Podcasts about secretary vilsack

In the 1990s, the success of the US organic movement seemed undeniable. Demand for healthy, chemical-free produce skyrocketed amidst public health concerns and a growing environmental consciousness. As a consequence, many small organic farmers could make a real living selling healthy produce and restoring farmland in the process. In the decades since, however, the story has gotten much more complicated.Corporate co-optation, lax government oversight, and splinters within the movement itself have created a new set of challenges for organic farmers and activists - challenges our guest today is helping lead the fight to overcome.Dave Chapman is a lifelong organic farmer, and Co-Director and Board Chair of the Real Organic Project, an organization dedicated to reigniting and reconnecting the organic movement. In this episode, he takes us through the history of the organic movement, where it is today, the differences and similarities between organic and “regenerative”, and where the movement can go from here.In this episode, we cover:- The history of organic, tracing its roots from indigenous practices to modern day agriculture.- The original definition of organic and the fight to maintain those core principles through the Real Organic Project.- The longtime debate over certification and institutionalization.- The organic boom, the entrance of Big Food into the marketplace, and the challenge of enforcement.- “Regenerative,” and the risk of cooptation of any new label.- The difference between building brands and building movements, and an insight into what that movement can look like.- And much more...Learn more about Dave and the Real Organic Podcast at the Real Organic Project.More about Dave:Dave Chapman is a lifelong organic farmer who runs Long Wind Farm in Vermont. They grow the best tasting organic tomatoes in the country in the fertile soil underneath a glass greenhouse. He is the Co-Director and Board Chair of the Real Organic Project, dedicated to reigniting and reconnecting the organic movement. He leads the Real Organic Podcast, providing a platform for many organic farmers, eaters, scientists, authors, educators, activists, and chefs. He was a co-founder of Vermont Organic Farmers in 1985, and was among those first certified by the USDA's National Organic Program in 2003. He served on the Policy Committee of the Organic Farmers Association for 6 years. He also served on the USDA Hydroponic Organic Taskforce. He has worked for years as an advocate for reform of the National Organic Program. He has met with Secretary Vilsack seeking reform of the organic program. His latest project is the creation of the Tomato Masterclass, a training for farmers working to create a stronger economic base for their market gardens. In his spare time he practices tai chi to stay sane and healthy.Agrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller of You Should Have a Podcast, who also wrote our theme song.

In this deep dive, we analyze RFK Jr.'s speech announcing the end of his presidential campaign and his unexpected alliance with Trump. Discover the startling statistics he shares about the rise in neurological disorders, obesity, diabetes, autism, and chronic diseases. RFK Jr. blames ultra-processed foods and toxic chemicals—do farmers and agriculture play a role? We also explore a new USDA plan presented by Secretary Vilsack at the Farm Progress Show aimed at supporting domestic fertilizer production. Don't miss this crucial discussion on the intersection of health, agriculture, and policy. Agzaga is the official sponsor of Talk Dirt to Me! It is the ultimate online farm store. American owned and operated. Go check out their site and get what you need. Be sure to use the code TALKDIRT to get 10% off your order! Visit them at: https://agzaga.com  If you enjoy this episode then please leave us a review and share this episode with your friends! Follow us on social media: Talk Dirt to Me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkdirtpodcast/  Bobby Lee: Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=hurricane%20creek%20farms Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/hurricanecreekfarm/ YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/c/HurricaneCreekFarms Logan: Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/LHFarmsTN Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/lo.hanks/ YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqYpTjKQtOMABFOc2Aw3_Ow 

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Milwaukee this week to host an Investing in America Town Hall. He highlighted investments made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative. Wisconsin has 28 climate-smart projects that are engaging hundreds of farmers across 46 major commodities in our state.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack tells Mid-West Farm Report the loss of milk has been minimal in cows with bird flu. He says it's a complex issue to provide compensation for lost milk due to H5N1 -- Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza -- in dairy cattle. He says he's interested to see if the virus has any long-term effects on milk production in infected cows. This data may determine if USDA implements an indemnity program. Secretary Vilsack says the challenge is getting dairy farmers to volunteer information to the federal government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the United States Patent and Trademark Office released a report delving into the accuracy of the claims companies made about the seeds they sell to grow agricultural crops. During the 2024 National Farmers Union Convention, U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack talked about the “More and Better Choices for Farmers: Promoting Fair Competition and Innovation in Seeds and Other Agricultural Inputs” report.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the finalization of a rule to align the voluntary “Product of USA” label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means. During the 2024 National Farmers Union Convention, U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack talked about that topic, but first gave an update on enforcement of the Packers & Stockyards Act.

The 100th annual USDA Ag Outlook Forum took place February 15th and 16th, and the Department's keystone event didn't disappoint. Given current conditions and forecasts, analysts are expecting a record crop of corn, soybeans and wheat in 2024, which will further flesh out a global stocks figure that could continue to drive prices down. All of that, economists expect, could ead to the largest annual decline in farm incomes on record. Today, DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger joins us to share the highlights from the forum, covering everything from the specifics of USDA's expectations for commodity grains to how all of this might impact grower decisions going forward. She'll speak about the message from the Secretary of Agriculture about the need to refocus on shoring up the farm safety net in the Farm Bill that was expected last year, and tell us about the response that Secretary Vilsack's proposal received from former USDA Chief Economists in the room. We'll dig more into the prospective planting figures, understand how interest rates and farm input costs are weighing on farm profitability, hear more about the future of crop insurance, and about the upcoming DTN Ag Summit Series Planting event in March.

The United States Department of Agriculture projects U.S. farm sector income will continue to fall in 2024, after reaching record highs in 2022. During his address at the 2024 Commodity Classic event, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said his agency is doing all that it can to ensure American farmers can afford to produce the food, feed, fiber and fuel the world needs.

The March WASDE dropped Friday March 8th, and despite maintaining its status as a quieter report, a key announcement offered some support for soybeans, as other news of the week depressed wheat. DTN's Lead Analyst Todd Hultman joins us today to dig into the latest numbers, in particular some global figures, from USDA that provides updates to past soybean exports to China and maintains its discrepancy with Latin American figures on the potential for Brazilian crops. In addition to parsing the latest from the report, we'll dig into other department announcements, including what Todd heard (and didn't hear) from Secretary Vilsack at Commodity Classic about the future of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, and when USDA's annual forecast out of the Ag Outlook Forum could mean for markets and planting in the weeks ahead. We'll talk through the current basis picture, concerns about global commodities trade, and check in on the broader economic context.

11-03-23 AJ DailyGood from the Start: Learning to Manage Young Bulls Properly Can Pay Dividends Adapted from an article by Megan Silveira, Angus Journal 2024 Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame Honorees Announced Adapted from a release by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Secretary Vilsack Highlights USDA's Commitment to Future Generations in Agriculture Adapted from a release by the USDA Compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Journal.  For more Angus news, visit angusjournal.net. 

Coverage of Secretary Vilsack's visit to Kankakee County yesterday. A recap of the weekly crop numbers. Matt Bennett, Ag Market.Net on harvest progress and sluggish corn market.

In Episode 364 of District of Conservation, Gabriella welcomes back journalist Matthew Foldi onto the show to discuss his new report on Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack being too cozy with a top Democrat group Arabella Advisors and potential conflicts of interest. Tune in to learn more. SHOW NOTES Matthew Foldi's Spectator Byline Follow Foldi on Instagram and Twitter Washington Examiner: Inside the troubling relationship between Biden's agriculture secretary and Democratic dark money The Biden admin's favorite electric battery company is in crisis --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/district-of-conservation/support

