Top Agriculture News

Turmoil, worry swirl over cuts to key federal agencies as hurricane season begins

WASHINGTON (AP) — As hurricane season begins, experts in storms and disasters are worried about massive cuts to the federal system that forecasts, tracks and responds to the storms. Experts are alarmed over the large-scale staff reductions, travel and training restrictions and grant cut-offs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and is predicted to busier than average this year. Representatives of both NOAA and FEMA say the agencies are prepared.… Continue Reading

Insect-eating Venus flytraps thrive in the Carolinas as hikers peek into their native ecosystem

By ERIK VERDUZCO Associated Press CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. (AP) — Park ranger Jesse Anderson leads dozens of people on a weekly hike in North Carolina to see some of the most unique living things in the world — plants that supplement the nutrients they get from sunlight by digesting ants, flies and spiders. But the Venus…… Continue Reading

North Carolina House advances more Hurricane Helene aid in $465M package

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina House has advanced another Hurricane Helene funding package to address pressing needs in the mountains eight months after the storm. The chamber approved a $465 million spending plan unanimously on Thursday. It’s about half what Democratic Gov. Josh Stein requested from the Republican-controlled General Assembly earlier this week. Republican lawmakers had been working on their package before Stein’s pitch. The General Assembly already has provided $1.6 billion in Helene recovery funding. But the needs are many times greater, and federal funds have been slow in reaching western North Carolina. The bill now heading to the Senate includes a business grant program.… Continue Reading

New salmonella outbreak tied to same Florida grower with tainted cucumbers last year

U.S. health officials are investigating a new outbreak of salmonella illnesses tied to a Florida grower whose tainted cucumbers were linked to more than 500 illnesses last year. Cucumbers grown by Florida-based Bedner Growers and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Sales are linked to at least 26 illnesses in 15 states. Nine people have been hospitalized. The outbreak was detected as part of a follow-up inspection in April to a 2024 outbreak that ended in August. Investigators traced that outbreak to untreated canal water. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps.… Continue Reading

On ‘World Bee Day,’ the bees did not seem bothered. They should be

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — Tuesday was the eighth annual “World Bee Day.” Bees and other pollinators have been on the decline for years. Experts blame a combination of factors. They include insecticides, parasites, disease, climate change and lack of a diverse food supply. A significant part of the human diet comes from plants pollinated by bees. And not just honeybees but hundreds of species of lesser-known wild bees. Many of them are endangered. The U.N. General Assembly sponsored the first “World Bee Day” in 2018 to bring attention to the bees’ plight. Steps as small as planting a pollinator garden or buying raw honey from local farmers were encouraged.… Continue Reading

North Carolina governor urges state lawmakers to include more Helene aid in upcoming budget

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein made another request of state lawmakers to commit hundreds of millions more dollars to western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene last year. Stein’s proposal announced Monday totals $891 million. The governor says the money will go to addressing critical needs such as revitalizing local economies, repairing town infrastructure and providing housing assistance. The state legislature has already appropriated or made available more than $1 billion for Helene recovery since the storm ravaged the western part of the state in September. Stein also emphasized the need for state funds instead of waiting for “uncertain federal assistance.”… Continue Reading

What the EPA’s partial rollback of the ‘forever chemical’ drinking water rule means

The Environmental Protection Agency says it will roll back limits on several types of what are known as forever chemicals in drinking water. The agency, however, will keep limits on the two most common types, called PFOA and PFOS, although it will offer a two-year deadline extension for utilities to comply. PFAS are a group of chemicals that have been around for decades and are incredibly useful in household products, but that resilience also makes them hazardous.… Continue Reading

US egg prices fall for the first time in months but remain near record highs

Government data shows U.S. retail egg prices have declined for the first time since October. The average price for a dozen Grade A eggs fell to $5.12 in April after reaching a record $6.23 in March, according to the Consumer Price Index released on Tuesday. The average price of eggs of all sizes fell 12.7%, which was the steepest monthly decline since March 1984. Still, U.S. egg prices remain near record highs as a persistent outbreak of bird flu continues to wipe out egg-laying hens. April’s store price was 79% higher than a year earlier, when the retail price averaged $2.86 per dozen.… Continue Reading

How bugs and beet juice could play roles in the race to replace artificial dyes in food

ST. LOUIS (AP) — U.S. health officials are pushing to get artificial colors out of the nation’s food supply. Sensient Technologies Corp. is one of the world’s largest dyemakers. The company has seen a surge in businesses rushing to covert their products from synthetic to natural colors. The process to change from petroleum-based dyes to colors made from vegetables, fruits, flowers and even insects won’t be cheap or easy. Health advocates have long called for the removal of the dyes. They cite mixed evidence that the colors are linked to behavior problems and obesity in kids.… Continue Reading

Trump says he’s not backing down on tariffs, calls them ‘medicine’ as markets reel

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump says he won’t back down on his sweeping tariffs on imports from most of the world unless countries even out their trade with the U.S. He’s digging in on his plans to implement the taxes that have sent financial markets reeling, raised fears of a recession and upended the global trading system. Speaking to reporters Sunday aboard Air Force One, Trump said he didn’t want global markets to fall, but also that he wasn’t concerned about the massive sell-off either, adding, “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.” His comments came after Trump’s aides sought to soothe market concerns by saying more than 50 nations had reached out about launching negotiations to lift the tariffs.… Continue Reading

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