Month: February 2025

Farmer says worker program needs adjustments
A fruit and vegetable farmer from California says the H-2A guest worker program needs improvements. Ryan Talley says the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), how minimum wages must be paid to farm workers in the [Read More…]

US to swap Marc Fogel for Russian cybercrime kingpin Alexander Vinnik: Official
Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images (LONDON) — The United States is preparing to return cybercrime kingpin Alexander Vinnik to Russian custody as part of an exchange for American Marc Fogel, a U.S. official said Wednesday. [Read More…]

Journalist among those freed from Belarus
(WASHINGTON) — Belarusian journalist Andrei Kuznechyk was released from prison on Wednesday after serving more than three years in prison, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Kuznechyk, who U.S. officials had dubbed a political prisoner, [Read More…]

‘The Handmaid’s Tale”s 6th and final season gets teaser and premiere date
Hulu The final season of The Handmaid’s Tale officially has a premiere date and a new teaser. Fans got a new look at Elisabeth Moss in a teaser for the show’s sixth season, released by [Read More…]

Cotton farmer optimistic USDA payments will resume
A cotton farmer from Texas says she’s expecting the USDA to honor contracts for farmers participating in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Alisha Schwertner told the House Ag Committee in a hearing on Tuesday “We [Read More…]

Farmers will be key in new Michigan deer management strategy
Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources plans to increase partnerships with farmers to help manage deer populations and support hunger initiatives as part of an updated management plan. Chad Fedewa tells Brownfield the number of hunters [Read More…]

More year-over-year gains in broiler sets, placements
Broiler sets and placements continue to run faster than last year’s pace. The USDA says 248.567 million broiler-type eggs were set into incubators, rising 497,000 on the week and 3% on the year, with average [Read More…]

Senate drops portions of Governor Braun’s property tax relief bill
Some farmers are concerned how a proposed amendment to Governor Mike Braun’s property tax relief bill could impact their operations. State representative Kendell Culp says it would provide property tax relief over a three-year period. “We [Read More…]

Evaluating red meat yield in today’s beef industry
The past chair of the National Cattlemen’s Beff Association’s Federation of State Beef Councils says the current red meat yield equation is outdated. Dan Gattis, a Texas cattle producer, says it has been more than [Read More…]

Weight loss drug Semaglutide may reduce alcohol cravings, heavy drinking and smoking, new study finds
Photo by Roberto Pfeil/picture alliance via Getty Images (NEW YORK) — Semaglutide, a medication widely used for diabetes and weight loss, may offer another unexpected benefit — it could help people drink less alcohol. A [Read More…]

Trump and allies ramp up attacks on judges, courts as agenda hits legal roadblocks
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images (WASHINGTON) — As courts block parts of his agenda, President Donald Trump and his allies are ramping up criticism of judges and continuing to question judicial oversight of the executive branch. While [Read More…]

Trump says he spoke with Putin about ending war in Ukraine
Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images (WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine, which started three years ago when Putin’s forces launched a full-scale invasion. “I [Read More…]

Senate confirms Gabbard as director of national intelligence
Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images (WASHINGTON) — The Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence by a vote of 52-48 on Wednesday. Former Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was the only Republican [Read More…]

Trans youth care ban vetoed by Kansas governor again
Emily Curiel/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images (TOPEKA, Kan.) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has vetoed Senate Bill 63, which would have restricted gender-affirming care for transgender youth. “Right now, the legislature [Read More…]

Musk staffer ‘mistakenly’ given ability to edit Treasury Department payment system, legal filings say
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images (WASHINGTON) — A 25-year-old associate of Elon Musk and former Treasury Department employee was “mistakenly” given the ability to make changes to a sensitive federal payment system, officials with the [Read More…]

Fighter jet crashes into San Diego Harbor, 2 pilots rescued: Fire officials
(SAN DIEGO) — A fighter jet crashed into the San Diego Harbor on Wednesday, with the two pilots on board ejecting before being rescued by the Coast Guard, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue. A Navy [Read More…]

Grocery stores limit egg purchases, thefts increase as bird flu spreads across US
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images (NEW YORK) — As bird flu continues to spread across the U.S., stores around the country are reporting a shortage of eggs amid soaring prices, high demand and supply [Read More…]

Attempted rapist told victim he was an ICE agent: Police sources
The NYPD is searching for a man who allegedly tried to rape a woman in Brooklyn on Feb. 11, 2025. NYPD (NEW YORK) — Authorities in New York City are searching for a man who [Read More…]

Fire-ravaged Los Angeles braces for landslides as atmospheric river brings heavy rain to California
ABC News (LOS ANGELES) — A new atmospheric river is bearing down on California, including fire-ravaged Los Angeles, where residents are bracing for the possibility of mudslides and landslides. The storm moves into the Golden State on [Read More…]

Nonprofits accuse administration of ‘accelerating’ USAID firings
J. David Ake/Getty Images (WASHINGTON) — A group of nonprofits suing the Trump administration over its 90-day foreign aid freeze is accusing government officials of “accelerating their terminations of contracts and suspensions of grants of USAID and [Read More…]