Bad air, heat stress: Exposure to the combination of hot weather and air pollution may be particularly risky for outdoor laborers, say scientists investigating farmworker deaths in California. (Inside Climate News)
Year-end HPAI surge: Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, affecting 2.34 million birds in eight domestic flocks from Pennsylvania to California, were confirmed following Christmas; the December tally of 11.3 million birds was the highest in four months. (USDA)
Summer EBT sign-up: With time running out, 27 states, three territories, and two tribal governments have notified the USDA that they will operate a Summer EBT program this year; the program helps low-income families buy groceries for school-age children during the summer. (USDA)
Paying for irrigation water: While most farmers get water for free, growers in California’s Pajaro Valley pay up to $400 per acre-foot of water in a system designed to recycle, restore, and conserve groundwater — an attention-getting approach that may be difficult to copy. (New York Times)
Court overturns Fortenberry conviction: The Justice Department brought former Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry to trial in the wrong state, so his conviction for lying about illegal campaign contributions is invalid, ruled U.S. appellate judges in California. (CNN)