Today’s quick hits, April 1, 2022

U.S. narrows price-fixing case: After two mistrials, the Justice Department said it would drop charges against five of 10 poultry executives accused of conspiring to fix prices for chicken meat between 2012 and 2019. Five others, including two former chief executives of Pilgrim’s Pride, still face charges. (Reuters)

Free school meals: Senate Agriculture Committee chair Debbie Stabenow and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski filed a bill to allow schools to serve free meals to all students through September 2023, at a cost of $11 billion. (Politico)

Seafood industry turmoil ahead: The seafood industry is bracing for price hikes, supply disruptions, and potential lost jobs in the wake of economic sanctions on Russia, one of the world’s largest seafood producers. (Associated Press)

Unleash ethanol, say refiners: On the day President Biden called for increased oil production to combat high gasoline prices, the trade group Growth Energy said the administration should authorize the year-round sale of E15, a 15 percent blend of ethanol into gasoline. (Growth Energy)