In this episode, we're discussing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene's shocking claims about the Biden family's alleged involvement in human trafficking and her expose of a fellow congress member's extramarital affair with a Chinese spy. But that's not all; we'll also cover the tragic case of a Planned Parenthood Communications Director and the child porn investigation that led to his suicide. And if you're ready for some political bloopers, we have a clip of Senator John Federman stumbling through his words during a committee hearing. Don't miss our discussion on a recent video comparing US Christians to the Taliban. Make sure to hit that subscribe button, leave a five-star review, and join us as we uncover the truth that still exists in the world. Let's jump right into it!   All the links: https://linktr.ee/theaustinjadams Anti-Elite Club Apparel: https://antielite.club   Full Transcription:  The Adams archive.  Hello, you beautiful people and welcome to the Adams Archive. My name is Austin Adams, and thank you so much for listening today. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. Today we are going to be discussing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green for a couple reasons. The first one being that she called out the Biden family, along with the President of the United States for being involved in. Trafficking, human trafficking to be exact. And on top of that, she came out and called out another individual during a congressional hearing for having extra marital affairs with a Chinese spy. So we will discuss that. We will also discuss the Planned Parenthood communications Director committing suicide after police launched a child porn investigation into him and raided his apartment building. So, uh, very sad, um, to hear that that is still going on in the world, but obviously, uh, in this case, glad to hear that, you know, at least there was maybe a little bit of justice there, uh, rather that than him still going around the world and conducting the terrible things that he was doing. So, After that, we will watch a quick clip by the Senator John Federman Fu fu fu fumbling over every single word that was an on a sheet of paper in front of him during a committee hearing. Um, after, you know, he came back from, I guess a medical leave for depression or something like that. So we'll talk about that. After that, we will jump into, uh, a recent video that surfaced surrounding the views. Uh, Patty Le Lap, Patty Lape. That sounds like a early character from like a Tom and Jerry film. Um, Patty Lap talking and comparing us Christians to the Taliban.  But first, go ahead and leave a five star review. Hit that subscribe button every single week we have conversations just like this one. So make sure you're subscribed and leave a five star review. I would appreciate it. That just helps the podcast get up in the rankings, lets people know that there is some truth happening still around the world, despite popular belief that it is dead. It is still here and alive on the Adams Archive. All right. Hit that subscribe button, leave a five star review. And last but not least, this podcast is brought to you by the Anti Elite Club. Anti elite.club online.com is for losers. If you recall, go to Anti Elite Club, uh, anti elite.club, and you can check out some of the merchandise that I created and designed myself along with the Pelosi Capital embroidered Cap Insider trading since 1970, whatever the hell year that old woman got into office. Uh, talks about her insider trading, along with the Protect our Children hoodie, the make Love not Viruses, uh, sweater, and, uh, some more awesome stuff. So head over there, uh, check it out. Shop now. Help support your boy and let's jump into it.     The Adams archive. All right, very first on the agenda today. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green called out the Biden Crime family for participating in human trafficking by soliciting prostitutes from the United States and abroad in countries like Russia and Ukraine. So let's go ahead and watch this video by Marjorie Taylor Green and see what she has to say about it. Then I will talk about it because this is something that we have talked about before with the Hunter Biden laptop. I have done a complete deep dive, two separate episodes into the laptop of Hunter Biden. So go back and find those in the archives. But this is wild to hear. Come out of a congresswoman's mouth. So here she is calling out the President of the United States for participating and paying for human trafficking. This is a legitimate. Congresswoman calling out the president of the United States for human trafficking. Now, the world was up in arms about Donald Trump saying something about grabbing her by the pussy. But here we are with substantial evidence that the president of the United States, the current standing president of the United States, participated in human trafficking, including, and, and this is probably what she's alluding here, but something that we talked about with the Hunter Biden laptop is that he asked his father to wire him money Hunter Biden did so that he could pay a rust. A Russian prostitute asked Joe Biden to wire him money. So along the same exact time that he was not able to pay this prostitute, he was texting about the fact that she was asking for this money, how much, it was like a ridiculous amount. He didn't have it. He asked his dad to wire him money so that he could pay this Russian prostitute. And here is Marjorie Taylor Green talking about it. Finally, um,  For after a congressional hearing, and here we go, reviewing the financial records in the Treasury. Uh, what I saw was over 2000 pages of jaw-dropping information. Uh, there's basically an enterprise wrapped around Joe Biden, uh, involving not only multiple family members, more than we thought there were, but other people as well. Uh, just a complete conglomerate of LLC shell companies where money was passing through from foreign countries, China, Ukraine, but many more countries than just those. There's a lot of information the American people deserve to know of the Biden family and the crimes they've been involved in. And the oversight committee has a much bigger investigation to do than we ever thought was possible. Um, I just saw evidence of human trafficking. Uh, this involved prostitutes not only from here in the United States, but foreign countries like Russia and Ukraine. Uh, this is, this is unbelievable that a president and a former vice president, uh, not only his son Hunter Biden, but many more family members extending past Hunter Biden and his immediate family. Uh, we're going to have to really get to work. This is an investigation that needs to be revealed to the American people. And not only do we have questions about Hunter Biden himself, but this is going to extend into developing a web of, uh, corruption, a web of fake companies, uh, that's going to reveal money that came in from many foreign countries and went directly into the personal bank accounts of the Biden family, where they have financially benefited directly from Joe Biden's, uh, seats of power. And we look forward to investigating and exposing for this, this, for the American people. And, um, and we'll see where it goes from there.  All right, so we know what she's talking about, right? At least everything that she talked about there, I'm familiar with from doing these deep dives. And if you aren't familiar, go back and listen to those podcasts surrounding the Hunter Biden laptops. But I'll give you a brief synopsis. So Hunter Biden left his laptop at a laptop repair shop. Very stupid of him, but obviously, uh, that does not pale in comparison to the stupid amount of stuff that he had on that laptop, including all of these pictures with, uh, these prostitutes. I mean, literally, this man did not have sex with a woman ever without documenting it with pictures of him with a crack pipe in his mouth. Um, but what she's talking about here is all, obviously all of the webs from Ukraine, from China, from Barisma, the energy companies that Hunter Biden was on the board of, um, through his shell companies that she's talking about, which she's alluding to there, which is. Uh, I'm trying to remember the name of it. Um, but it was, uh, some something Seneca, um, I forget the name. I, I'm, I'm sure I can look it up here, but, um, Seneca Capital or some shit like that. So he basically had this, these shell companies set up. This is where the 10% to the big man came from, right? All of this money that was being poured into him within the emails that were leaked from Hunter Biden's laptop, we know for sure at least com from the documentation that was shown to us, that he had a relationship with these energy companies, with companies in China, with companies in Ukraine, with companies all over the countries in the, in the worlds that we are both enemies and allies. With, that he was doing business dealings with paddling, the influence of his father. Our current sitting president of the United States, we know this during the time that he was vice President with Barack Obama, there is all of this paper trails. You can go and find every one of these emails that I'm talking about online today. Okay? Now what we'll find out here is if Marjorie Taylor Green is not. Brought to court and brought on by a unbelievable litigation case as a result of this singular tweet that she just made. We know everything that she just said is accurate. Then if Joe Biden does not immediately take her to court and bring her to the cleaners, right, but just wash her out with millions of dollars in a defamation lawsuit, we know 100% that what she said there is true, right? Why would the sitting president allow a congresswoman to come out and say these things without having a rebuttal? Well, the reason that Joe Biden has not come out and said anything about this is because he does not want to draw any more attention to this factual conversation that is going on. Right. We know absolutely based on the emails, we know absolutely. Based on the documentation that came out from Hunter Biden's laptop, that there he was pedaling the influence of his father for money. As long as the big guy means what we believe it means, which obviously why would they have a code word for the person that they're paying if they're doing legitimate business dealings. Right. Does that make any sense to you? Right, so, so the things that she's talking about we're familiar with, but to know now that Congress is having hearings over this, that there's an oversight committee looking through 2000 pages of financial documents, tracing back the payments through the Biden family and tracing it back to companies like Barisma, tracing it back to companies like. Uh, like all of the Chinese Shell corporations that she's alluding to here, all of the, all of the, the things that are going on within the Hunter Biden laptop, we know 100% that these things are true. If she's not brought to court for this, right, you are not going to have a congresswoman who has 3.6 million views on a video calling out the president of the United States for human trafficking without a defamation lawsuit. So if she is not brought to court for this, we know it's, it's obviously something that he is scared of having come out right now. You even go, uh, you even go through the documentation like, and you, and you look at some of the replies that they have here, and it's just like, it's very apparent that Twitter is obviously, uh, very. Overwhelmed with l Liberal, uh, accounts or bo accounts that are just like tar and feathering her from the, the replies that she has in here, but 3.6 million views on the congresswoman coming out and saying these things. Um, and, and somebody, the very, very first comment on this, so we'll see if this has any, I haven't read through this yet, but it says something is up. Uh, somebody commented on this from, uh, yesterday and says, uh, what the very top comment says was Jordan's, Jim Jordan is who this is talking about. It says Jordan's team just got exactly what they are looking for. All right. Now this has a, a fair amount of, uh, traction. So let's see what this is about. Um, but it says, house Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan believes that there's a seismic shift regarding allegations against Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. Jordan suggests something is up with the probe because of new interest in the story by many of the same media outlets that initially dismissed reports of corruption evidence stemming from materials and emails taped from a laptop he reportedly abandoned at a computer store in Delaware in 2019. Right, exactly. What's your boys say in here? Well, what happened to that is you have had 51 intelligence officers sign a letter saying that Hunter Biden's story was Russian misinformation when it wasn't. And that changed. I think anyone can make a credible argument that, um, that altered the outcome of the election and we no longer have Donald Trump in the White House because he was doing that. He was pushing back on China for the first time, and now we have Joe Biden there and it's exactly the opposite direction Jordan said. So that's what happened. That's why this is all connected because the influence of big media, big tech, and big government in impacting our election. I think we said this last week. Sean, my colleagues had this in the committee for a few weeks ago, Matt Gaetz. He said, when will the, when will the FBI stay out of elections and let us, the people decide. In 2016, they went after Trump's campaign, 2018. It was a Mueller investigation. 2020, they suppressed the Hunter Biden story. 20 22 91 days before the midterm election, they raid his home, and now just two weeks ago, three days after he announces his 2024 race. They name a special council and it's not just anybody, it's Jack Smith and the record that he has of weaponizing the government to go after the people. Um, so now what I find to be interesting about this is that what he's talking about there is the F B i going to Facebook, right? We were recall this from the Mark Zuckerberg, Joe, or, uh, Joe Rogan interview. Mark Zuckerberg went on Joe Rogan and said that the FBI came to all of the social media outlets and said that they should not run a story about Hunter Biden and that it was Russian misinformation, right? They said they were not gonna give you the specifics, but there's a story that's gonna come out about Hunter Biden and it's Russian disinformation. Now, what we found even more so from a, a different conversation that I don't exactly recall the, the, the source of, but I recall another podcast that came out from somebody that was on the inside that talked about the fact that they ran actual drills with social media. The FBI did. The FBI basically said we're going to have all of these large journalists, a part of these drills that we run. And one of the drills was Russian misinformation surrounding Hunter Biden. So they were priming the journalists, priming the outlets, priming the social media companies to know that when there was something that leaked about Hunter Biden, because they knew it was gonna come out, that it was going to be Russian disinformation. So this goes on to say from Jim Jordan, it sure looks like Joe Biden was involved. Jordan edited. So my, how this history has changed and now we find out these text messages and emails that linked lengthy entire family, not just Hunter and Joe, but also Uncle Joe's, brother James Biden is involved in this. Jordan also spoke over the weekend about how he believes Republican district attorneys will likely seek to prosecute Biden or members of his family after Manhattan. District Attorney Alvin Braggs weaponized prosecution of Donald Trump. One of my Republican cos has indicated that he has had some local das approach him and says that he's trying to do just that. Uh, he went on to say that I didn't wanna see what happened in the Manhattan DA's office, but now that we've crossed that line, that's where we're, it's likely to. Right. When you see these things happen to, to Donald Trump and that, that that's the problem that happens in all of these things, right? That's the problem with censorship online. That's the problem with weaponizing the da. That's the problem with weaponizing the fbi. That's the problem with going into a, a President's home address and searching his home for documents that you don't know whether or not they're there or whether or not it's prosecutable for the documents that he had there, because there was allegedly classified documents in Donald Trump's home, but there was also allegedly documents in Joe Biden's home. So the second that you start to cross these lines, right, the second everything becomes blurred, and the second you weaponize the f b I, now it's the pendulum always goes back, right? So, so as soon as, as soon as you are screaming from the rooftops for censorship against the opposite side of the political spectrum, you have to know eventually it's gonna come for you. Eventually it's going to come for something that you said it doesn't work one way. Right, and, and, and knowing the history of the United States and the way that our, our presidential elections work is that it's never democrat, democrat, democrat, democrat, democrat that gets elected. There's never 20 straight years where Democrat's getting elected. There's never 20 straight years where a Republican gets elected. So you have to know that the political, the, the pendulum is going to swing back the opposite direction. So when you go after Donald Trump, people are gonna go after Joe Biden and his family only. When we're talking about Joe Biden, it seems like there's so much legitimate, factual information that has come out that's prosecutable, that there's very likely that he and his family should actually go to jail compared to Donald Trump when the al they're doing is grasping for straws with the stormy Daniel. So I don't wanna bore you with the rest of this article, but there's just two more statements left. But obviously what he's alluding to and what Marjorie Taylor, Taylor Green is alluding to is that his uncle's involved with this, where he got payouts, hunter Biden got payouts right, all within that laptop situation, which it's unbelievable that it's taken three years for them to sift through that shit because I did it in a single podcast episode and knew exactly what was going on, including Hunter Biden, uh, engaging in some type of gross incestuous relationship, allegedly with his niece. Oh, and also, you know, fornicating with his dead brother's ex-wife. All of that. Right. Um, so Brad came under heavy fire in recent weeks since Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. The Manhattan grandeur jury indicted Trump on 34 criminal charges of falsifying business records related to the adult film Star Stormy Daniels. Yeah. Okay. But that's what you have to know. The pendulum always swings back. Right.  So here is the next statement that came from Marjorie Taylor Green. This was in a separate hearing, which I find to be quite hilarious. , but kind of a drop to mic moment from her. It's like if you had to have somebody on your team from politics, right? From, from the political sphere. Right now, I think Marjorie Taylor Green's kind of a boss right now. Uh, I'm sure there's,  , everybody wants to point to the Jewish space space lasers.  I, I've never actually seen that quote. , but every quote or or every video that I've seen of her talking, you know, her, her talking about the elites, her talking about, , all of the craziness that's been happening over the last several years does PR seems to be pretty on point. And this seems to be pretty on point for the mainstream media to, uh, try to deeg legitimize somebody who's in a position to actually change the narrative. So here is Marjorie Taylor Green. Being silenced in the committee after accusing Mayor, mayor, co mayor. Who the hell is this guy? Um, he's honorable mayor cause, um, but uh, of lying and that's the Hill article. So what I've found, I've talked about this already. The Hill has become biased, left wing media for a very long time. The Hill seemed to be straddling the line of center. And now ever since they got rid of their previous anchor who had anything to say that didn't align with their certain beliefs, all of the headlines seem to be pulling punches on the left and pushing and, and throwing haymakers at the right. The hill has been compromised if you used to get your information from the Hill, which, you know, I have. I've been watching videos from them for a, a very long time on this podcast, at least for the last year. There's been a shift in their journalism over the last, I would say, Five months, maybe ever since. Uh, I, I cannot recall the name of the anchor that they got rid of, but ever since that happened, it seems to me that there's been a fairly consistent amount of left wing headlines, um, on their part. So, uh, take this, the positioning of this article with a grain of salt, but know that it does come from the hill. All right. All right, so here is the article and it's titled Marjorie Taylor Green Silenced, um, during a hearing, um, after accusing mayors of lying, and she didn't accuse him of lying, Marjorie Taylor, Marjorie Taylor Green came out, and after this man tried to throw mud, she threw an entire, uh, hill of dirt on this man. She, she went after him. Um, so let's, let's watch this video and, and see what happened.   