Humphreys County, Mississippi, has the highest rate of federal income-tax audits of any county in the U.S. In a baffling twist of logic, that's because it's also one of the poorest counties in the country. [node:read-more:link]
A newly released report shows how U.S. farmers — facing a surge of weather events and disease outbreaks — can increase production and revenues with innovations produced by federally funded agricultural research but warns that more investment in agricultural research is needed to prevent falling further behind China. [node:read-more:link]
The met Wednesday afternoon with members of the Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA to review the status of flood recovery and map out a direction toward critical improvements need to prevent this from happening in the future. [node:read-more:link]
Most Washington dairy farmers don’t brand cows and aren’t in the mood to pay more to support a brand program, an industry representative told lawmakers, complicating a last-ditch push to save the program aimed at marketing cattle and deterring rustlers. Other cattle groups endorsed a plan to raise fees to fund inspections by the state Department of Agriculture of cattle changing owners. Washington State Dairy Federation policy director Jay Gordon said recent meetings with members revealed strong opposition. [node:read-more:link]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Department and the Department of Health and Human Services are partnering to create addiction recovery transitional housing in rural communities.The grant is targeted to create homes for people struggling with opioid addictions. Nonprofit organizations will be able to purchase homes from the USDA and convert them to transitional housing for people recovering from opioid misuse. [node:read-more:link]
Vermont veterinarians are hoping to formalize an unofficial sales and use tax exemption that has been applied to some veterinary supplies for 50 years.Veterinarians and their patients support the exemptions, which have been in place since 1969 relating to some human medical supplies and to some animals used in agriculture. Over the years, the exemptions came to be applied to a wide range of veterinary supplies used on all animals, companion or otherwise. [node:read-more:link]
Wisconsin groups and individuals have launched a grassroots push to urge Gov. Tony Evers and the Legislature to combat chronic wasting disease.Called the CWD Action Initiative, the effort is focused on protecting the health of Wisconsin’s wild deer and elk populations. The drive was publicly unveiled in recent days. [node:read-more:link]
China’s decision to block imports of Canadian canola products signals a significant threat to Canada’s canola farming industry — and has the government rushing to resolve the dispute. The canola farming and export business in Canada is a major economic driver and represents one of the country’s most valuable commodities. The crop contributes approximately $26.7 billion to the economy every year and employs more than 250,000 people, according to Brian Innes, vice-president of public affairs with the Canola Council of Canada. [node:read-more:link]
The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging a new law signed by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem aimed at potential protests against the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline. The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit Thursday on behalf of groups and individuals planning to protest the pipeline or encourage others to do so.Noem signed the act on Wednesday that allows officials to pursue money from demonstrators who encourage violence. [node:read-more:link]
The Ohio Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday that would allow people to grow industrial hemp and have cannabidiol, or CBD, products. Technically, Senate Bill 57 would decriminalize hemp and hemp products by excluding them from the definition of marijuana that is used to enforce drug laws. Practically, the bill would allow for the growth, processing, sale and research of the plant. [node:read-more:link]
