Feds smell bull, bust cattle scam: The Justice Department sentenced two people to six years in prison for running a multi-million-dollar cattle-trading Ponzi scheme. (Department of Justice)
Child labor penalty $1.5 million: Packers Sanitation Services paid $1.5 million in civil penalties for employing at least 102 children, ages 13-17, on overnight shifts to clean 13 meatpacking plants in eight states; the penalty — $15,138 per minor — was the maximum allowed by law. (Labor Department)
New FDA veterinary chief: Tracey Forfa was named permanently as the director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine; Forfa, a lawyer, has been the acting director since last December and is the first non-veterinarian to lead the office. (FDA)
Balance on conservation subcommittee: Republicans and Democrats have the same number of members — seven — on the conservation subcommittee, said House Agriculture Committee leaders in announcing subcommittee chairs and rosters. (House Agriculture)
Senate Ag subcommittee chairs: Heading into a farm bill year, Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith will chair the commodities, risk management and trade subcommittee, said Senate Agriculture Committee leaders, with Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont, Michael Bennet of Colorado, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York chairing the other subcommittees. (Senate Agriculture)