The U.S. dairy industry is concerned about plant based milks in grocery stores carrying the label “milk.” The Food and Drug Administration announced it is reopening the public comment period on draft guidance for labeling plant-based products. “ The FDA is reopening the comment period in response to requests from industry stakeholders for more time…… MORE
Supreme Court Preserves Access To Abortion Pill For Now
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday preserved women’s access to a drug used in the most common method of abortion, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues. The justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, maker of the drug mifepristone. They are appealing a lower court ruling that…… MORE
2 Men Wrongly Convicted In California Are Declared Innocent
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two men who served nearly 17 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of attempted murder after a 2004 shooting were declared innocent Thursday by a California judge. Under a new law, the state is required to pay them each $140 for every day they spent behind bars, or about $900,000.…… MORE
Central Valley Desalination Project
Efforts to remove salt from valley water get a big boost. The Westlands Water District says it’s one step closer to improving the water supply for local communities and farmers. According to a district announcement, the California Department of Water Resources awarded a grant to build a desalination and on farm recycling project. That project…… MORE
Assembly Public Safety Committee Will Hold Special Hearing on Fentanyl Bills
SACRAMENTO, CA (KMJ) – On Thursday morning, Assembly Democrats approved a special hearing of the Assembly Public Safety Committee to hear five fentanyl bills that they refused to hear previously. Previously, Assembly Public Safety Committee Chairman, Jones-Sawyer, a democrat from Los Angeles, had announced that the committee would refuse to hear any more bills combating…… MORE
WOTUS Veto Override Fails in Congress
The House of Representatives was unsuccessful in getting enough votes to override President Biden’s veto of legislation undoing a rule defining the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction. The vote failed 227-196 and didn’t meet the two-thirds requirement for overriding a presidential veto. Successful Farming says Republicans persuaded ten Democrats to vote against the Biden EPA’s rule,…… MORE
Ag Retailers Association List Top Five Farm Bill Priorities
The Ag Retailers Association says it’s cautiously optimistic the Farm Bill gets written on time. However, the association is worried that debt limit discussions may interfere. “It’s going to be tough this year with the farm bill coming up right as the debt ceiling discussion hits the deadline,” says Hunter Carpenter with the Ag Retailers…… MORE
Court Tosses Berkeley Gas Ban, But Wider Impact Is Unclear
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The politically liberal enclave of Berkeley, California became the first U.S. city to adopt a ban on natural gas in new homes and buildings in 2019, which started a climate change-driven effort in dozens of other cities and counties that’s morphed into a heated debate about the future of gas stoves.…… MORE
Late-Season Storm Brings More Snow to the Sierra Nevada
TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — The winter that wouldn’t quit showed up again in the Sierra Nevada region of California and Nevada on Tuesday. The fast-moving, blustery storm wasn’t expected to last long, but it was enough to require chain controls on some trans-Sierra highways and add to staggering snowfall totals left by an exceptional series…… MORE
Republicans Object to Replacing Feinstein on Judiciary Panel
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans blocked a Democratic request to temporarily replace California Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, leaving Democrats with few options for moving some of President Joe Biden’s stalled judicial nominees. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, objected to a resolution offered by…… MORE