I gentleman yields, uh, I now recognize Mr. Swalwell from California for his five minutes Question Congress. Mr. Checker, do you wanna respond to the, can I take 20 seconds? Yep. To say that, okay. So it was actually with, uh, Swalwell. And what she does is Eric Swalwell and he thinks he's calling out Marjorie Taylor Green, Donald Trump and Jim Jordan over remarks about the F FBI saying, defund the F B I, which after what we've seen and the persecution of Donald Trump over what is seemingly a misdemeanor crime at best, even if he's guilty, which we're still yet to be seen, which is just silly to go after a former president for. But we've seen the weaponization of the F fbi, which led them to have some campaigning and some, you know, Marjorie Taylor Green, uh, talks about, you know, has this apparel where it's hats and t-shirts that is defund the F B I. So he brings up this big poster board, like he's in fifth grade with these, this hat and this shirt from Marjorie Taylor Green talking about defund the fbi. And here we go. They're doing nothing is an absolute falsehood. We are taking it to the cartels. Do I think that nearly 58,000 fentanyl overdose deaths in 2020 are quote unquote justifiable? This department has worked to stop the trafficking of narcotics since its very inception, and we both know very well that the drug problem in this country requires a two-pronged approach to address the supply and to address the demand. And this fight continues and we are taking it to the cartels in an unprecedented way. An operation Blue Lotus that we launch in the middle of March is one powerful example of what we are doing to only increase our effort to address this scourge that is killing so many Americans. But to say that we are doing nothing is unequivocally false. Uh, law enforcement officers are under tremendous invited, the author of this tweet, well, the gentleman yield, well, the gentleman yield. Well concerned about all here. He's people on this committee and their own anti-police rhetoric. This is a defund, the FBI campaign effort. Again, thousands of FBI agents who work hard every day to take bad guys off the streets. In fact, after the FBI rated Mar-a-Lago, someone armed the teeth, went to an FBI field office to try and kill FBI agents. I'm also concerned that the chairman of the Judiciary Committee invited a witness when you could have any person who walks this earth as a chairman of a committee to come in and testify. The chairman of the judiciary committee invited the author of this tweet. Well, the gentleman yield. Will the gentleman yield? Will the gentleman yield? Mr. Chairman? Mr. Chairman personal inquiry is interrupting. He's not yielding. The gentleman is rec recognized. So it concerns me that there is this anti-police rhetoric that's happening among some in the MAGA Republican party because. They vote against police funding that was included in the Covid relief package. They vote against police reform efforts that would put millions of dollars in community police officers on our street. They vote and are against the union protections that allow them to collectively bargain. And as we honor the hundreds of January 6th officers who, all right, so we're gonna have to find something different here because they only wanted to show one side of that conversation and not her response. So it's comical how difficult it is to navigate fucking YouTube to find basic Senate hearings. Um, let's see here. This is the Gentle Lady from Georgia, Ms. Green. That was quite entertaining from someone that had a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy, and everyone knows it, but thanks for I move to take our words down. Completely inappropriate. Yeah. Stand by just a second while we research the rule. Um, gimme just a second. Okay. All right, so let's go back. So, so we heard his remarks. Now let's hear her remarks because obviously they don't want you to hear this in secession. So here is Marjorie Taylor Green responding to Eric Sowell's res, uh, comments about the F B I situation. And here we. That was quite entertaining from someone that had a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy, and everyone knows it. But thanks for I move to take our words down. No, no. This how this man does not defend himself. He does not say that's not true. He doesn't say that he never did that. He says, I move to take her words down. That's inappropriate. Don't bring up my sexual relationship with a Chinese spy when I'm calling you out about your silly hats. I don't appreciate that was his response there. So let's, let's let this clip play on, but here we go. Completely inappropriate. Yes. Stand by just a second while we research the rule. Um, gimme just a second. Uh, gimme a second while I search the rule, um, whether or not we're going to allow Chinese spy sexual relationships within the committee here at this congressional hearing. Hold on one second. Let me check that rule. I, I wonder if there is a rule. Section four, uh, subsection three says that when somebody brings up a sexual relationship with the Chinese spy, that we must strike that from the record. Sir, I need to reclaim my, make sure I have my full five minutes. They're like, Hey, don't, don't, don't let her talk about me. In that Chinese spy. We had a great sexual relationship, but we don't need everybody talking about it. Everybody's just dead silent after her remark. That's hilarious. She just shut this whole place down. A motion has been made. The gentleman will, uh, the committee will suspend and the gentleman will state the words that he wishes, taken down everything that the gentle lady from Georgia has said, no, you need to be more specific Accusations of an affair with a Chinese spy. Those are engaging in personalities, and they sh those words should be taken down and the gentle lady should not be able to speak anymore in this hearing. That is, that is not an, the latter part of that is not an appropriate motion, but we will evaluate the striking of those words. So they, this man had to repeat the fact that he had a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy so that they would strike it. They needed him. I, I hope they didn't even need him to, to, to repeat that. And they just did it out of like sheer appreciation for what Marjorie Taylor Green just did there. Excuse me, sir, could you tell me one more time what you would like us to strike from the record? Is it the fact that you had sex with a Chinese spy? Because if it is, you need to say it out of your own mouth. You dirty man. Gimme just a second. No, I will not. Let's see, let's see. So Georgia, and asks if she would like to retract those words. No, I will not. Again, notice how this man doesn't argue against it, but he just wants them to strike it from the record as inappropriate. Well, maybe your relationship with the Chinese spy was inappropriate, sir. Not just the statement that came out of her mouth. Maybe it was just the action itself. Man, this is silent for a very long time. Nobody's talking at all. Uh, from day one, the gentleman, the gentleman from Mississippi is recognized. Um, I don't think there's any question. Uh, what the young lady said. I've been on this committee, uh, from day one. Uh, we've never had an accusation, uh, made of any member like that, and I'm appalled at it. We all ought to be embarrassed at it. We are better committed than, than what the general lady is trying to make of this committee. So I appeal the ruling of the chair. The ruling of the chair has been appealed. We will now gentleman moves.  Okay, there's the statement. She came out and called this man out for the things that he actually did, and sh they were mad about it. Um, so there you have it. Marjorie Taylor Green is an absolute boss. Um, this man was just mad that he got caught red handed having sex with a Chinese spy. Um, and during his marriage, Now there was an entire recorded hearing about it on a congressional committee where it was, you know, recorded for all to hear. So there is that. All right, now the next thing that we're gonna discuss, let's, let's go ahead and move on from that, that took a while. Um, but Planned Parenthood Communications Director committed suicide after police launched an investigation into him for participating in child pornography. Right? So they raided his apartment building, they'd launched an investigation into this communications director of Planned Parenthood, and as a result, this man took his own life. So, obviously it's sad, it's tragic when anybody takes their own life, but not generally when it's on the same day that somebody rates your house for child pornography. So this goes on to say that the former director of strategic communications at the Southern New England Branch of Planned Parenthood took his own life amid a child pornography investigation in Connecticut last week. Police have not named abortion advocate, Tim Yuu, 36 years old as the sub subject in the pro, but confirmed that the man who committed suicide in his apartment building was a subject, um, Juu, 36 years old, took his own life five days after an apparent botched attempt by police to take him into custody. Investigators broke down the door of his neighbor in New Haven, Connecticut and handcuffed her before realizing they had rated the wrong apartment. The person who died was definitely the suspect in the child pornography investigation and the person who committed SU suicide. New Haven Police Chief Carl Jacobson told. The New Haven Register was this man Urgo appeared to post regularly on social media until December of 2022. Pictures of his godchildren, family, friends, and work events lay bear his life in the months prior to his death. Now, what a coincidence that the very same man who delegitimizes the life of infants and babies and children within the womb of mothers also seemed to devalue that life later when they were actually children by taking advantage of them sexually through child pornography. Interesting how that subsection between far left liberalism, trans ideology, LGBTQ plus sae, whatever, however many letters you wanna put behind that. Always followed within the realm of what we're seeing with a high probability it when there's news articles coming out about, you know, these types of things that maybe they lie on that side of it. And here he is holding a pride flag, um, which again, there's no correlation to me between gay people, lesbians, and, uh, the ad taking advantage of children, but it seems to be a correlation between some of the other movements. Now, uh, ergo has been working as the marketing and communications director for the Long Wharf Theater and previously worked for Planned Parenthood.  That's all I'm gonna go into on that. But pretty wild. The police raid this apartment building and got the wrong house, put this woman in handcuffs, and just, a short period after that, this man ends up committing suicide. So, I'm sure he was very concerned about them getting the actual right building and, you know, We'll go from there. So, um, let's move on after that. Pretty terrible story overall, but she said that they literally came up the third to the third floor. If they had been watching him, they would have seen my son and I coming and going. She said, um, she had filed a complaint and said police tried to connect her with a mental health services, but she declined. I was planning on going down there and talking to him, talking about her neighbor before realizing he'd taken his own life. I just thought that maybe a small act of compassion might help. Yeah. Little did you know, right? Uh, safe to say that this man went to hell, some would say. Right. Took his own life. You know, hell is a good place. Somebody else said, thanks for saving us time and money.  So next up is John Federman, the Senator. And he is now coming back from a short time period where he was away for medical leave, for depression, and now here he is at his very first committee hearing seemingly, uh, losing his ability to read at a first grade level. Uh, when it comes to words that are sitting in front of. All right, so next up is John Federman, the senator who had his very first committee hearing, uh, after a short period of medical leave for depression. And here he is stumbling over a piece of paper in front of him that obviously somebody else wrote. What's a, what's, what I find to be more frustrating than almost anything about politics in politicians is that they don't even fake it anymore. They don't even pretend to be saying the words that they're speaking, right? That to have come up with these words that they're, they're, they're talking about, right? They don't even pretend to have written them themselves. They, even if they wanna put it on a piece of paper and write out your statements, that's fine, but this man. Write any of this either. Does Joe Biden when it comes to his speeches, none of it, all of it's a facade. All of it is puppeteering, all of it is somebody else writing these speeches and in these men and women of politics, just saying whatever is in front of them instead of what they actually feel. Which is more frustrating than anything. I don't, I don't know how a single person could back somebody like that, let alone somebody who can't even read the words that somebody else wrote for them. So that's what we see from John Federman here and Nutrition Specialty Crops, organics and Research to order Chairwoman Stephenk and Ranking Member Boozman. Thank you so much for coming. I thank you for your leadership on this committee and I look forward to working with you to pass a farm. A farm bill that works for small farm farmers, rural communities, and hungry Americans. I would also like to thank my raking member, Senator Braun, and I look forward to working closely with you. Snap is one of the most effective programs to fight hunger and pirate in the country. In my time and effort in iis as the mayor in I to lieutenant, this man couldn't even say in office in iis, and you hear the tonality coming out of his voice, right? He couldn't even say farm correctly. It's, it's almo. It's, it's so embarrassing that this man is representing our country, that is representing an entire state, an entire state, that this man is sitting here fumbling over his words that couldn't pass a first grade spelling bee. And he's sitting here insulting these people's ears by not even being able to read the words that are in front of him, like office and farm. Hey, governor, to now I have heard from Pennsylvanians about their support for a snap. Hunger is not a Republican or a Democrat issue. It's all of our issue that we have to take it on. We need to come together and stop playing political games with American. We need to come together and stop playing political games. Hunger is not an issue that is Republican or Democrat. It is an issue for all of us humans to tackle, to gather that the food Americans like Chair about glory. J from the now, the town of Northeast in Pennsylvania tells me that his victim was skimming, which was was somebody what? Fuck. Just came out of your mouth, sir. What? You cannot tell me that that was English. I wanna listen to that one more time. You can absolutely not tell me that. That right there was the English language to come together and stop playing political games. Listen to this, Americans access to food. Americans like Chair about Glory. J. From the now to the town of Northeast in Pennsylvania, Americans about town. AJ from the American Northeast about the pen. Pen. Pennsylvania tells me that his victim was skimming, which was when somebody stole money and he relied from its Snap, E b T. Mr. Joy is not the first Pennsylvanian I have heard this from. I fear he won't be the last. And I will work in this farm Bill to modernize snap to work to recipients in the 21st century. I look forward to from hearing from you your witness on this estrogen for assistance on the farm Bill and I will now turn to Senator Bra for any opening comments that he would like to make. Oh my God. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Thanks to our witnesses for being here today. Uh, this is the second Congress that I'm serving as a ranking member on this subcommittee. I'm excited to return to the subcommittee and I'm looking forward to working with Chairman Federer defined bipartisan solutions. Yeah, you are. We're meeting today as part of the committee's consideration of the 2023 Farm Bill, and the bill will cost us more than it ever has in history, and I wanna make. That if we're spending more, we do it efficiently. Earlier this year when Secretary Vilsack testified before the committee, this is like one of those situations where everybody knows what's going on. Like where you have the high school basketball team and they like all, let the kid with a mental handicap come out and pretend like he's playing against them and makes the basket, and then everybody runs into the court. Only it's politics and this man can't read. That's, that's exactly what's going on here. Right? Like you've seen the clips and, and obviously great that children do that in high school, but maybe we shouldn't have somebody.  Oh, he has depression. Oh, whatever. Right? But maybe you shouldn't be representing an entire state if you can't read basic first grade English. Maybe that's the case, right? If you can't sit in front of you and have a piece of paper and read off of it properly and convincingly, maybe I don't want you taking my tax hours and giving it to some stupid thing that you want to give it to, right? And you see just the, the, the vast difference between him and the person that follows up with him. Ready? I asked him as a former governor if he was concerned with runaway spending, and let's see what else we can get from this man. Bipartisan support, including betterman. Where you at with me really highlights ACEs are not incentivized to invest in the thank. Thank you Mr. Woodford. Chairman Federman, ranking member Braun and subcommittee members. Thank you for allowing me to testify today. Independent Senator, Senator Gillibrand for. Right. Emergency food assistance to low income individuals. And these individuals may not qualify for snap, but they might need additional support. Food banks like Phillip residents, and knowing personally they're the kind of quality of the work that you do. In my own state, they distribute 85% of TFA foods nationwide. As Americans struggle with high food costs, how have you been able to allow you to continue to provide food support? Yeah. Um, thank you for the question. Um, and the reality is that food banks like Phil Abundance our partners across the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and really across the country, um, we, okay. Again, how embarrassing that we have somebody in a position of power in, in that was. Voted into office, right? And, and some people talked about the fact that this man basically got put into office because somebody else who was elected was actually dead when they were elected, which it wouldn't surprise me at this point because they probably would've still done a better job of reading this document in front of this man, even if they were incapacitated completely than what this man just tried to read off and insult our ears with. So again, I don't know when we got shifted from our timeline from a true reality into a comedy, but this is an exact example of what I'm talking about there, right there. There's no reason that anybody should be allowed in office if you cannot read a physical document in front of you. It's, it's, it's so silly to me that this is even has to become a conversation that maybe, maybe you should have to take a second grade reading test if you are put into a position of power in Congress, in Senate as a president. I dunno, maybe you should be able to read to the second grade level, but apparently that's not the case. All right, so let's go ahead and watch this clip here from The View. This is Patty Luon, um, comparing us Christians to the Taliban. But before we watch that, I need you to do one thing. Go head over to austin adams.ck.com, Austin adams.ck.com, and subscribe to the ck. So every single week we put out content. About the podcast companion is all of the links, all of the articles, all of the videos from this week's podcast directly to your email every single week. So head over there right now, put in your email and get that directly to your inbox and hit that subscribe button. Leave a five star review. I appreciate you and here's the clip. This before, and I'm gonna get in trouble, but I have said this before and it's been in print. I don't know what the difference between our Christian right and the Taliban is. I have no idea what the difference is. You're not the only person who's said that. I don't, I just don't know what the difference is. Yeah. What's happening in this country right now in the name of religion is so dangerous. So let's address that this woman. Just said she doesn't know what the difference is be between Christianity and the Taliban. Well, let's make some comparisons here. The Taliban reduces femininity down to the point where they're incapable of doing anything on their own. The conservative Christians just don't even identify what A can't even tell you what a woman is, right? Not only that, but they diminish the value of, of what a human life is to where, you know, just like the Taliban, they can kill you at ease. The, the, the Christian right doesn't even want you to survive as un until you're born as a human. Right? Oh, wait, that's not the Christian, right? That is the Democrats. This woman just came out and said that the Christian right is the same as the Taliban. Well, if that's the case, I would appreciate my 80 billion of military equipment because I think almost every Christian conservative would want that too. But it, it would only come from somebody with this type of haircut where they would make such a stupid statement like that. So this Karen in overalls and a collared dress shirt decided to call anybody who's a Christian conservative. Anybody who believes that, I don't know, maybe we shouldn't have abortion, maybe religion should, should be acceptable in de general public is now a part of the Taliban because we shouldn't end human life. From my experience, the Taliban. Definitely about ending human life, right? The, the, the Taliban is definitely all about, it's, it's okay to stop women from having rights. It's okay to stop women from, I don't know, going to school, having jobs, showing their face, showing their hair, right? The, the liberal left doesn't even want to give a definition to what women are, let alone actually give them rights. So, you know, I think this woman is a little, a little misguided in her perception of what it actually means, um, of, of what she's even saying. And Whoopy Goldberg coming in and saying, you know, you're not the first person to say that. You're not the first person to say that. Mm. I haven't heard any other clips like this one. So maybe you are the first person stupid enough to say those words out of your mouth on public television. Um, and Whoopy Goldberg just propping her up and giving her backup on this statement should, should be all of the, the leverage, uh, that you need to know that everything that's come out of this woman's mouth ever is just full of shit and just divisive and wants to further divide the left and the right from any type of community. This before, and I'm gonna get in trouble, but I have said this before and it's been imprint. I don't know what the difference between our Christian right and the Taliban is. I have no idea what the difference is. You're not the only person who has said that. I don't. And the award for the most ridiculous thing ever goes to her. All right, so that is all I have for you guys today. Thank you so much for listening. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart so much. All right, and that is all I have for you today. Thank you so much for listening. I appreciate it. From the bottom of my heart. Have a wonderful week. I love ya. Leave a five star review, subscribe, anti elite.club Austin Adams dot.com. And that's all I got. Thank you.    

