Bird flu reaches Hawaii: The H5N1 avian flu virus was confirmed in a backyard flock of birds in Honolulu County, the first case of the disease in domestic birds in Hawaii, the 49th state with an outbreak since the virus appeared in U.S. flocks in 2022. (USDA)
SNAP card chips: In a letter, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged governors to implement chip technology on SNAP benefit cards as a way to prevent theft. (Food and Nutrition Service)
Winter wheat condition improves: At the start of this week, 49 percent of the U.S. winter wheat crop was in good or excellent condition, an improvement from 44 percent in the previous week thanks to rain in the Plains, said the weekly Crop Progress report. (USDA)