Driest in 12 centuries: The ongoing drought in the U.S. West is the driest 22-year period in at least 1,200 years and it is being intensified by global warming, scientists said in the journal Nature Climate Change. (Los Angeles Times)
Vilsack on trade mission: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will lead a trade mission of three dozen agribusinesses, farm groups and state agencies to the United Arab Emirates, a $1 billion market for U.S. ag exports. (USDA)
Fake organic cotton: Much of the fabric in clothing that claims to be organic cotton may not be organic at all, because of the difficulty of ensuring that farmers or handlers are following the rules. (New York Times)
Bayer short of glyphosate: Chemical giant Bayer said production of glyphosate, the most widely used weedkiller in the world, may be compromised because a supplier of an ingredient in the herbicide suffered a “mechanical failure.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Feral pigs run wild: At least four property owners have asked the Santa Clara Water District to reimburse them for damage caused by wild pigs that invaded their neighborhoods after the water district drained a reservoir that was a barrier to the pernicious porkers. (Mercury News)