No ransom: NEW Cooperative, a grain handler based in northern Iowa, said it will not pay ransom to the cyber-hacking group BlackMatter, which took over the co-op’s computer system and threatened to start publishing stolen data. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
New deportation rules: Immigration officers will no longer be permitted to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants who are “contributing members” of the community, such as farmworkers, if they do not pose a security risk, said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. (CNBC)
Less food-borne illness: The number of food-borne illness infections dropped by nearly one-fourth during 2020, the first decline in many years, said the CDC; the role of the pandemic, if any, was not clear. (The Packer)
Rural Covid-19 relief: The California National Guard dispatched medical teams to three rural hospitals as northern and central California experience their worst Covid-19 outbreaks yet. (Los Angeles Times)
Debut of eco-tractor: AUGA Group, based in Lithuania, said its M1 tractor uses hybrid biomethane-electric power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions “and allow food to be produced at no cost to nature.” (AUGA)