U.S. bests other countries in pesticide use (Environmental Health): A new study finds that the U.S. lags behind the EU, Brazil, and China in regulating harmful pesticides, and has made pesticide regulation “largely an exercise that requires consent by the regulated industry.”
Why does processed food hurt our health? (Vox): A new study suggests that highly processed foods may disrupt our gut microbiome, which may then heighten our risk of chronic disease.
High waters close the Missouri (Iowa Public Radio): The Missouri River remains closed to boat and barge traffic as well as recreation, due to unusually high waters.
And more water means more dredging in the Mississippi (La Crosse Tribune): The Army Corps of Engineers is planning for a higher-than-usual dredging season, anticipating that more water moving downriver will bring more sediment that needs to be moved.
Inmate labor in the field (The Conversation): As farmers run short of migrant workers, states are increasingly leasing prisoners, in numbers not seen in decades, to private corporations to harvest food for American consumers.