Rail merger gets go-ahead: The U.S. Surface Transportation Board approved the $31 billion takeover of the Kansas City Southern Railway by the Canadian Pacific Railway in a deal that creates the first single-line rail network linking Canada, the United States, and Mexico. (Associated Press)
Homeless in rural America: From 2020-22, homelessness rose by less than half a percent nationwide but by nearly 6 percent in rural areas, with the high cost of housing as a primary factor. (Daily Yonder)
‘Lunch box tax cut’: The Minnesota Senate passed, on a bipartisan 38-26 roll call, a bill to offer free school breakfast and lunch to all students. The House is on record in support of the bill, and Gov. Tim Walz is expected to sign it. (CBS News)
Adapting to less water: Eight states, from Texas to Washington, have enacted legislation since 2019 to help agriculture adapt to drought and reduced water supplies by encouraging more efficient irrigation practices, improvements to soil health, and increased technical assistance. (NCSL)
EWG updates ‘dirty dozen’: Blueberries and green beans are new members of the “dirty dozen,” the fruits and vegetables that, according to federal testing, have the highest levels of pesticide residues. (Environmental Working Group)