Impeachment vote blowback: California Rep. David Valadao, a member of the House subcommittee that oversees the USDA budget, is on the defensive in his Central Valley district after voting to impeach President Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 mob attack on the Capitol. (Los Angeles Times)
Tyson set tone: Meat processor Tyson Foods communicated regularly with local officials in northwest Arkansas, to the point of writing comments for them that were included in company announcements about efforts to control Covid-19 outbreaks at its plants. (Facing South)
Big ethanol exports: Ten percent of U.S.-produced ethanol, 1.3 billion gallons, was exported in 2020, the fourth-highest total on record with Canada, the No. 1 market, taking nearly a quarter of the biofuel. (Renewable Fuels Association)
Consumption over-taxes nature: Human demands on nature far exceed its capacity to supply us with the goods and services we all rely on, putting biodiversity under pressure and society at “extreme risk,” says a comprehensive new paper. (BusinessGreen)
USDA resisted OSHA: Documents obtained through a public-records request show that USDA officials rebuffed offers of help from OSHA while Covid-19 outbreaks were reported throughout the meatpacking industry, said a consumer group that is suing the Labor Department. (Public Citizen)