White House

A White House report from the Council of Economic Advisors says that delaying action on climate change becomes increasingly expensive as time passes. The report says a meta-analysis of 16 studies found that total mitigation costs rise by 40 percent for each decade of delay.

The White House announced creation of a $10 billion Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund to draw private investment into projects in rural America. The government will identify projects in need of financing and could provide a part of the funds itself or could let private investors handle it entirely. "This is a new way for us to do business," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Obama administration officials and corporate leaders who produced a report on the potential impact of climate change on the economy met at the White House on Wednesday.

Landowners in five states in the upper Midwest are eligible for $8 million in payments if they establish new habitat for honey bees on land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve, says USDA.

First Lady Michelle Obama told a gathering of middle school students at the White House, "I'm going to fight until the bitter end to make sure that every kid in this country continues to have the best nutrition that they can have in our schools."

First Lady Michelle Obama will fight for healthier school meals and the White House has made the issue a top priority, senior nutrition policy advisor Sam Kass told supporters, according to Obama Foodorama.

Six pro-reform groups say "Speaker John Boehner and the House have a real window of opportunity to pass lasting immigration reform legislation by August." In a statement, the groups say they will press the House for action and ask the White House to delay issuing any executive orders on immigration until the fall. “We know that House leaders can act. We know that nothing stands in their way. The time is now," said the groups.

Rising gasoline consumption could allow the EPA to set the ethanol mandate higher than it originally proposed, says Reuters. It says an industry source says there is enough leeway for EPA to set the mandate at 13.6 billion gallons for this year, compared to its November proposal of 13 billion gallons for corn-based ethanol.

First Lady Michelle Obama will stress the need "to protect and advance the tremendous progress that has been made" in school meals during a meeting this afternoon, according to the White House. School leaders and other experts have been invited to the White House to discuss school meals.

U.S. farmers will face more dry spells, shorter winters and hotter nights under climate change in coming decades, says the National Climate Assessment. Warmer weather can abet the spread of weeds, diseases and pests, says the report.

Arlo Crawford writes in The Atlantic about his father's role in getting the kitchen garden going at the White House. Jim Crawford, a truck farmer in Pennsylvania, "was asked to provide seedlings from our greenhouse, help adjust the soil quality, offer some tips about pest control, and generally advise," he writes in a story that describes the turn of seasons and a garden-level view of food politicking.

House Democrats say they will distribute memos in 30 congressional districts to encourage Republican lawmakers to sign the discharge petition petition and force a floor vote on comprehensive immigration reform, says Roll Call.

AgSec Vilsack mentioned during the House hearing a possible "food corps" to provide mentoring and training for young people interested in farming.

"(C)ivil rights and worker-safety groups arranged for poultry workers to meet with lawmakers and administration officials to warn against the proposed acceleration of processing-line speeds...

The Obama administration proposed the first overhaul of the Nutrition Facts label since it came into use in the 1990s.

The administration may announce later this week the first update to the Nutrition Facts labels that appear on food packages, said Politico's Morning Ag newsletter.

Scheduled for Tuesday morning at the White House is an announcement by the First Lady and AgSec Vilsack "on school wellness and to highlight the incredible progress being made in school health environments across the country."

In a brief ceremony that mixed traditional holiday wishes with predictable humor, President Trump “pardoned” a 36-pound white-feathered tom turkey, Drumstick, from becoming a White House meal.