Earp out as USDA civil rights chief (Fudge): Naomi Earp, who ran the USDA’s anti-discrimination office while awaiting a Senate vote on her nomination to be assistant secretary for civil rights, has resigned. Rep. Marcia Fudge, chair of the House subcommittee that oversees the office, called on the administration to nominate someone who understands “the importance of strong civil rights enforcement.”
When herbicides don’t mix (DTN/Progressive Farmer): The proliferation of GE crops that tolerate dicamba and 2,4-D herbicides is bringing new attention to the problem of “herbicide antagonism,” in which a combination of weedkillers produces poorer results than when the chemicals are used individually.
EU ag scandal includes organized crime (Guardian): Prosecutors say Sicilian mobsters have fraudulently collected more than 10 million euros in EU agricultural subsidies since 2010, including payments on “ghost” farmland that either did not exist or was government-owned.
Guardia to lead anti-hunger group (FRAC): The board of directors of the Food Research & Action Center has selected Luis Guardia, a veteran of social advocacy, as president effective March 1.