South American crop update. Matt Kaye report on Secretary Vilsack's comments on potential for payment limits for producers. Salute to the 2023 Prairie Farmer Master Farmers Curt Strode, David Meiss, Ron Moore, and Martin Barbre

Welcome to our special St. Patrick's Day Friday Free-for-all, which has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day. Instead, Jim Wiesemeyer, Shaun Haney, and Michelle Jones discuss Secretary Vilsack, Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad, the economy and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secretary Vilsack and USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie joined the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and farmer-leaders with Farmers for Soil Health (FSH) to sign a $95 million USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant, officially launching the Farmers for Soil Health initiative.

We spend the hour hearing from Black farmers and their advocates who traveled to DC on March 1 from 15 states to rally in front of the White House and demand that President Biden fire Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack for continuing more than a century of state-sponsored race discrimination, land theft, and economic deprivation of Black farmers. The protest was also commemorating a March 2, 1999 fairness hearing when hundreds of Black farmers also descended on D.C. to protest the forced consent decree issued in Pigford v. Glickman, the landmark Black farmer discrimination case that was implemented so poorly that Black farmers lost 1.5 million acres of land as thousands were forced into foreclosure and lost everything they owned. According to the investigative report, How the Government Helped White Americans Steal Black Farmland, Nathan Rosenberg conservatively estimates that the theft of Black farmers land and generative income amounts to $326 billiion today. With: Tracy Lloyd McCurty, Eddie Slaughter, Timothy Pigford, Karla Bates and more. The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people's voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. PATREON NOW HAS A ONE-TIME, ANNUAL DONATION FUNCTION! You can also give a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. Thank you!

KSU Feedlot Bootcamp and Interns New FSA Dairy Program and the Upcoming Women Managing the Farm Conference The Age-Old Question… Genetics versus Environment     00:01:08  — KSU Feedlot Bootcamp and Interns:  We kick off this Wednesday's program with K-State faculty member in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Karol Fike. Karol joins us to discuss a program that she has helped in facilitating in the last five years for students at K-State called the Feedlot Bootcamp. She shares that the program gives interested students the opportunity to network with and learn from feedlot professionals across the state, and she also gives tips on what to look for in a potential intern and why internships today are so important.   The Feedlot Bootcamps are generously sponsored by Zoetis, Midwest Pulls, Rabo Agrifinance, Philbro Animal Health, MicroTechnologies, and Axiota. You can contact Karol through her email which is karol@ksu.edu More information on the Feedlot Bootcamps can be found here   00:12:12 — New FSA Dairy Program and the Upcoming Women Managing the Farm Conference:  We're also joined by one of our friends from the Kansas FSA, Tonya Ackerman. Tonya shares insight on upcoming deadlines, a new program recently announced by Secretary Vilsack, and her excitement for the upcoming Women Managing the Farm Conference.   00:23:04 — The Age-Old Question… Genetics versus Environment: In this week's Beef Cattle Institute's Ask the Experts, we are joined by K-State experts Brad While, Bob Larson, and Brian Lubbers for a discussion on whether genetics or the environment play a bigger role in replacement heifer development.   Send comments, questions, or requests for copies of past programs to ksrenews@ksu.edu. Agriculture Today is a daily program featuring Kansas State University agricultural specialists and other experts examining ag issues facing Kansas and the nation. It is hosted by Samantha Bennett and distributed to radio stations throughout Kansas and as a daily podcast.   K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan.

1-5-23 AJ DailyAmerican Angus Association Partners With IMI GlobalAdapted from a release by Holly Martin, Angus Communications Coccidiosis Affecting Calves in North DakotaAdapted from an article by NDSU Extension Statement by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Following the Swearing in of Under Secretary for Food SafetyAdapted from a release by the USDA For more Angus news, visit angusjournal.net. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Quinn spoke with Iowa Director for the USDA's Rural Development program, Theresa Greenfield, about some grants being funded with Secretary Vilsack's big announcement last Thursday including $2.8 million for Iowa. Agronomist Nicole Stecklein from Dekalb talks about what she saw this growing season including the presence of tar spot; which she says strongly correlates with rainfall amounts. And Jamey Kohake with Paragon Investments wrapped up the show with a look at price projections through the next couple of weeks.

Climate change is a touchy topic in farm country. But one third of greenhouse gas emissions come from food and agriculture, so it's crucial that the industry becomes part of the climate change solution.  For years almost all the action on climate change centered on energy – solar and wind and electric vehicles taking on coal and gas and oil. But now Washington is suddenly buzzing about “climate-smart agriculture,” and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is in the middle of the action. He just announced $3 billion in grants for “climate-smart commodities.” The Inflation Reduction Act is sending the USDA $20 billion for climate-smart projects. It's incredible how quickly the food and climate issue has moved to the center of the plate. This week, https://twitter.com/MikeGrunwald (Mike) and https://twitter.com/TamarHaspel (Tamar) welcome Secretary Vilsack as their first Climavores guest. They dig in on everything from regulating farmers to regenerative agriculture to subsidies as a bridge to market solutions. And of course Mike pushes the Secretary on his favorite topic –  biofuels.  Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of https://postscriptmedia.com/ (Post Script Media).  https://twitter.com/ClimavoresPod (Twitter), https://www.instagram.com/climavorespod/ (Instagram) https://postscriptmedia.com/climavores/ (Website) ----------- Have feedback or questions? http://www.twitter.com/importantnotimp (Tweet us), or send a message to questions@importantnotimportant.com New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at https://www.importantnotimportant.com/podcast (importantnotimportant.com/podcast). ----------- Follow us: Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.importantnotimportant.com (importantnotimportant.com) Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ImportantNotImp (twitter.com/ImportantNotImp) Follow Quinn: http://twitter.com/quinnemmett (twitter.com/quinnemmett) Edited by https://anthonyluciani.com (Anthony Luciani) Produced by https://twitter.com/willowbeck_ (Willow Beck) Intro/outro by Tim Blane: http://timblane.com/ (timblane.com) Find our more about our guests here: https://www.importantnotimportant.com/guest-stats (https://www.importantnotimportant.com/guest-stats) Advertise with us: https://www.importantnotimportant.com/sponsors (https://www.importantnotimportant.com/sponsors)

Don't miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism. Climate change is a touchy topic in farm country. But one third of greenhouse gas emissions come from food and agriculture, so it's crucial that the industry becomes part of the climate change solution.  For years almost all the action on climate change centered on energy – solar and wind and electric vehicles taking on coal and gas and oil. But now Washington is suddenly buzzing about “climate-smart agriculture,” and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is in the middle of the action. He just announced $3 billion in grants for “climate-smart commodities.” The Inflation Reduction Act is sending the USDA $20 billion for climate-smart projects. It's incredible how quickly the food and climate issue has moved to the center of the plate. This week, Mike and Tamar welcome Secretary Vilsack as their first Climavores guest. They dig in on everything from regulating farmers to regenerative agriculture to subsidies as a bridge to market solutions. And of course Mike pushes the Secretary on his favorite topic – biofuels.  Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a future episode.  Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.  VERGE 22, taking place Oct 25-27 in San Jose, CA, will convene more than 4,000 leaders working together to address the climate crisis across six strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation, carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the startup ecosystem. Register today and use the code V22PSMEDIA for 10% off of the pass type of your choice: https://bit.ly/3f2f2FQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack explains how producer input led to the shaping of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program and its project funding structure.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we are sharing more audio from Secretary Tom Vilsack on how he and the USDA are planning to keep farmers and ranchers on their land.

In a rare opportunity at the Iowa State Fair, and you have to hear the wide-ranging conversation including the effort to bring down fertilizer prices and ease supply concerns by bringing production back home, opening up new markets and just how valuable our high quality Iowa-made products are when it comes to meetings on trade with other countries. PLUS Jamey Kohake's expert market analysis AND the Three Big Things You Need to Know.

This month on Repast, Michael and Diana talk with a very special guest, Dr. Sara Bleich, the Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity for the Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.   Dr. Bleich is leading the department's work to counter food and nutrition insecurity in the United States.  In this episode, Dr. Bleich discusses the USDA's Actions on Nutrition Security, the difference between food security and nutrition security, health equity, structural racism, the upcoming historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, and much more.Dr. Sara Bleich is on leave from her tenured position as a Professor of Public Health Policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.  She is a well-regarded public health policy expert specializing in food and nutrition policy and the author of more than 150 peer-reviewed publications. Her research centers on food insecurity, as well as racial injustice within the social safety net. Dr. Bleich holds a PhD in Health Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Columbia University.In the first year of the Biden administration, Dr. Bleich served as Senior Advisor for COVID-19 in the Office of the Secretary. In January 2022, she transitioned to her new role as the first Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity at the Food and Nutrition Service at USDA.  She will elaborate more on this role today.  From 2015-2016, she served as a White House Fellow in the Obama Administration, where she worked in USDA as a Senior Policy Advisor for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services and with the First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative.  Michael T. Roberts is the Executive Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at UCLA Law.Diana Winters is the Deputy Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at UCLA Law.  For more on the USDA's Actions on Nutrition Security, see here.See here for Secretary Vilsack's address on the USDA's Actions on Nutrition Security.See here for the USDA's new blog series on nutrition security.Look here for information about the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.  

