Quick hits, Oct. 14, 2019

California bans ‘lunch shaming’ (USA Today): Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that prevents ‘lunch shaming’ of children who owe money for school meals. The law requires that all students be given a “state reimbursable meal,” even if their parents have unpaid meal fees.

Judges bar Trump’s public charge plan (New York Times): Federal judges in New York, California and Washington state issued temporary injunctions on a Trump administration proposal that would impose obstacles to legal residency for people who use benefits such as Medicaid or food stamps or are deemed likely to use them in the future.

Buyers like their cannabis green (Palm Springs Desert Sun): Prodded by environmentally conscious customers, the energy-intensive legal cannabis industry “presents an opportunity to implement alternative energy processes,” such as solar power, and become a sustainable farming sector.

Does self-feeding Andean corn have a home in America? (Modern Farmer): Urban farmer Mike Fortune is breeding corn varieties from the Andes that produce their own nitrogen with heirloom varieties from North America in hopes of creating a nitrogen-fixing variety suitable for organic farmers in the United States.

DeLauro to seek House Appropriations gavel (Rep. DeLauro): Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a member of the House appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, said she is a candidate to chair the appropriations committee in the next session of Congress, following the retirement of Nita Lowey, the first woman to head the committee.