Can you say welfare? (Politico): The Trump administration will change the name of the Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Health and Public Welfare. The reorganization would move food stamps, now part of the USDA’s portfolio, to the renamed department.
Healthcare site to sign off (HNR): When its funding expires in December, HealthNewsReview will cease publication after 12 years of operation. Its leader, with 45 years in journalism, will retire, and its team of writers will disperse.
Ag robots for developing nations (Bloomberg): Automated farming could transform agriculture in the developing world as profoundly as mechanization did. Besides increasing farm productivity, autonomous units could free up huge supplies of labor to boost overall economic growth.
Test case on pesticide and cancer (Ag Professional): A trial beginning in a California court will be the first to test the argument that Roundup, the world’s most widely used weedkiller, caused cancer in a groundskeeper at a public school.
A produce film with appeal (Washington Post): Apeel Sciences, a startup company, has created an invisible plant-based film that could extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Tracking weedkiller damage (DTN/Progressive Farmer): State regulators and EPA officials are monitoring reports of herbicide damage to crops ahead of an EPA decision, expected by mid-August, on whether to extend the registration of dicamba for use on GMO crops beyond this year.