On Wednesday's Mark Levin Show, thanks to Big Media, America is engaged in a conversation on mass shootings, and mental illness with no real facts, or hard data. A word of thanks also goes to Mitch McConnell and the RINO Republicans for discussing pointless gun control measures in Congress, even though there isn't a single bill they could pass that would stop crazy people from hurting innocent people. We must thank President Biden for focusing his attention on 9mm pistols and revealing how senseless their gun-grabbing desires are, right? Then, the increased cost of every gallon of gas that you pay for is squarely Biden's fault. By limiting the production of energy, you increase the demand and the price. This was clear 14 months ago when this program noted that increased federal spending and decreased energy supply would drag us over the cliff to inflation and into a recession. All because of leftist climate ideology, not economics. Later, The Democrat Party and American Marxists never leave what's good alone; they create anarchy in energy production, our food supply, and our policies. Secretary Janet Yellen admits that she was wrong about inflation. Secretary Vilsack wants to transform agriculture. Democrats have destroyed our cultural history and economy. Afterward, according to FEC filings the Uvalde Police Chief, Pete Arredondo, donated to Democrat Beto O'Rourke's campaign in 2017. O'Rourke is famous for saying he was coming for your AR-15 if elected President. MSNBC host Joy Reid entertained commentary on her program that suggested that the police response was slowed due to the community being poor or Hispanic. Incidentally, this makes no sense as it is believed that Chief Arredondo, a Uvalde native, is also of Hispanic heritage. Finally, Andrew Pollack, whose daughter was murdered at Stoneman Douglas High School, calls in to tell parents to demand more security in schools.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thursday, on AoA, the program began with Tanner Beymer, VP of Government Affairs at NCBA discussing House bill 7606, a bill to create a special prosecutor position at USDA to hold meat producers accountable, NCBA opposes the bill. Then, Josh Linville, StoneX Director of Fertilizer, joined the show to discuss the recent price break in urea, and how long this window might exist. Then, Professor Glynn Tonsor of K-State University provided an update to the Meat Demand Monitor, and highlighted some issues he'll be keeping an eye on. We ended the show with Mike Stranze, VP of Advocacy from National Farmers Union, discussing Secretary Vilsack's announcement of $2.1 billion in funding to transform the food system. Mike also shared why NFU is in support of the Special Prosecutor bill that NCBA opposes.

Supply Chain challenges with Ryan Frieders, DeKalb County Farmer and Farm Week Crop Watcher and Randy Graham, Illinois Specialty Growers Association President, and owner of Curtis Orchard. Clint Chaffer, Agronomy Manager with DeKalb Asgrow provides a report.Profit Watch Energy: Intern Eliza Petry shares a report on gasoline prices and summer travel featuring GROWMARK's Scott Wilson. Matt Kaye reports on Senate Ag Republicans concerns about farm profitability based on high input costs and inflation concerns and Secretary Vilsack's response. Jim Taylor has the early morning markets and weather.

Poor nutrition is the leading cause of health issues in the United States, with nearly three in four American adults being overweight or obese, and obesity in children and young people being equally concerning. Today, we're talking with Dr. Sara Bleich, the new Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity at the Food and Nutrition Service at the US Department of Agriculture. Dr. Bleich is leading the department's overall effort to tackle food and nutrition insecurity in the United States. Interview Summary   Sara, it's always wonderful to chat with you, and doing so in different roles that you've been in. So last time we spoke, you were doing full-time work as a professor at Harvard, and now you're in this vital position at USDA. I mean, personally, I can't think of anyone more capable and qualified for this kind of work. And so I'd like to begin by asking if you could explain the purview of your work at USDA.   I'd be happy to, and thank you. It's really kind of you to say that. And I do want to just underscore that for me, it really is an honor to have the opportunity to serve in this role and to help some of these populations that I care a lot about. And I do feel like so many folks in the public health community have been so generous with their time, their expertise, and have given really valuable feedback, so just really want to say thank you to those of you who are listening. You know who you are. You've really been a wonderful sounding board.   So in terms of my transition to federal government, at the start of the Biden administration, I took a leave. I was previously at the Harvard School of Public Health, this was in January of 2021, and I spent the first year as the Senior Advisor for COVID in the Office of the Secretary. And now, in the second year of the administration, I have this new hat, which you mentioned, which is serving as the Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity, and this is within the Food Nutrition Service. So what's really interesting for me is that both of these jobs are brand new to USDA, so it's been really fun to sort of craft them and have the opportunity to sort of start fresh and take on these new responsibilities in very important areas. Now, one thing that they both have reminded me of is just how much I love federal service. This is my second tour of duty in government, and I honestly thought, the first time around, that I wouldn't like it so much, but I have fallen in love with federal service, I really love working at USDA, it's such a fun place to work, and I think that's largely because it has such a broad and diverse mission, so it touches the lives of 330 million Americans every day. I don't know of another job where you can have that sort of impact. So for me, it's great to be back. It's great to have an opportunity to serve, and it's especially nice to be able to do it in a topic area that I have worked on in my professional life, from the academic side, for so many years.   The enormous impact that this federal work has is clear, from what you just said, and everybody knows this, and in any administration, the country really relies on the service of people like you who are willing to take on these important tasks, so I'd like to say how much I appreciate you doing that. So it's heartening to know that the USDA is making nutrition security a key priority, and it's noteworthy that the term food security has become food and nutrition security. Can you explain why this transition has occurred in terminology and how is nutrition security being operationalized?   Great question. Really glad you asked it, because we are hearing a fair amount of confusion about the concept of nutrition security itself. And then how does it differ from the longstanding efforts at USDA to address food insecurity. So let's start with, first of all, what is nutrition security? So the concept is designed, or aims, to help us better recognize the coexistence of food insecurity and diet-related diseases and disparities. So specifically, what nutrition security means is consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods and beverages that promote wellbeing and prevent disease, and in some cases, treat disease. And this is particularly true among racial/ethnic minority populations, lower-income populations, and rural and remote populations, which includes tribal communities. Now, at USDA, nutrition security builds on and complements our efforts around food security, but it's different in two distinct ways. The first is that it, it being nutrition security, recognizes that we're not all maintaining an active healthy life that's consistent with federal recommendations, and the second is that it emphasizes taking an equity lens to our efforts. So put simply, you can think of nutrition security as having consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food. Now, many listeners may be aware of this definition, and may realize that it directly builds on the JAMA commentary by Dr. Dari Mozaffarian, my assistant, Dr. Sheila Fleischhacker, and Chef Jose R Andres, that came out a little over a year ago. So right now, what we're spending a whole lot of time doing, and that's why it's such a privilege to be on this podcast, is really trying to clearly articulate that definition of nutrition security to a broad range of audiences to really try to get everyone on the same page about what we're doing and how it is a complement to these long-standing efforts around food insecurity.   I'd like to explore this concept just a little bit more. So if you go back to when the country really started to take hunger seriously, in the 1960s, if the term security had been used back then, it probably would've been calorie insecurity, wouldn't it? There was an effort just to get food to people, irrespective of what it was, because they just needed to get more calories in them. But that's given way to a much more sophisticated concept that, if I'm hearing you right, not only do you want to get food to people, but the kind of food that specifically promotes health.   That's exactly right. So what we know right now about burden of disease in the US is that every year, about 600,000 people die because of diet-related conditions. Those are preventable deaths. So the burden of disease looks very different than it did 40 or 50 years ago. And so at USDA, now, what we're concerned about is not just giving people calories or food that fills up their fridge, but we want to give them calories or food that is also going to promote their health and their wellbeing, and that is the critical pivot, and the point that we're at right now, with all the messaging that we're doing, with how we're positioning the programs, and how we're prioritizing action as we move forward.   Sara, when we began the podcast, we talked about the very high rates of obesity in the country, and now you're talking about food insecurity, which people used to refer to as hunger, and a lot of people would see these as the opposite ends of the same spectrum, that they're somehow different and disconnected from one another, but they're not. Would you care to comment on that?   Food insecurity and obesity are definitely related. They often coexist. So we know, for example, that both food insecurity and excess body weight, which you can think of as obesity, they tend to be aggregated among historically disadvantaged populations. So communities of color, low-income populations. And because these two conditions coexist, it's really important to think about how do we use the power of the federal nutrition assistance programs to help move people out of food insecurity and toward nutrition security. And the power of the federal nutrition safety net is that it has a number of programs which are designed to do both. So, for example, if we look at SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formally known as food stamps, it helps about 41 million Americans - in fact, more than 41 million Americans, afford food each month. There's strong evidence which suggests that it pulls people away from food insecurity, so it lifts families out of hunger. But what we also know is that with the historic reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, which is the calculation that underlies the size of the SNAP benefit that increased the benefit amount by 21%. This happened back in the fall of '21. What that does is, it puts healthy food within reach for so many participants who are on SNAP. So we view this change to SNAP, this reevaluation, which is the first permanent increase in over 45 years, we view this as core to our nutrition security efforts because it allows families to actually purchase food and put those foods within reach that are going to promote their health and their wellbeing.   Thanks for that explanation. So it sounds like some of your work lies at a very interesting intersection of two important priorities of the current administration. So on one hand, you have USDA Secretary Vilsack's goal of promoting and elevating nutrition security, which you've discussed, but also the President's goal of advancing racial equity. So what things are happening at this particular intersection of USDA?   Well, first I'll say this is an exciting time to be in government because there is so much focus on core issues that matter a lot. And so a key reason why the Secretary of Agriculture, which is Secretary Vilsack, the key reason why he is so passionately focused on nutrition security is really due to the pandemic, and the President's goal of advancing racial equity. So what we all know is that COVID-19 brought health disparities and the vital need for access to healthy food right up to the forefront. There's a study, which many listeners may be familiar with, which estimated that nearly two thirds of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States were due to four diet-related conditions: obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure. And so for this reason, given the disproportionate impact of COVID, its impact on diet-related conditions, and we know that it really disproportionately impacted communities of color, equity is central to our work to promote and elevate nutrition security. And so just to keep us all on the same page, let me just quickly say what we mean by equity: everyone having an equal opportunity to live the healthiest life possible, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make. But when we talk about equity that also dovetails with considerations around the context in which we live. This means we also have to consider structural racism, and this is how we bring in the racial equity lens. So structural racism is not just individuals having prejudices, but it's also when racism gets produced and reproduced by laws and by rules. It becomes embedded in the economy, and so therefore, confronting racism requires that we don't just change how individuals think, but we also start to transform policies. In our efforts to build awareness around nutrition security, we are also making very concerted efforts to explain how structural racism is real, it reaches back to the beginnings of US history, and it stretches across our institutions and economy. So we emphasize that structural racism harms health in ways that can be described, measured, and dismantled. And this is a really important needle to thread as we think about nutrition security, because social disadvantage is not random. It has real roots that we need to acknowledge, and then address wherever possible. So for example, we know that there are disparities in diet-related conditions that have existed for decades, and those are associated with structural limitations to retail food outlets that sell healthier foods, among a whole host of other longstanding historical inequities. And this is where the work of nutrition security comes in, where we at USDA, and hopefully, all the listeners of this podcast, can really make a difference.   So I would challenge you all to lean in and ask yourself how can you be part of the solution. And maybe that's asking a critical research question, maybe it's trying to help connect eligible individuals with the federal nutrition assistance programs, but there are so many opportunities to promote and elevate nutrition security. And the key, going back to your question, is that the President cares about this, the Secretary of Agriculture cares about this. This is a window of opportunity to really make a difference in people's lives. And so I think that we really want to lean in as much as possible and take advantage of it.   This work is really important, so following up on something you just said about ways that people can engage with this process, so what kind of things are you seeing on the horizon, and what are the best ways for people who might be listening, to engage?   So I think it's going to depend on the lane that you sit in. If you're listening to this podcast and you're a researcher, I would ask yourself, "Given the data that I've collected, given the data that I plan to collect, could I do a secondary analysis that might help me understand some of the impacts of the COVID flexibilities that have happened during the pandemic?" For example, there was a temporary increase to the SNAP benefit, and then that became a permanent increase. There have been hundreds of waivers that have been issued which have made the programs more easily accessible. So for example, with WIC, you don't have to go in in person, you can do meetings over the phone. There are all sorts of things, all sorts of program modifications that have happened, and USDA doesn't have the bandwidth to do all that evaluation. So I'd say if you're a researcher, look at how your existing data, your existing portfolio, may be able to answer other important questions.   Second, if you are industry, or if you're somehow in the private sector, ask yourself, "What could I do to lean in on this?" For example, there is a waiver that's allowed, it's called the SNAP Incentive Waiver. Retailers can apply for this and it allows them to incentivize SNAP participants to purchase things like fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains that are in alignment with the dietary guidelines for Americans. This has been around for a few years, and it's a really nice way that retailers could take advantage of an existing waiver to try to help promote healthy eating purchases among SNAP participants. Which, again, covers about 41 million Americans each month. There are so many different ways to think about leaning in on this particular issue. And I would say that one of the things that we have really tried hard to do over the past several months is that we at USDA are trying to really clearly define our role. How we are trying to make a difference - with the hope that it makes it obvious how others can do complementary activities, because yes - we are investing tens of billions of dollars towards this portfolio. We are very serious about it. This is a top priority. But USDA alone cannot solve the problem of diet-related diseases and disparities. It is going to take a whole-government, if not whole-country approach. And so this is where creative ideas about how to make a difference, leveraging existing resources, is where many of you who are listening can make a difference.   Thanks for that. By the way, this focus on equity and this idea that the whole country can engage to help address these issues feels very optimistic, and just like there's hope for the future of really addressing these problems in a fundamentally different way. So back to your career: you've been in both academics and in federal service, as you mentioned earlier. So what makes you passionate about nutrition security as an issue, and do you have advice for people that might be interested in federal service?   I love questions like this, largely because when I was starting off my career, it would've been so helpful to hear what motivates people. So for me, my north star is that I've always wanted to help historically underserved populations, communities of color. How do I help them achieve a better quality of life? I'm from inner-city Baltimore. I have a twin sister and an older brother. My parents still live in the same house that I was raised in, and they were public school teachers, they're now retired, and when we were young, our family received food stamps, now SNAP, we received WIC, we received school meals. So I've always been very motivated to give back to the communities that have given me so much. And I think that our current reality is that every child and every person in this country doesn't have an equal opportunity to live a healthy life. And that's not the way that it should be. So every day, I am very, very motivated to ask myself what can I do to help push us in that direction, and push us in a meaningful way. I think the challenge is always, you can push hard but you want to push hard on things that are moveable, where you can actually make a difference. Because everything is all about timing and you want to just be very strategic about where you're going to make investments or put your energy in an area. Because this is where there's an opportunity. And I would say that if we can achieve nutrition security, it is going to change people's lives. Diet-related diseases are preventable. Hundreds of thousands of people a year don't have to die from them. And that's particularly true among communities of color. I think that many of you listening probably feel the same, but these are things that need to change. As I mentioned earlier, I do think we are at a moment where there's a window of opportunity to make a difference. And I would say, more practically, if you're interested in federal service, I would strongly encourage you to just throw your hat in the ring and apply. So you can either go through the career staff route, you could go through the political route. If you go through the career staff route, the Food Nutrition Service at USDA is going to be hiring about 450 people in the not-too-distant future, and that process has started, so I would look at usajobs.gov and see what looks interesting. And I would also consider some of the political jobs, thinking about different fellowships that would allow you to insert yourself. I never expected to love government so much. I never expected to come back again, this is my second tour of duty, but I have just absolutely loved it. And then personally, it's such a pleasure to be able to work on the programs that I was able to benefit from as a child. So for me, it motivates me. I find it very exciting. And I think that for those who are in research and that choose to spend some time in government, I truly think it will make you a better researcher, because what it will teach you is that not every important question is urgent, and what are the urgent questions on which you should really focus your energy.   Speaker Bio   Sara Bleich, PhD was named Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity for the Food and Nutrition Service in January 2022. Since joining the Biden-Harris Administration in January 2021, Bleich has served as Senior Advisor for COVID-19 in the Office of the Secretary. Previously, she served as a Professor of Public Health Policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research centers on food insecurity, as well as racial injustice within the social safety net. She is the author of more than 150 peer-reviewed publications. From 2015-2016, she served as a White House Fellow in the Obama Administration, where she worked in USDA as a Senior Policy Advisor for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. Bleich holds a PhD in Health Policy from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Columbia University.  

