New York Times
In Berkeley, “a turning point” for soda tax
Mayor Tom Bates of Berkeley, Calif, says the city referendum on a 1-cent soda tax "will definitely be a turning point" in the drive to reduce obesity by making sugary drinks more expensive, say the New York Times.
GOP attacks the rich guy in Kansas Senate race
Republican Pat Roberts, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, faces an uphill struggle to win his fourth Senate term from Kansas, say two polls over the weekend.
The popcorn revival
The decades-old snack popcorn is being retooled for the age of "craft" foods, says the New York Times, noting that overall sales of popcorn are climbing; there are no reliable figures on growth of sales for artisanal popcorn.
Twice as many wild horses as the range can support
"There are now twice as many wild horses in the West as federal land managers say the land can sustain," says a New York Times story about the government's problems in managing the herd.
Sam Kass, on the spot for White House food policy
Sam Kass holds a variety of titles - White House chef, food policy advisor, executive director of the "Let's Move" initiative, says the New York Times in a profile story ahead of Kass' wedding this weekend.
Climate change could disrupt food system within a decade
The World Bank's special envoy on climate change says global warming could disrupt the food system "potentially within the next decade," said the Sydney Morning Herald.
Rail lines congested for months may deliver harvest snarls
The oil boom in the northern Plains "is creating a crisis for farmers whose grain shipments have been help up by a vast new movement of oil by rail," said the New York Times.
Napa wineries jostled by California earthquake
The magnitude 6.0 earthquake in California's Napa wine country damaged buildings and wine held in storage at some wineries.
Nestle says will improve welfare of farm animals
Nestle, one of the world's largest foodmakers, said it would require higher animal welfare standards at the hundreds of thousands of farms worldwide that supply it with dairy, meat, poultry and eggs.
Hispanics move from farm labor to farm owner
In a story that puts a face on the Census of Agriculture statistic about the increase in Hispanic farmers, the New York Times says, "They have classic American bootstrap stories of grit, determination and a little bit of luck.
Tenacious herbicide-resistant weed is Farm Belt menace
Rapidly spreading palmer amaranth is the headliner among a list of 16 types of weeds that have developed resistance to glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides.
A push in New York state for overtime pay for farm workers
Legislators in New York state are hopeful of victory in the near term to require farmers to pay overtime wages to agricultural laborers, said the New York Times.
U.S. poultry meat may feel Russia counter-sanction
Russian President Putin says his country should retaliate against economic sanctions imposed by the West in the crisis over Ukraine, steps that could affect...
A primary election primer for Tuesday
In Missouri, the top agriculture issue is a constitutional amendment to create a "right to farm." Says the New York Times, "The debate over the proposed amendment has roiled Missouri for more than a year, with supporters saying it would end what they see as meddling by outsiders in its business practices.
US and Japan to meet on agriculture market access
U.S. and Japanese officials are to discuss agriculture market access issues this week in Tokyo. Market access has become a major obstacle to a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement involving...
Cochran rebounds to win Senate runoff in Missssippi
Six-term incumbent Thad Cochran, the Republican leader on the Senate Agriculture Committee, won the GOP run-off in Mississippi by 2 percentage points over state Sen Chris McDaniel, a Tea Party favorite.
A loss in Maine for the food sovereignty movement
A court decision in Maine over unlicensed sale of milk by a small farmer may carry implications for food sovereignty advocates.
Cantor defeat chills immigration drive at least through fall
The defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Republican primary in Virginia "could have major implications for an immigration overhaul," says the New York Times.