Zinke’s diversity problem (Talking Points Memo): Nearly a third of Interior Department employees who have been reassigned in an agency reshuffling under Secretary Zinke are Native American, drawing scrutiny to the Trump appointee’s reported indifference to diversity in his department.
No rush for FTA, EU tells U.S. (Bloomberg): As leverage for a permanent exemption from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, the EU says it wants dialogue with United States over issues of common interest before it will consider a re-start of trans-Atlantic talks for a free trade agreement.
The unstoppable rise of veganism (Guardian): The vegan diet carries a hipster vibe but big British chains are “adapting at incredible speed” to a surge in demand for vegan foods driven by young adults.
Farmers fight irrigation district over water (Desert Sun): In the Imperial Valley of California, farmers are pitted against their own irrigation district for control of the biggest water entitlement on the Colorado River, possibly complicating three-state negotiations to cope with shortages.
Cotton consumption on the rise (ICAC): Strong global demand for cotton during the current trade year and in 2018/19 will whittle large stockpiles worldwide, aided by rising cost of synthetic fibers.
Arkansas cooks a recipe against recidivism (KTHV-TV): The “Cooking Matters” program at the Wrightsville Hawkins Center introduces nutritional education to female prison inmates nearing the end of their sentences with the goal of equipping them with home and job skills that will prevent a return to prison.