Today Tanner and Delaney respond to comments from Secretary Vilsack made during the NAFB Washington Watch Event. Tune in for some insight on where the USDA plans to take our country this year!

Secretary Vilsack raises concerns over Ukraine's grain storage capacity, Tunisia plans to step up phosphate exports and U.S. gasoline prices tap another record high...  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday's AOA began with Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition providing an update on rail, ocean freight, and truck shipping supply chains. Then, Emerson Sprick, Labor Policy Analyst with the Bipartisan Policy Center discussed the upward pace of wages throughout the economy and where things could go from here; Lia Biondo, Exec Vice President with the US Cattlemen's Association shared that organizations perspective on both the Senate and House Ag Committee Hearings on the state of the cattle market and their legislative hopes through the summer. And we ended the show with Rich Guebert, Illinois Farm Bureau President about his interactions yesterday with President Biden and Secretary Vilsack at a Kankakee, IL farm.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/11/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-address-putins-price-hike-make-food-more-affordable-and-lower-costs-for-farmers/ Secretary Vilsack, Jeff O'Connor (host farmer) and President Biden

Get the latest agriculture news in today's AgNet News Hour, hosted by Danielle Leal. Today's show covers how China's trade policies have impacted global fertilizer markets, senators urging Secretary Vilsack to support Prop. 12, and fuel prices decline again but that slide could stall.  Tune in to the show for these news stories, interviews, features and more.

In this episode we visit with Sean Babington, the Senior Advisor for Climate to the Secretary of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.    Sean Talks with us about his work for Secretary Vilsack and about the strategy USDA is undertaking to help farmers and ranchers deal with the challenges they are facing from climate change.

Trade and fertilizer were big topics of conversation when Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed attendees at Commodity Classic in New Orleans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hoosier Ag Today Podcast for Monday, March 14, 2022: 1.) Commodity Classic wrapped up in New Orleans over the weekend.  U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack was there and talked about how the U.S.D.A. is planning to lower fertilizer costs by having more of it made here it in the U.S.  Ashley Davenport has that story... 2.) Eric Pfeiffer was ALSO at Commodity Classic and spoke with one Hoosier farmer to get his reaction to Secretary Vilsack's plans on helping the ag industry… 3.) Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin says it's going to feel more like Spring in the next few days… 4.) AND wheat markets ending the week on a rebound.  You'll hear from Bob Utterback with Utterback Marketing Services on what you could be seeing in the grain markets this week. That's all coming up in the HAT Morning Podcast!

Mark Gebhards, Illinois Farm Bureau's Governmental Affairs and Commodities Executive Director talks the Russia/Ukraine conflict and on the impact to agriculture. Secretary Vilsack announcements of small processor and workforce development funds, and a reminder on permits for Black Vulture Depredation during calving season in Southern Illinois. Profit Watch Energy with Dr. Jeff Bunting, GROWMARK and Steve Bridge provides a State Government report. Jim Taylor has the early morning markets and Freese-Notis weather.

Even though NCBA now has officially opposed any mandates in the cash market, Iowa Cattlemen's Association President Bob Noble says they did get support for most of the Grassley-Fischer bill and will continue supporting it along with President Biden and Secretary Vilsack. PLUS Jamey Kohake's expert market analysis as the bean market is exploding again AND the Three Big Things You Need to Know.

Earlier this month, the American Farm Bureau Federation hosted their 103rd Annual Convention. Members from across the country traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate successes of 2021 and set the organization's priorities for 2022. Some VIPs also took part in the event, including AFBF President Zippy Duvall and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, to share their expectations for farmers for this year and further into the future. 00:00 - American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall shares his stories from his travels across the country's diverse agricultural landscape and how he takes what he learns from those farm visits to lawmakers in Washington D.C. 16:50 - Tom Vilsack, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, shares what his agency is doing to address some of the major issues impacting agriculture. 23:50 - On this edition of “To the Beat of Agriculture”, meet the recipient of the No Till Farmer of the Year award from the Ohio No-Till Council, Jeff Duling, and learn about how his background influenced the way he farms today. 32:20 - Secretary Vilsack told AFBF members that farmers need technology in order to be sustainable and how USDA is working to expand broadband across the country. 42:20 - Vilsack addressed the issues of price transparency and supply chain disruptions affecting America's livestock producers.

Atlanta has opened a Covid isolation hotel for the homeless; Agriculture Secretary Vilsack is coming to Georgia; And Tracy Taylor has a new strategy for serving Dougherty County.  #AlbanyGA #SWGA #Georgia #LocalNews        -      -           -           -              Subscribe today, so you don't miss an episode!            Register Here for your essential digital news.             This Podcast was produced and published for the Albany Herald by BG Ad Group on 1-8-22         For more information be sure to visit https://www.bgpodcastnetwork.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Secretary Vilsack shores-up GMO export approval with Mexico, California Governor looks to loosen supply chain snare and China signs agreement to import U.S. LNG... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Doherty provides his monthly economic report. He covers jobless numbers, research on Brazilian soy and corn production increases, farmland leasing trends, Ellyn Furguson, Congressional Quarterly, provides a report on the Infrastructure Bill, Continuing Resolution budget and how conservation is involved, Secretary Vilsack announced details on guarantee loan program for food processors, Senate confirmations and USTR Tai talking China Trade Strategy. Cropwatcher report from Ken Reinhardt in Mercer County. Weather with DTN Meterologist John Baranick.

Matt Kaye provides commentary from Secretary Vilsack on the impact Hurricane Ida will have on shipping in the Mississippi River. Rita Frazer visits with Ellyn Ferguson, Congressional Quarterly, on the Congressional Committee work on the Reconciliation Bill. Sherman Newlin provides market commentary ahead of the upcoming report. Dan Grant shares a report with Dan Basse, Ag Resources on exporting out of the gulf after Hurricane Ida.

This seven-minute Rural Matters Bonus Brief brings Michelle and Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack together again for a discussion on how the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed on August 10th in the U.S. Senate will benefit rural communities. “For rural America, this is a very important day. Expanded access to broadband, improved infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, (there is) a lot to like about this bill,” Secretary Vilsack shared.   They also discuss how this bill addresses the issues that face rural communities in the face of our current climate crisis.  Secretary Vilsack relates how the significant investment in expanded access to broadband will assist rural farmers with precision agriculture, helping them reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make their farming more efficient.  In addition, he mentions how the bill's focus on greater resiliency in the face of a changing climate will help rural communities through adapting to drought, and mitigating the impacts of wildfires. Secretary Vilsack and Michelle continue by discussing how improving transportation infrastructure will benefit rural America, allowing for efficiency in an export-dominated economy, as well as how improved public transportation systems will help rural residents access health care and schooling.  Lastly, they cover how the new infrastructure bill will focus on the importance of eliminating lead in rural America's drinking water.  “This bill... addresses a problem that has been with us for far too long... So that when we turn on the tap, regardless of where we are turning it on, we have the peace of mind, and assurance that the water we are going to consume, and our families are going to consume, and our children will consume at schools is safe.,” said Secretary Vilsack. For more discussions on President Biden's ‘Build Back Better' plan and how it relates to rural communities, click the links below for previous Rural Matters Bonus Briefs with Biden-Harris Administration officials Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, Chief Science Officer of COVID Response Dr. David Kessler, Member of the Council of Economic Advisers Heather Boushey, NIH Director Francis Collins, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and Secretary of Labor Martin Walsh.

We cover a lot of ground in this week's Friday Free-for-all with Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer, RealAg Radio's Shaun Haney, and Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs. Infrastructure package and the cost of it, the Delta variant, reaction to Senator Booker's Farm System Reform Act, Secretary Vilsack's claim to “revitalize the Packers and Stockyards Act", and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's PPI rises, Secretary Vilsack will travel to Omaha today and President Biden is expected to sign a sweeping Executive Order... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Water levels in the Parana River are becoming a problem, President Biden and Secretary Vilsack will visit Wisconsin and Senate Democrats look to include a pathway to citizenship for illegal residents in the infrastructure bill... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get the latest agriculture news in today’s Farm City Newsday, hosted by Danielle Leal. Today's show is filled with stories covering an upcoming decision on Ag Order 4.0, employers operating under federal leave parameters in compliance with state law, and Secretary Vilsack is hopeful the Farm Workforce Modernization Act if passed by the Senate will solve farm labor problems.  Tune in to the show for these news stories, recipes, features and more.

Climate smart agriculture will make a difference to farmers, citizens and life on earth.  Karen Ross, the Secretary of Food And Agriculture for the California Department of Agriculture is on the front line of meeting the climate challenge as chief administrator of food and agriculture programs for the 5th largest economy in the World.  Secretary Ross has a perspective beyond California boundaries having hailed from a western Nebraska farm, managed farm organizations and served as the Chief of Staff at the US Department of Agriculture under then Secretary Tom Vilsack.  Secretary Vilsack is now back at USDA with a fresh charge to lead Agriculture to Climate Smart Agriculture and Karen Ross will promote the synergies that come from state, federal, local and farm/rancher initiatives  that lead to climate smart solutions for a warming planet. www.cdfa.ca.org  

In the second part of our special two-part series, the Biden-Harris Rural Vision, Michelle talks with Thomas J. Vilsack, the 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture who has returned to the role he served for eight years under President Barack Obama. Secretary Vilsack highlights the American Rescue Plan sections that benefit rural residents, including increasing food assistance, extending broadband access, strengthening rural hospital infrastructure, and providing housing assistance. Secretary Vilsack discusses the new USDA Equity Commission, which identifies ways for the department to support historically underserved groups, such as farmers of color. Looking forward, Vilsack says, the USDA will work to make the food system more resilient and to improve nutrition in general for rural Americans.

Tune in for part two of Secretary Vilsack's conversation with NAFB members and reporters.

In a NAFB call earlier today, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack shed some light on where we are in the agriculture industry. Secretary Vilsack discussed COVID-19 relief packages, CCC and carbon credits, diversity, and more. Tune in to part one now! Then come back tomorrow for part two.

Get the latest agriculture news in today’s Farm City Newsday, hosted by Danielle Leal. Today's show is filled with stories covering Secretary Vilsack's thoughts on trade with China post-Trump, a Diamondback Moth IPM trial showing effectiveness in mating disruption and data shows citrus tarping has a positive impact on ACP movement. Tune in to the show for these news stories, recipes, features and more.

2-25-21 AJ Daily When and How to Check a Cow, adapted from an article by Heather Smith Thomas, Angus Beef Bulletin. For more information, please visit http://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/extra/2021/02feb21/0221mg_CheckCow.html.Farmers Union Ready to Work with Secretary Vilsack to Strengthen Farm System, adapted from a release by Hannah Packman, National Farmers Union. For more information, go to https://nfu.org/2021/02/23/farmers-union-ready-to-work-with-secretary-vilsack-to-strengthen-farm-system/.AFBF Applauds CFAP Application Deadline Extension, adapted from a release by the American Farm Bureau Federation. More information is available at https://www.fb.org/newsroom/afbf-applauds-cfap-application-deadline-extension. Today's AJ Daily was compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Journal.

