The FDA’s approval of the application related to AquAdvantage Salmon followed a comprehensive analysis of the scientific evidence, which determined that the GE Atlantic salmon met the statutory requirements for safety and effectiveness under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. However, in 2016, Congress directed the FDA not to allow into commerce any food that contains GE salmon until it issued final labeling guidelines for informing consumers of the GE salmon content in the food. [node:read-more:link]

 The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

The Georgia Senate voted to approve a measure that would give the state control of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a move that Atlanta’s mayor said is tantamount to declaring war on the city.The bill’s Republican supporters say the switch is needed to protect the state’s economic engine from corruption and mismanagement, and the indictment Wednesday of a longtime Atlanta contractor on bribery charges added fuel to the fire.Democrats say the state has no legal right to take control of the airport that the city still controls. [node:read-more:link]

Following an intense and emotional debate that brought some lawmakers to tears, the Maryland House of Delegates approved a bill that would allow terminally ill adults to obtain prescription drugs they could take to end their lives. [node:read-more:link]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued today a best practices guideline to help the meat and poultry industry respond to customer complaints that are determined to be associated with adulterated or misbranded meat and poultry products. [node:read-more:link]

Iowans understand the mounting issues we have in water and conservation in our state. They can see that we need to address water quality and manage recurrent flooding with sustainable solutions, like expanding wetland areas that can help naturally filter our water and provide areas to take on rising flood waters that can help mitigate the devastation seen in many of our communities the past few years.Incentives and low-interest loan programs have successfully encouraged landowners to voluntarily donate or sell their land for nonprofit and public conservation efforts. [node:read-more:link]

Food safety inspections on produce farms are beginning this month, but there are still questions as to what the first round of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule inspections will look like. The fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be regulating farms for the first time is concerning for many produce farmers who have never interacted with FDA before on a regular basis. Adding to the anxiety for some producers, is the fact that this will be the first time in history that they will have to deal with regular inspections on their farm. [node:read-more:link]

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the Enumeration Clause, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. Judge Richard Seeborg of the Northern District of California ruled that the question was "quite effective at depressing self-response rates among immigrants and noncitizens, and poses a significant risk of distorting the apportionment of congressional representation among the states." [node:read-more:link]

HB 1191 sailed through the House with very little opposition. I think it only received two no votes on the House floor. This past week in committee we heard HB 1191. Since the time it was in the House, opposition from the governor's office has increased dramatically. Her concerns are primarily that this is going to make law enforcement's job more difficult when it comes to detection of marijuana. As farmers continue to see depressed grain markets, they eventually will look for alternative crops that may help them make ends meet.Hemp may be that product, however it may not. [node:read-more:link]

More than 90% of coal plants that monitor groundwater pollution across the United States are leaking toxic coal ash pollution, according to a new national report based on industry disclosures. [node:read-more:link]