north central Oregon to supply the Tillamook County Creamery Association, which makes Tillamook Cheese.
Legal challenge to Iowa ag gag law moves forward
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onMarch 1, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA U.S. District Court judge has denied Iowa’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s “ag gag” law. In October, a coalition of groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Center for Food Safety, and Public Justice filed the lawsuit, claiming the law violates Iowans’ First Amendment right to free speech. The suit was filed in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
Trump budget eliminates sweat equity and 10 other rural housing programs
Daily Yonder | Posted onMarch 1, 2018 in Federal, Rural NewsDespite pushback from the House and Senate on a similar proposal released last year, the Trump administration again recommends doing away with a majority of the nation’s rural housing programs.
Senator, don’t tax irrigation water in Nebraska
Scottsbluff Star Herald | Posted onMarch 1, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsAny legislation that would increase the tax burden for Nebraska farmers deserves a quick and unceremonious defeat in the Unicameral. We’re speaking specifically about LB1022, a proposal to tax irrigation water. The idea makes little sense because farmers and ranchers already are paying more than their fair share in property taxes and are struggling to turn a profit, so why has Columbus state Sen. Paul Schumacher proposed taxing irrigation wells?
US solar company to lay off hundreds of workers after Trump tariffs
The Hill | Posted onMarch 1, 2018 in Energy, Federal NewsAmerican solar company SunPower will lay off about 3 percent of its workforce in March, a decision that comes after President Trump began imposing new tariffs on imported solar materials earlier this month. SunPower has already started the process of laying off between 150 and 250 workers, largely from its research and development and marketing positions, CEO Tom Werner told The Hill. The cuts will amount to about a 10 decrease in operational expenses.
Judge says she blocked Louisiana pipeline permit on 'irreparable harm' concern
Reuters | Posted onMarch 1, 2018 in Energy NewsA judge in Louisiana who halted development of a section of Energy Transfer Partners’ Bayou Bridge oil pipeline last week said on Tuesday that her decision was designed to prevent “further irreparable harm” to wetlands. U.S. district judge Shelly Dick on Friday issued a temporary injunction preventing work on an extension to the Bayou Bridge system, revoking a permit and siding with environmentalists and fishermen who have expressed concerns about its potential effect on the local economy and wildlife.
West Virginia Gas Companies Wined and Dined Lawmakers Before Scoring Favorable Fracking Legislation
Desmog | Posted onMarch 1, 2018 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA country club luncheon. A $130 steak dinner. A whiskey tasting. Dinner at an historic neo-Georgian mansion. These are just a few examples of the many occasions last year when oil and gas lobbyists wined and dined West Virginia state lawmakers on key committees that craft fossil fuel legislation. Lobbyists representing industry players including natural gas giant EQT, Antero Resources, TransCanada, and multiple oil and gas trade associations wooed state lawmakers with thousands of dollars’ worth of food and drink throughout 2017, according to lobbying records
Attorney Generals pledge to keep suing Trump admin over environmental policies
The Hill | Posted onMarch 1, 2018 in Federal NewsA group of Democratic state attorneys general has taken 80 legal actions against the Trump administration over environmental policies, and is promising even more. A report released by a group helping the attorneys general outlined the lawsuits and other actions in areas like greenhouse gas pollution, energy efficiency, methane, water pollution, ozone and more, often resulting in victories.
Food stamp benefits are already too low in 99 percent of U.S. counties
The Washington Post | Posted onMarch 1, 2018 in Federal, Food NewsResearchers found that in 99 percent of counties those meals regularly cost more than even the maximum benefit disbursed by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In Manhattan, for instance — home to nearly a quarter-million food-stamp recipients — SNAP allows $1.86 per meal, while the average meal costs $3.96. The reports add to a growing body of evidence that SNAP benefits may already be too small to fully prevent hunger and related health risks.