Matt Kaye Report -Grassley says much work remains for ethanol after Biden EPA sides with 10th Circuit-audio with Senator Chuck GrassleyCongresswomen Cheri Bustos reaction to the Senate vote 92-7 for confirmation for Tom Vilsack as Ag SecretaryIvan Dozier State Conservationist NRCS- now that Secretary Vilsack has been confirmed paused programs can roll againLawrence Kane Total Farm Marketing Stewart Peterson-what has led to soybean's big moves this weekMolly Schempp-Illinois FFA Vice President-National FFA Week

With a new administration in the White House, comes a new cabinet of leaders in all major departments of the U.S., including Transportation, Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency and Agriculture. The man tapped to lead the farm and food sector has some experience in that area. Tom Vilsack actually served as the Secretary of Agriculture under the Obama Administration. On this Our Ohio Weekly, hear some of Secretary Vilsack’s ideas for his return to USDA and learn about a 2020 success story in the work of the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation. 00:00 - Secretary Tom Vilsack talks about water quality and diversifying America's food supply system and Mike Townsley, chairman of Bob Evans Farms/Post Refrigerated Retail shares about his involvement on the Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation Board. 16:50 - OFBF Foundation Executive Director Kelly Burns talks about the successes of 2020 and some scholarship opportunities. 23:50 - New Foundation Board member, Jenna Gregorich, tells her story of being the first in her family involved in farming "To the Beat of Agriculture". 32:20 - Ohio Farm Bureau Ag Week kicks off Monday and OFBF's Jenna Reese has all of the details. 42:20 - Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague shares information about the AgLINK program, giving farmers a discounted interest rate for operating expenses.

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes. This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, February 4. Your Thursday weather forecast looks, in a word, nasty. According to the National Weather Service, rain Wednesday night into Thursday morning in the Cedar Rapids area will turn into snow and rain after 8:00 a.m., before turning into full fledged snow after 9:00 a.m. The high will technically be 34 degrees, but that will be in the morning, as the temperature plummets to 18 degrees by Thursday afternoon. It will also be windy, with wind speeds of 10-20 mph blowing the predicted one to three inches of snow that falls during the day. Thursday night, expect it to get colder and windier. On Wednesday the Iowa Department of Public Health announced the limited availability of coronavirus vaccines at Walgreens and CVS stores in Linn and Johnson counties, along with a select number of other counties, for approximately 32,000 Iowans age 65 and older. Unused vaccines that initially were allocated for the Long-Term Care Pharmacy Partnership Program have been redistributed to “a limited number” of Walgreens and CVS stores. The department indicated that this would be a one time surplus. Appointments are limited to the number of vaccines available at each location, the department noted. Registration can be made online. If you are interested we have links to where you can register for this batch of the vaccine in the story on the front page of the thegazette.com. A Wisconsin man accused of stabbing his girlfriend multiple times in the face and neck last September was apprehended Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area. Canyon Thixton, 37, of Portage, had been wanted on an attempted murder charge. Cedar Rapids police and the U.S. Marshals Services arrested Thixton shortly before 9 a.m. at a residence in the 3200 block of Kenrich Drive SW in Cedar Rapids, where he had been living under an alias and staying with a woman whose name has not been released. Thixton was arrested on a warrant out of Portage charging him with attempted first-degree homicide. Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said he anticipates a smooth Senate confirmation of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as President Joe Biden's pick to again head the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Pretty soon, I think he will be Secretary Vilsack again,” Grassley told reporters Wednesday. Grassley introduced Vilsack at his confirmation hearing Tuesday before the Senate Agriculture Committee. Vilsack served as the head of the Department of Agriculture for both of President Barack Obama's terms in office. For the second straight year, the NCAA Division III winter championships have been canceled. https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/division-iii-cancels-2021-winter-championships?fbclid=IwAR0TFHq5YuDZTgNL7-X10iJ9Uy6qAfyqTD0DUMGV6X6ipbpj1xewx-nre_s (According to a news release) Wednesday night, the NCAA D-III Administrative Committee approved the recommendation from the D-III Championships Committee to cancel all 2021 winter championships, citing low participation numbers. Winter championships were canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

“If I had to describe [Secretary Tom Vilsack] in one word: driven.” That’s how Brandon Willis, former Administrator of the Risk Management Agency and a previous Senior Advisor to Secretary Vilsack, described the Secretary of Agriculture nominee to Groundwork listeners on our most recent episode. Willis joined the podcast to share some insights about his time working with Secretary Vilsack, as well as forecast where Secretary Vilsack might lead the agency.

Each week we explore the issues and trends that agriculture faces through frank and honest conversations with thought leaders across our nation. And who better to discuss this than the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in President Barack Obama’s administration from 2009 to 2017, Tom Vilsack - along with the CEO of US Farmers and Ranchers in Action, Erin Fitzgerald. Secretary Vilsack is no stranger to serving our country. He began his political career as mayor of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, then on to the state Senate and then as Governor of Iowa for two terms. As leader of USDA Vilsack worked to strengthen the American agriculture economy and create new markets for America’s farmers, ranchers and growers, provided food assistance to millions of Americans, carried out unprecedented conservation efforts, made record investments in our rural communites and led the efforts to provide a safe, sufficient and nutritious food supply. Sec. Vilsack now serves as the CEO of the US Dairy Export Council the non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders.

Tom Vilsack was the governor of Iowa from 1999 until 2007 before serving as President Obama’s Secretary of Agriculture. Since 2017, he has served as the president and CEO of the US Dairy Export Council, a trade group representing the interest of US dairy producers. Today, he discusses the unique impact the pandemic is having on agriculture, farmers, and rural economies. US agriculture has been hit hard by this virus. As Secretary Vilsack explains, school closures have decreased the demand for milk. Restaurant closures have hit demand for produce and meat. Secretary Vilsack suggests two courses of action moving forward: first, we must determine a way for those who have lost their jobs to purchase more through additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. And second, we need to improve the disconnect between the demand of food banks and the supply of retailers. To do this, financial incentives should be given to farmers to donate rather than dump produce. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to stop the virus, save lives and get Americans back to work.

Secretary Vilsack weighs in on how democrats can get rural votes in this upcoming election.

Tom Vilsack served as the 30th U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President Barack Obama. Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Vilsack served two terms as the Governor of Iowa, in the Iowa State Senate, and as the mayor of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Host Lindsey Lusher Shute and Secretary Vilsack discuss managing the USDA during a shutdown; the anticipated economic impacts; whether farmers are really still in support of President Trump, as widely reported; and the immigration debate at the heart of it all. Tell your Members of Congress it's time to end the #GovernmentShutdown. Text "ACTION" to 40649 to join our activist network and to be connected with your Representatives. Also add your #shutdownstories to @youngfarmerspodcast Link to action: https://p2a.co/SShIhTg?fbclid=IwAR0k4hOcI5BYy3x5EnzU4VMDyqid1IAG7eLNRv016YF8b9nACaek6e8wlxA

Imagine presiding over one of the nation's major food assistance programs. The supplemental nutrition assistance program that helps feed more than $40 million Americans. And that this is just part of your job. Few people have seen the inner workings of federal and state food assistance programs as deeply as today's guest, Kevin Concannon, former Undersecretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer services in the US Department of Agriculture, under President Obama. About Kevin Concannon In his time as Under Secretary, Kevin Concannon was responsible for funding and administering the Food and Nutrition Service and promoting healthy dietary guidelines through the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Working in partnership with state and local organization, he oversaw the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP )formerly known as the food stamp program), the child nutrition programs, including the national school lunch, school breakfast and summer food service programs, the Child and Adult Care Food (CACF) program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (known as WIC) and more. Prior to his work at USDA, Kevin served as director of the State Health and Human Services Department in Maine, Oregon and Iowa. He has championed expanded services, improved access, alternatives to institutions, consumer choices, and affordable healthcare and diversity. Interview Summary Kevin, few people have had a career public service as you have. So on behalf of the nation, please accept my appreciation. And welcome to the show. Thank you so much. I'm pleased to fill in with you here today. I have felt very fortunate over the years to have those responsibilities and as I reflect back on those times--that went by, frankly in retrospect, far too quickly--I'm pleased with what we were able to get accomplished. Let's talk about the impact of food assistance programs like SNAP and WIC. Are they effective? Are they cost effective? Yes, they are on many, many fronts. Actually the, the food assistance programs, as you mentioned, serve more than $40 million people each day across the country. And people come on the program and go off over the course of the year so that there are actually in a calendar year there are millions more who benefit from the program. It not only provides the opportunity for individuals in households to access food in the US, but it also is one of the major components of the safety net, a frayed safety net, I would suggest, over the past decade or so if not longer. Where in the past, low income households in the across the US might have expected or been able to receive financial assistance in various forms, in many parts of the country that has disappeared. So by default, the SNAP program has become one of the major sources of household support for food that allows that household or individual then to use whatever other meager income they may have to spend that on housing or electricity or transportation and what have you. Can you make an argument that for every dollar invested, the nation gets more than a dollar return? Yes, actually, indeed. I know the Economic Research Service, a different mission area within the US Department of Agriculture, estimated that for each dollar expended by SNAP it creates between a $1.74 and a $1.80 by virtue of the multiplier effect. And some years ago, actually about five years ago, I sat in on a meeting at the Brookings Institution with major economists from around the country who were reflecting. The topic of that session was what worked in the last recession, that deep recession we had in 2009, 2010, 2011. And the opinion was unanimous that's the most effective intervention in terms of mitigating some of that distress in individual households as well as in the broader economy was the success of the SNAP program. Because as you know, it's very portable. The benefit distribution piggybacks onto the commercial electronic benefits systems. And it is portable in the sense that the program serves people in cities, in rural areas, in isolated parts of the country as well as in some of the most densely populated urban areas. You alluded to this just a moment ago, but you became Under Secretary in 2009 just after very significant significant economic downturn. How did that impact your work and what was going on with these programs? Well, you know, when I think back on my time as a federal employee in that role, I really, one appreciate, the importance of these various federal nutrition programs that were available to be deployed immediately. And fortunately, one of the first major acts that the Obama administration brought forth was one intended to mitigate or to mitigate the negative effects of the downturn and stimulate the economy. And additional benefits through the SNAP program resulted in a rather dramatic rise in enrollment, reflecting what was going on in American households. And I saw my particular role at that time is moving around and meeting with state officials, principally department heads in posts similar to what I had held in Iowa, Oregon, and Maine. So I had some familiarity with a discretionary role of state appointed leaders, not just the elected leaders. And I used that time period to both to press and to urge and to support state leaders who were availing themselves of options made available through federal policy to bring the program to individual households, individual communities across the country. And I think it really clearly had an impact. Again, not only individually but on the the respective economies of communities that were really being adversely affected by that downturn. Let's explore that a little further because there are differences across states and the percentage of people who are eligible for these benefits, who actually have them. That is due in part to customs across states and differences in leadership. Why is that the case that there are differences from state to state and the number of people who are enrolled? You know, that's one of the takeaways for me personally that I saw. I'd worked in three states, different states geographically, but at least at that point in their histories or when I was working there (not because of me, but because of the general political climate) these were I would say centrist states--centrist to the left of center--modestly, and the operating ethic in government at each of those states was to avail the state agency of options federally. What I learned during my federal years was that isn't the case across the country. That was disappointing to me to see states, at times where there was great need, but where politically the ideology of the state or the lack of a real, what I would describe as authentic commitment on the part of state leaders appointed or elected, where they were really disinterested or not that concerned about the circumstances of their populations. We measured states based on their poverty rates, and the rate of penetration, if you will, or engagement in the program. And I'm pleased to report that over time we increased the average participation based on estimated eligibility by double digits across the country. And we particularly focused on certain subpopulations that were underserved, including for example. People who are working part time often made the assumption--Gee, since I'm working, I won't be eligible for a benefit. Well, yes, in fact, based on household size and income you might be. Seniors were another group. Latinos or Hispanics were another large subpopulation that were underserved. So we focused with states on those populations in particular and an urged states to take steps to reach out to those populations. Some people may think that the differences from state to state are just economics. That some states don't want to spend money and want to use it for other reasons, but that turns out not to be the case. Is that right? That's exactly it. The irony is that the benefits that are provided through the SNAP program are 100 percent federally paid. As is true of the WIC, the special program for women, infants and children focused on the population of very young children, infants and pregnant women or new moms. And in both of those instances, it does not require the state to spend money on the benefit. In the case of SNAP, the state is required to pay a portion of the administrative costs. But the administrative costs associated with SNAP are a single digit when compared to the benefit amount itself. And the case can be made that just from a pure economic benefit point of view, it benefits the state. So when, states across the country, or sometimes counties within states, are less inclined to support the program it more typically reflects their etiology or political culture rather than an honest assessment of the need. What are some of the issues regarding incentivizing healthy foods and healthy eating within these programs? Well, you know, some of the challenges, as you may know--the SNAP program allows persons to purchase any foods in the US for which basically the criterion is there is a barcode that can be associated with it, or if it's sold in a store or in farmer's markets. The only limitation is you cannot buy hot food. But even with that, there are a couple of states, California being one and Arizona a second, and then maybe a third Missouri, where the state elected to allow certain populations to use the benefit in restaurants. The underlying rationale for that was really to help either disabled persons or seniors living alone and/or homeless people, but by and large that has not been adopted across the country. Now, back to your question on incentivizing healthy foods. The closest we've come to that has been the expansion of access to farmers markets. We went from, roughly in the beginning of the Obama administration, under a thousand farmers markets across the country that were authorized to process SNAP benefits to, at last count, in excessive of 7,000 farmers markets. There has been a very significant a pilot project in western Massachusetts that created a financial incentive for households to buy more fruits and vegetables that actually showed such incentives can work. And it was rigorously--it was a very expensive a project in terms of not so much the benefits as much as the evaluation, but it showed that you can incent people in certain directions. And I actually had some discussions with people in New York State, in New York City, that never came to fruition because we never quite settled on a subpopulation within New York City to both put some either voluntary or mandatory limits on purchasing of certain foods, like sugar-sweetened beverages as an example, and coupling this with some additional either purchasing benefits for the households that would participate in such. We never really got to settle on that. And I have resisted--the state of Maine, my own native state actually, submitted a request to put limitations on SNAP purchases. But there was no rigorous evaluation with it and frankly I personally couldn't--I couldn't overlook the fact that the state itself had basically a gutted it's public health programs during that particular administration. So it really did not on other fronts have much of a record of saying we're genuinely interested in trying to effect for the better the health of the populations. But we didn't outright said you can't do this. We said you have to resubmit it with a stronger evaluation. And of course I'm no longer there. So I don't know what the status of that is. So these programs have been around for many years. How do they fare under different political leaderships in DC? Well, it's interesting this very week as we're recording this a podcast, we expect within days the so-called Farm Bill of 2018 to be released. A House version was passed earlier this year that had what I would consider a number of a punitive elements in it as it pertained to the snap program around work requirements and any other restrictions. Happily, from my point of view, the Senate has more bipartisanship, at least on the Farm Bill issues, in the it has from the outset--the leadership of the committee has said they're not interested in, moving forward with those elements in the recognition that it would probably kill a bill in the Senate period. So, the politics of the Farm Bill are really important for one, the funding of the program, but also the authorizing of the policy elements in it. And, I'm enthusiastic about the changes that are forthcoming, or will be forthcoming when the new house is seated in January because, we clearly see more of a both a recognition among the members on the house side of the importance of the program. But more of a desire to say, how can we constructively address issues of food insecurity or folks just eating by virtue of where they live, not having access to healthier foods consistently. And programs like school meals this, this past week, actually just within the last couple of days, the current administration at USDA finalized federal regulations that will allow schools, if they so choose across the country, to weaken the nutritional values in the school meals program. This would be by allowing schools to delay their adherence, if you will, or meeting standards to lower sodium in the foods that are consumed, to not be as required to meet a new or existing standards for whole grains, and to reintroduce a higher fat content in the sugar-sweetened milks that are currently served in schools. A compromise was reached some years ago on allowing schools--for milk consumption--to continue to serve if they so chose, a flavored milk. But the requirement was, one, the sugar content can't be over a certain number of milligrams. Nor can there be a fat content above the nonfat level. Well the current administration has basically said we're not interested in sticking with that. And I think that's really unfortunate because it really shows to me the influence of industry. And it's not, you know--professional nutritionists and dieticians are not the voices that are asking for these changes. It's really coming from industry. And, I think regrettably so. One of the issues that comes up sometimes in the discussion of the SNAP program is fraud. What are your thoughts on that? Actually, ironically, I mean this used to be reflected here at USDA including Secretary Vilsack--would remark on this. We actually have a higher percentage of fraud in some of the major agriculture programs than we have in the SNAP program. But the actual percentage--there are two ways to measure fraud or misuse. One would be for the benefit to go to households that really don't qualify for it. Meaning their income is higher than would normally qualify them or they're not reporting significant income. The percentage of fraud in that regard--it's really more a payment errors, we would refer to it, because some of them are honest, honest mistakes--are in the single percentage. You know, they're like 2%, 2.5% fraud in the sense. A more potent version of it, in my view, is where SNAP benefits are sold by store. A household comes in, or a low income person comes in with their benefits on an electronic card like a debit card almost. And the store recognizes that they may have $100 in benefits: says to the household, I'll give you $50 in cash for that hundred dollar benefit and that percentage across the country is a little over 1%. So it's a very low percentage, but it's a troubling or worrisome percentage in the sense that people really latch onto what I'm talking about. People who are critical of needs based programs or safety net programs. So, we worked hard to utilize more data analytics, more undercover folks, but with more data analytics, helped us identify a stores across the country that might be engaged in doing this. And they are kicked out of the program if they're found doing this. Initially for a period of months, but then it can be a lifetime ban. And we stiffened those penalties during my time there. But it's a very small percentage compared to almost any other type program. But again, one that, even at House hearings, particularly with House not so much the Senate. The House members, particularly more politically conservative members, would try to amplify or try to state, often without much evidence that they thought this was more widespread than it really is. It is one of the most important aspects in terms of quality of life for people across the country these days. We didn't get to talk much about the women, infants and children's program by virtue of time limits, but as you probably recall WIC serves half of the births in the United States. One of the most important public health interventions we have. Because if you have healthy nutrition throughout pregnancy and good timely advice as a new parent--promoting as well the benefits of breastfeeding--you get better birth outcomes. And these better outcomes can extend over the life course. So again, a program not necessarily well known to the average person on the street, but pediatricians know it well. Obstetricians know well. And half the mothers and parents in the US would know it firsthand. Produced by Deborah Hill at the Duke World Food Policy Center

