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Federal government discloses it already shipped plutonium to Nevada, without state's knowledge or consent

Federal officials have disclosed that they shipped radioactive plutonium to Nevada in spite of the state’s vehement opposition to the idea and concerns that doing so would be a slippery slope to opening the state up to further nuclear waste dumping. In a federal court filing on Wednesday, National Nuclear Security Administration General Counsel Bruce Diamond stated that the agency sent about half a metric ton of the substance sometime before November 2018, prior to Nevada suing over the proposed move. The transfer was done after a U.S. [node:read-more:link]

A Black Legacy, Wrapped Up in Fur

There is a sense among many black women that cultural disavowal of fur has coincided with our increased ability to purchase it.These days there are plenty of other materials available to cover one’s nakedness, a point that anti-fur activists readily make. The past few decades have seen a humanitarian backlash to animal fur clothing. [node:read-more:link]

Horse racing bill introduced in Georgia General Assembly

Georgia lawmakers are expected to steer clear of casino gambling this year, but legislation introduced into the state Senate calls for legalizing pari-mutuel betting on horse racing. The Rural Georgia Jobs and Growth Act pitches horse racing as an economic development boon for struggling rural communities, which could see the creation of a new industry surrounding the raising of racehorses. [node:read-more:link]

Gains for animal health in farm bill

The new farm bill authorizes funding to create a new National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, enhances resources for the existing National Animal Health Laboratory Network, and establishes the new National Animal Vaccine and Countermeasures Bank with immediate attention on foot-and-mouth disease. "These programs will provide vital improvements to our national animal disease response capabilities and help protect the livelihoods of ranchers and farmers. [node:read-more:link]

Washington hemp bills line up on allowing CBD

House and Senate bills now agree on removing two major barriers to the cultivation of hemp in Washington. The bills would legalize processing hemp into cannabidiol, or CBD, for human consumption, an attractive market now closed to Washington farmers and processors.The bills also would strike down a state Department of Agriculture rule that forces hemp farmers to shut down if a marijuana grower decides to plant within 4 miles. Meant to prevent hemp from cross-pollinating with marijuana, the rule subordinates hemp to recreational marijuana.  [node:read-more:link]

Rural colleges aren’t supplying the workers rural businesses and agriculture need

Like Beasley, a retired large-animal veterinarian, farmers nationwide are hard-pressed these days to find mechanics trained to maintain their 21st-century equipment or workers who understand the complexities of modern farming or how to tend to cows or horses.In many cases, all sides agree, this is a result of a lack of communication and even a cultural divide between educators and farmers and other rural businesses. In others, colleges are putting a priority on turning out computer coders and other graduates with skills in demand farther afield.  [node:read-more:link]

Arizona Joins Colorado River Drought Plan, a Move That Could Help Protect California Drinking Water

Arizona will join a drought plan for the Colorado River, narrowly meeting a federal deadline that threatened to blow up a compromise years in the making for the seven states that draw water from the constrained river. The Arizona House and Senate overwhelmingly supported the legislation and Gov. Doug Ducey promptly signed it, delivering the final puzzle piece needed to avoid potentially more severe cutbacks imposed by the federal government. [node:read-more:link]

‘Big crops, low prices,’ for a long time ahead, says CBO

Farm-gate prices for corn and soybeans, the two most widely grown crops in the United States, are stuck in a rut for years to come, said the CBO on Monday in its long-term budget outlook. Farmers will grow near-record corn crops to generate revenue while slowly working down a soybean stockpile that is expected to approach a billion bushels this summer, the largest inventory ever. Farm income plummeted with the collapse of a seven-year commodity boom in 2013. [node:read-more:link]

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