Federal Agencies & Regulators
Krypton 81 helps track ancient water source of Nubian Aquifer, shared by Egypt, Libya, Chad and Sudan; technique could track brine in NM, where radioactive waste is stored
By Felicity Barringer
The New York Times 2011-11-21
EPA to probe fracking sites in PA, CO, LA, ND, TX to measure impact of drilling on entire water lifecycle, from taking water from rivers to sequestering tainted wastewater
By Dina Cappiello
The Associated Press; St. Louis Post-Dispatch 2011-11-03
Labeling genetically modified foods would scare consumers away from buying them, State Department says; virtually any U.S. food containing corn or soy would have to be labeled
By Philip Brasher
The Des Moines Register 2011-10-12
International Oversight
Increased competition over land for growing biofuels, coupled with climate change and poor farming practices risks ability to feed growing population, UN warns
The Associated Press; The Washington Post 2011-11-28
Despite public health threat of cadmium, Mexico continues use of it in production of fertilizer, toys, batteries; population absorbs toxin through foods, smoking tobacco
By Emilio Godoy
Inter Press Service (Rome, Italy) 2011-11-03
Haiti, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe most vulnerable to extreme weather of climate change and lack social, financial ability to cope; areas of north America, northern Europe protected
By Damian Carrington
The Guardian (UK) 2011-10-26
"Congress is fighting to keep pizza and French fries on the school menus when we have an obesity problem nationally."
Judicial & Prisons
Opinion: Immigrant purge will leave onions, peaches to rot in fields; states' attempts to engineer expulsion of 11m undocumented is lunacy and DOJ needs to work harder
The editors
The New York Times 2011-07-04
SEC investigating Monsanto over use of cash to persuade distributors to use its herbicides; firm already subject of probe by DOJ into potential anti-competitive practices
By Hal Weitzman
Financial Times 2011-06-29
Opinion: Bribery memo set off an ethics scandal that reached Tyson's executives, raises questions about who, if anyone, is held accountable for high-level corporate crime
By James B. Stewart
The New York Times 2011-06-24
Local Government
Opinion: Proponents of urban homesteaders' backyard slaughter rights engage in exaggeration, omissions, other techniques similar to those used by industrial agriculture
By James E. McWilliams
The Atlantic 2011-10-12
Sewage causes coral die-off in Florida Keys, researcher learns; culprit is bacterium called Serratia marcescens, which often causes hospital-acquired infections
By Richard Harris
National Public Radio/ All Things Considered 2011-08-17
Stung by criticism after goose kill left tons of meat in landfills, NY to have 2011 geese sent to PA food banks; goose said to be tastier than most species of duck
By Andy Newman
The New York Times 2011-06-15
State Government
Dam-building project means switch to water from Calaveras Reservoir for San Francisco area; customers note foul smell, moldy taste caused by Aphanizomenon, an algae
By Peter Fimrite
San Francisco Chronicle 2011-11-02
As Alabama immigration law takes effect, farm, construction workers flee; farmer sees only 8 of 48 Hispanic workers she needed for tomato harvest show up
By Phillip Rawls
The Associated Press; The Washington Post 2011-10-05
Georgia projected to take $391 million hit, shed 3,260 jobs this year because of farm labor shortages; farmers complain about immigration law that scared farm workers
By Jeremy Redmon and Daniel Malloy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2011-10-04
U.S. Legislation
Opinion: As Congress refuses to fix immigration and states run amok on enforcement, we need sensible policy that aids 11 million undocumented already here and working
The editors
The New York Times 2011-10-27
Oregon congressman urges revamp of farm bill, moving billions away from agribusiness and new focus on aid to family farmers, new farmers and production of healthy, local food
By Pete Kasperowicz
The Hill 2011-10-26
Opinion: House, Senate Ag panel leaders try to write new farm bill in private, with plans to take it to deficit committee to be enacted whole, without votes; farm bill sets food policy for 5 years
By Carolyn Lochhead
San Francisco Chronicle 2011-10-26