Supreme Court rejects Tyson appeal: The Supreme Court refused to hear a Tyson Foods lawsuit that said federal judges, not state judges, should handle lawsuits tied to Covid-19 deaths at its meatpacking plants, including a mammoth pork plant in Iowa. (Des Moines Register)
Rural backlash to renewable power: From Maine to Nevada, solar and wind power projects are drawing heated rural opposition that has prompted restrictions, moratoriums and bans. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Sushi burrito in a pickle: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has recovered over $215,000 in back wages from Kazu Sushi Burrito, a fast-food chain in Jacksonville, Florida, that took a cut of servers’ tips and violated minimum wage laws for years. (Department of Labor)
Legislators defeat China bill: The South Dakota state Senate defeated a bill backed by Gov. Kristi Noem and aimed at China that would have created a Committee on Foreign Investment to review purchases of agricultural land by “foreign persons,” with the governor holding veto power over the transactions. (KOTA-TV)
Rehabilitating Turkish, Syrian agriculture: The FAO appealed for $35 million to help farmers and rural communities in Turkey and Syria restore food production through veterinary care, inputs such as seed, tools and animal feed, and cash transfers. (FAO)
Saudi coffee brews change: Saudi Arabia, which celebrated the Year of Saudi Coffee in 2022, plans to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into its national coffee industry as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to diversify the economy and rebrand Saudi identity. (Los Angeles Times)