Iowa advances SNAP restrictions: An Iowa House subcommittee approved a bill to greatly restrict the foods available to SNAP recipients, with sponsors saying they would remove most of the restrictions in the near future although they did not provide details. (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Western hemisphere prosperity plan: Eleven countries accounting for 90 percent of economic activity in the western hemisphere joined the U.S. in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. (White House)
Eliminate high-risk pesticides: California officials said they would accelerate the state’s transition to sustainable pest management and eliminate high-risk pesticides by 2050. (California Department of Pesticide Regulation)
Off limits to copper mine: After a year of study, the Interior Department removed 225,504 acres in the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota from eligibility for mining and geothermal leases for 20 years, potentially dooming a proposed copper and nickel mine. (Interior)
Push for E15 year-round: The attorneys general of eight farm states called on the EPA to issue regulations by Jan. 31 allowing year-round sale of E15 in their states. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)