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TOP HEADLINES
June 28 primaries may be anything but tranquil in Oklahoma:
Knock on wood, the storm season in Oklahoma this spring has been mild compared with some years. On the political front, might that change in the early days of summer? [The Oklahoman]
Landowners and federal officials dispute Red River’s boundaries (audio):
The federal government is changing the border between Texas and Oklahoma. What’s going on? That’s what landowners along the Red River want to know [NPR].
USDA extends organic livestock rule comment period:
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has announced an extension of the comment period on a proposed rule dealing with organic livestock production practices [Agri-Pulse].
U.S. farmers fret as property taxes sour amid souring incomes:
Collapsing prices for U.S. corn and soybeans have made it harder for some farmers to pay their property taxes, at a time when these tax bills are soaring and the rate of farm bankruptcies is growing [Reuters].
U.S. lawmakers probe EPA staff over possible bias in herbicide review:
U.S. lawmakers are investigating whether U.S. Environmental Protection Agency staff influenced the World Health Organization’s review of glyphosate and its finding that the herbicide probably causes cancer, according to a letter sent to the agency on Tuesday [Reuters].
Clock is ticking on GMO labeling (audio):
With a Vermont GMO labeling bill set to go into effect at the beginning of July, negotiators in the Senate have yet to pass a bill that would create a national standard [Agri-Pulse].
Deadline quickly approaching for U.S. Senate to pass national GMO labeling standard:
In just a few weeks, Vermont’s state mandate on labeling genetically engineered foods will become the de facto standard for the entire nation, which will disrupt America’s food supply chain and increase costs for consumers, farmers and manufacturers [Coalition for Safe and Affordable Food].
Vermont’s GMO labeling law – Taking on the ‘natural’ claim:
A key issue before the Vermont district court is whether consumers are misled by the labeling of GE food products as “natural.” Vermont argues that, under the First Amendment, it has the right to regulate misleading speech [Battleboro Reformer].
Crops rot while Trump-led immigration backlash idles farm work:
The death of meaningful U.S. immigration reform, done in by Washington partisanship and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s incendiary comments on foreigners, is leaving crops withering in the field and the farm lobby with nowhere to turn as a labor shortage intensifies [Bloomberg].
The livelihood and lifeblood of rural America:
Agriculture is the foundation of our livelihood and the lifeblood of rural America. I like to joke with my urban colleagues who say they do not “have agriculture” in their district that as long as their constituents eat, dress, and drive, they have a vested interest in agriculture [Bloomberg].
And the Democratic nominee is…:
Hillary Clinton. According to an AP report last night the former Secretary of State and U.S. Senator from New York clinched the number of delegates needed for the Democratic nomination before the final six states cast their primary ballots today [FB Advocacy].
