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John Block Reports: A New Day

By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. President Biden has a long list of priorities.  Control of the Coronavirus...

FDA Funding in the Energy & Commerce Reconciliation Bill

House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) announced that the committee will hold a markup on Thursday at...

Oh, SNAP! FNS Refuses to Comply with the 2018 Farm Bill

Nearly all – more than 98% – of the firms authorized by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to participate...

Carbon Labeling: Who is Ahead of the Game?

With climate change discussions being elevated on a local, regional, and global scale, many individuals are considering how their personal...

How Does Buying American Benefit U.S. Food, Agriculture, and Medical Products?

President Biden recently issued an Executive Order (EO) to harness the federal government’s purchasing power to bolster domestic manufacturing. The...

Carbon Labeling and the Food Industry

Carbon labeling on foods and menu items is already a hot topic for 2021 as people are more conscious than...

Oh, SNAP! SNAP Retailers Need to Watch Out for New FNS Entrapment Techniques

For decades, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has attempted to combat fraud by retailers and beneficiaries in the Supplemental...

UPDATE: ATTACK ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HALTED

You may recall that back in October we told you about Executive Order 13957, “Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service”...

Janet Woodcock is Named Acting FDA Commissioner, As Stephen Hahn Steps Down

In typical fashion, as the new administration took over, i.e., as President Biden was sworn in on Wednesday, Dr. Stephen...

John Block Reports: Stimulus Package

By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. When you hear this radio commentary, we will have a new...

New Biden-Harris Staff Appointments at the USDA

A few hours after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, the U.S. Department...

CDC to Host Webinar on COVID-19 Vaccination for Food and Agriculture Workers – January 21st

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will host a webinar to provide updates on COVID-19 vaccine implementation...

NIAA: What to Expect for Animal Agriculture in a Biden Administration

The National Institute of Animal Agriculture invited Chelsea Good, Vice President of Government & Industry Affairs at Livestock Marketing Association...

Biden-Harris Political Appointments

The Biden-Harris transition team is announcing the names of individuals being appointed to White House and other Executive Branch positions...

International Trade Commission to Investigate Imports of Cucumbers, Including Gherkins

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has instituted Investigation No. 332-583, Cucumbers: Effect of Imports on U.S. Seasonal Markets, with...

International Trade Commission to Investigate Squash Imports

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today instituted Investigation No. 332-584, Squash: Effect of Imports on U.S. Seasonal Markets, with...

John Block Reports: President Biden’s Opportunity

By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. I am so tired of these “peaceful” rallies that end up destroying...

Acting Officers at the USDA

After Congress certified the 2020 election, the Trump administration asked all of its political appointees to submit resignation letters by...

Who Might Chair Senate Committees With A Democratic Majority

It appears that Reverend Warnock (D) has unseated Senator Loeffler (R) in Georgia and John Ossoff (D) is currently leading...

Ring in the New Year with the 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines

Just in time to ring in the new year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health...

John Block Reports: Using Farmers to Fight Global Warming

By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. We have our federal government funding bill passed and signed by President...

John Block Reports: Christmas Time… Definitely – Pandemic Relief… Maybe

By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block. It’s Christmas.  And the New Year is almost upon us.  This year...

Regulatory Roundup: USDA Secretary, Vaccines for Meat and Poultry Line Workers, and NPIS’s Line Speed Proposal

There have been several recent events of note that will impact meat and poultry producers and processors. The recent election...

Oh, SNAP! Federal Judge Holds 30 Day SNAP Retailer Judicial Review Deadline Is Not Jurisdictional

In a decision of importance to convenience stores, grocers, and other retailers, a California District Court judge held that the...