More illnesses as meatpacking plants open (Bloomberg): Cases of Covid-19 jumped 40 percent in counties with major meatpacking plants, the week after President Trump’s executive order requiring the idled plants to reopen.
Child obesity rate grows larger (International Business Times): Nearly one of every 5 children – 18.6 percent – in the United States is overweight or obese, the latest in an upward trend due to sedentary lifestyles of Americans, said the CDC.
Who will cover rural coronavirus? (Daily Yonder): The full impact of the coronavirus on rural America may go unreported because of the declining number of rural news outlets and the geographical challenge that metropolitan outlets face in covering rural America.
More testing for food and ag workers (House Ag): Congress should include $250 billion in the next coronavirus relief bill for broad national testing and contact tracing for food and ag workers, first responders, frontline healthcare workers and other vulnerable groups, said House Agriculture chairman Collin Peterson and two subcommittee chairmen.
Corn, soy planting races ahead (USDA): Farmers planted more than 15 million acres of corn and 12.5 million acres of soybeans last week, putting the planting season well ahead of its normal pace with 67 percent of corn and 38 percent of soybeans in the ground.
Put out the fire to avoid cornavirus (Los Angeles Times): Fire officials are adopting a blitzkreig approach for this year’s wildfire season, with a heavy reliance on aircraft in an effort to extinguish fires as soon as they start. The coronavirus may prevent the use of large numbers of firefighters working closely together.