Fertilizer prices are up dramatically this spring, increasing input costs for growers. Data from the Department of Agriculture shows prices are up between 17 and 57% since the fall. David Widmar of Agricultural Economics Insights says that while nitrogen often gets the most attention, phosphorus prices are up the most. Anhydrous ammonia and urea…… MORE
Esteban Rillo
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office most wanted person of the week is: Esteban Rillo of Fresno. A judge has issued two separate bench warrants for failing to appear in court. He is facing a dozen charges, including auto theft, identity theft and the possession of drugs and guns. Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Rillo two…… MORE
Obama Family Matriarch Dies at 99
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Sarah Obama, the matriarch of former U.S. President Barack Obama’s Kenyan family has died, relatives and officials confirmed but did not disclose the cause of death. She was at least 99 years old. Mama Sarah, as the step-grandmother of the former U.S. president was fondly called, was a philanthropist who promoted…… MORE
WHO Draft Report Says Animals Likely Source of COVID-19
BEIJING (AP) – A joint World Health Organization-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that transmission from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario and that a lab leak of the coronavirus is “extremely unlikely.” A draft copy was obtained Monday by The Associated Press. The findings offer little new…… MORE
More Ag Research Needed
A new report says stagnant public funding for agricultural research is threatening the future vitality of U.S. food systems. That poses risks to farmer productivity and profitability, the steady supply of affordable food, and ultimately, global food security. The report is a joint effort from the Farm Journal Foundation and the American Farm Bureau…… MORE
Biden Extends Federal Moratorium on Evictions
The Biden administration is extending a federal moratorium on evictions of tenants who have fallen behind on rent during the coronavirus pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved to continue the pandemic-related protection, which had been scheduled to expire on Wednesday. The moratorium is now extended through the end of June. The moratorium,…… MORE
Giant Container Ship That Blocked Suez Canal Set Free
SUEZ, Egypt (AP) – A canal service provider says workers have successfully set free a colossal container ship that for nearly a week has been stuck sideways across the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most crucial arteries for trade. Leth Agencies said the vessel had been refloated on Monday. Helped by the peak of…… MORE
Lawmakers Decry Violence Against Asians in Georgia Visit
ATLANTA (AP) – Members of Congress laid flowers at the three massage businesses in Georgia where a gunman killed eight people, six of them women of Asian descent. The congressional delegation that visited the sites on Sunday included members of the Asian Pacific American Caucus. The lawmakers said they wanted to experience the shooter’s roughly…… MORE
Average US Price of Gas Jumps to $2.94 a Gallon
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) – The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline jumped a nickel per gallon over the past two weeks to $2.94. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey says Sunday that the price at the pump might be near its peak as gasoline supply evens out across the country. The price of…… MORE
Have COVID-19 Stress & Uncertainty Stalled Anti-Smoking Push?
WASHINGTON (AP) – A year after COVID-19 upended lives, there are troubling signs that the pandemic stalled efforts to get Americans to stop smoking. There were fewer calls made to quit-smoking hotlines last year. Some people reported smoking more. And there was an unusual bump in cigarette sales. Experts say unemployment, delayed medical care and…… MORE
