Consent order rebounds against CFTC (Financial Times): Kraft Heinz and Mondelez accused the Commodity Futures Trading Commission of violating the terms of a consent order in which the companies agreed to pay a $16 million fine to resolve an alleged wheat-trading scheme.
Pesticides suspected in Brazil bee deaths (BBC): Researchers are blaming pesticides, including many banned in the EU, for the death of a half-billion bees in the past three months in Brazil, where the government has reduced restrictions on use of the chemicals.
Water-testing funds are unused (Cedar Rapids Gazette): More than half of Iowa’s 99 counties are spending less than half of the money available to them to test private wells for bacteria, nitrate, and arsenic, says a University of Iowa study.
Castro unveils animal welfare plan (Los Angeles Times): Presidential aspirant Julian Castro announced an animal welfare plan that would strengthen federal protection of endangered species, make animal cruelty a federal crime, and permanently ban horse slaughter for human consumption.
EPA, states talk less about dicamba damage (DTN/Progressive Farmer): Unlike in 2018, farm state officials have had little to no direct contact with EPA headquarters this summer about reports of “off-target” damage from the herbicide dicamba.