The National Geographic has photos from Houston, the Bronx and Osage, Iowa, to illustrate its story on "The new face of hunger." Writes Tracie McMillan, "The image of hunger in America today differs markedly from Depression-era images of the gaunt-faced unemployed scavenging for food on urban streets...In the United States more than half of hungry households are white, and two-thirds of those with children have at least one working adult—typically in a full-time job." A sociologist blames inadequate wages.

A bill proposed by Sens Pat Roberts of Kansas and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota would give futures customers more time to provide the funds to cover their margin requirements following a trade. A CFTC rule says the money must be deposited by the morning following a trade. Roberts and Heitkamp say the deadline should be the close of business on the day after a trade - easier for end users to satisfy.

President Obama announced a series of steps to help states and communities prepare for climate change and to speed recovery from storms and other adverse impacts. The steps range from three-dimensional mapping of the country as a way to deal with flooding to funds for management of coastal zones. The package included $236.3 million to improve the rural electric infrastructure in eight states.

An article in The Guardian turns a skeptical eye to arguments against genetically engineered foods and the advocacy groups that present them. "The reason is that advocacy groups - no matter what the issue - are not immune to pressures like other social institutions...the arguments of NGOs should be subjected to the skepticism and fact-checking that is brought to bear on the claims made by business or government," says the article.

While Congress wrangles over one-year school-lunch waiver for some schools, the Senate Agriculture Committee will hold its second hearing of the summer on child nutrition. Set for Wednesday, the hearing "will examine school meal programs across the country" with an eye for ways "to continue strengthening these programs to better support America's school children," says the hearing announcement.

A study of 20 heifers found "no noticeable detrimental effect on cattle health or well-being" from the feed supplement Zilmax to promote weight gain, says the University of Nebraska. Its researchers joined USDA scientists for the 26-day study. Drug maker Merck withdrew Zilmax from the market last year after reports of cattle appearing lame or having difficulty in standing.

For Randall's Island Urban Farm, the hardest part of growing rice in New York City - much farther north than most U.S. rice growers - was hulling the grain, "nothing but pure chore," according to "Homegrown Whole Grains." As related in a blog at The New Yorker, the farm grows small amounts of rice so a commercial-size hulling machine was out of the question. So, it did what other small-scale growers do - it bought a pocket-size huller hand-built by Don Brill in his spare time. A bicycle provides the power.

Corn Belt farmers could lose money on this year's crop if prices are in the range that USDA expects, says economist Gary Schnitkey of U-Illinois. At farmdoc daily, Schnitkey presents sample balance sheets showing potential revenues and costs for a corn farmer in central Illinois with high-yielding land. There is a $100 range for revenue, depending whether prices are $3.65 a bushel or $4.35.

Proponents of a referendum in Colorado to require labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms say they will have enough signatures to put the question on the November election ballot. The Colorado Statesman says the Right to Know initiative must submit 86,105 valid signatures by Aug 4; the group says it already has 90,000 signatures.

Six-term incumbent Thad Cochran, the Republican leader on the Senate Agriculture Committee, has a 16-point lead, 40-24, over Democrat Travis Childers for re-election to the Senate from Mississippi, says Public Policy Polling. PPP says "voters are still deeply divided over the general election" with 31 percent undecided. Childers leads 37-36 against state Sen Chris McDaniel, who lost a runoff to Cochran. PPP said 39 percent of Republicans "think that McDaniel should not concede the race to Cochran."

Drought will cost California farmers $1.5 billion out of a statewide total of $2.2 billion this year according to a report by UC-Davis, said Business Insider. Losses will include 17,000 part-time and seasonal jobs. Because of sparse precipitation, growers are getting one-third of their usual water deliveries and are offsetting the reduction by pumping much more water from wells.

The House Appropriations Committee voted to block EPA's proposed "waters of the United States" rule as part of a fiscal 2015 interior and environment spending bill. Members approved the bill on a mostly party-line vote of 29-19. "Republicans have derided the measure as a brazen power grab that could result in the EPA expanding its jurisdiction to ponds, trenches or even dry riverbeds," said The Hill newspaper.

The U.S. hog population is down 5 percent from year-ago numbers, the government said in a quarterly report that showed the impact of the deadly Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus.

In two reports today, the Agriculture Department will clarify how tight soybean stocks will get this summer and how large, possibly record-setting, the fall harvests will be.

U.S. and Japanese officials are to discuss agriculture market access issues this week in Tokyo. Market access has become a major obstacle to a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement involving...

Canadian growers reduced their wheat sowings by 7 percent from 2013 and put more land into canola and soybeans, says Stats Canada.

Lawmakers and advocates on both sides of the issue say immigration reform "is effectively dead and unlikely to be revived until after President Obama leaves office," said the Washington Post.

In its first formal forecast of the 2014/15 soybean crop, the International Grains Council forecast a record harvest, up 6 percent from the previous season, and a 24 percent jump in carryover stocks.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton "expressed enthusiasm for biotech seeds" and suggested the industry should stress the benefits of the crops, such as drought resistance, rather than the umbrella description...

Analysts generally expect USDA to report record-large soybean plantings and sizable corn planting in its Acreage report on Monday.