Secretary Vilsack is now the President & CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council and he talks the issue of trade with Mexico & its effects on the dairy industry.

Secretary Vilsack is now the President & CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council and he talks the issue of trade with Mexico & its effects on the dairy industry.

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria wiped out the electricity on the entire island of Puerto Rico. Six months later the lights are still off for too many people. In this episode, by hearing highlights of Congressional testimony from Puerto Rico's government officials and through stories of Jen's recent trip to the island, learn the good news and the bad news about life right now on Puerto Rico. Please Support Congressional Dish Click here to contribute using credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD028: Crisis in Puerto Rico CD147: Controlling Puerto Rico Additional Recommended Listening The David Pakman Show Additional Reading Article: Needs go unmet 6 months after Maria hit Puerto Rico by Danica Coto, AP News, March 20, 2018. Article: Six months after Maria, the hardest hit city in Puerto Rico is still being ignored by AJ Vicens, Grist, March 20, 2018. Article: The battle for paradise by Naomi Klein, The Intercept, March 20, 2018. Report: U.S. executive appointed head Puerto Rico power company by Dalissa Zeda Sanchez, Caribbean Business, March 20, 2018. Report: Puerto Rico legislature sends education reform to governor's desk for enactment by Genesis Ibarra, Caribbean Business, March 20, 2018. Report: Gov presents Puerto Rio justice, agriculture reorganization plans, Caribbean Business, March 20, 2018. Article: 'We are the forgotten people': It's been almost six months since Hurricane Maria, and Puerto Ricans are still dying by John D. Stutter, CNN, March 15, 2018. Article: Puerto Rico reforms could boost GNP by 1.5 percent: Jaresko by Daniel Bases, Reuters, March 14, 2018. Press Release: Committee seeks answers on corruption at Puerto Rico Power Utility, House Committee on Natural Resources, March 12, 2018. Report: Recycled proposals in Puerto Rico's fiscal plans by Luis J. Valentin Ortiz, City & State New York, March 11, 2018. Article: 'This city has been ignored': Yabucoa, ground zero for Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, still reeling by Rick Jervis, USA Today, March 11, 2018. Article: The role of private investment in rebuilding Puerto Rico by The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, March 8, 2018. Opinion: Puerto Rico? Guinea pig for water privatization by Britt Fremstad, Public Citizen, 2018. Article: Why Puerto Rico is pushing to privatize its schools by Mimi Kirk, City Lab, February 27, 2018. Report: Citigroup drove Puerto Rico into debt. Now it will profit from privatization on the island by Kate Aronoff, The Intercept, February 21, 2018. Report: Hedge fund-driven austerity could come back to bite the hedge funds driving it in Puerto Rico by Kate Aronoff, The Intercept, February 3, 2018. Article: Privatization won't fix Puerto Rico's broken power utility by Lara Merling, NACLA, February 1, 2018. Press Release: Bishop statement on Puerto Rico fiscal plans, PREPA privatization by House Committee on Natural Resources, January 25, 2018. Report: Puerto Rico governor seizes opportunity created by Hurricane Maria, plans to privatize electric power by Kate Aronoff, The Intercept, January 24, 2018. Article: The peril of privatizing PREPA by Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, January 24, 2018. Report: Puerto Rico to sell off crippled power utility PREPA by Daniel Bases, Reuters, January 22, 2018. Report: Puerto Rico utility workers charge that federal government is hoarding reconstruction supplies by Kate Aronoff, The Intercept, January 16, 2018. Article: PREPA "Warehouse 5" was no secret by Alex Figueroa Cancel, El Nuevo Dia, January 16, 2018. Article: Energy answers marchincinerator: the struggle continues by Leysa Caro Gonzelez, El Nuevo Dia, January 16, 2018. Report: Armed federal agents enter warehouse in Puerto Rico to sieze hoarded electric equipment by Kate Aronof, The Intercept, January 10, 2018. Article: Puerto Rico said 64 people died in Hurricane Maria. A new report puts the death toll over 1,000 by Aric Jenkins, Time.com, December 19, 2017. Report: Nearly 1,000 more people died in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria by Center for Investigative Journalism, Latino USA, December 7, 2017. Law Firm Post: Did you lose money investing in Puerto Rico bonds with Morgan Stanley financial advisor Robert Dennison? by Erez Law Firm, December 6, 2017. Article: The lineman got $63 an hour. The utility was billed at $319 an hour. by Frances Robles, The New York Times, November 12, 2017. Article: Ex-Morgan Stanley broker at center of Puerto Rico bond disputes by Bruce Kelly, Investment News, September 28, 2017. Report: Maps: Hurricane Maria's path across Puerto Rico by Sarah Almukhtar, Matthew Bloch, Ford Fessenden and Jugal K. Patel, The New York Times, September 26, 2017. Article: Incinerating the future: Austerity crisis threatens wetlands and economic opportunity for Puerto Rico by Adriana Gonzelez, The Planet: Sierra Club, August 14, 2017. Report: Puerto Rico's Fiscal Control Board spent $31 million in fiscal year 2017 by Julio Ricardo Varela, Latino USA, August 2, 2017. Report: SEC probes Barclays, Morgan Stanley bankers over Puerto Rico by Martin Z. Braun, Bloomberg, June 28, 2017. Report: Puerto Rico Senate approves bill to eliminate debt audit commission by Cindy Burgos Alvarado, Caribbean Business, April 18, 2017. Article: A glimpse of Natalie Jaresko by Jose A. Delgado Robles, El Nuevo Dia, March 29, 2017. Article: Ukraine must fully implement IMF Program, says former finance minister by Mitch Hulse, Atlantic Council, April 14, 2016. Article: How free electricity helped dig $9 billion hole in Puerto Rico by Mary Williams Walsh, The New York Times, February 1, 2016. Article: Puerto Rico - a way forward by Anne O. Krueger, Ranjit Teja, and Andrew Wolfe, GDB.PR.GOV, June 29, 2015. Article: Meet the woman overhauling Ukraine's economy - and born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago by James Ellingworth, Business Insider, March 1,2015. Article: Proposed Arecibo waste-to-energy plan gets EPA nod by Michelle Kantrow, Energy Answers, May 10, 2012. Research Paper: Does private management lead to improvement of water services? Lessons learned from the experiences of Bolivia and Puerto Rico by Susana Maria Cortina de Cardenas, University of Iowa Research Online, Spring 2011. Resources DESMOG Blog Info: Edison Electric Institute Energy Answers Resources: Puerto Rico Resource Recovery and Renewable Energy Project International Monetary Fund Bio: Anne O. Krueger International Monetary Fund Blog: Ranjit Teja LinkedIn Profile: Noel Zamot, Federal Oversight Management Board USDA Report: Arecibo Waste to Energy Generation and Resource Recovery Facility Arecibo, Puerto Rico Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Hurricane Recovery Efforts in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, Power Utility Officials; Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, November 14, 2017. Witnesses: - Natalie Jaresko - Executive Director of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico - Jose Roman Morales - Associate Commission and Interim President of the Puerto Rico Energy Commission - Ricardo Ramos - Executive Director of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority - Julio Rhymer - Executive Director of the US Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority 53:40 Ricardo Ramos: Many of the fallen poles fell because of the additional weight of infrastructure that originally was not supposed to be there, so the grid itself is old—are new. Design standards account for an amount of additional infrastructure for communications and other, but many of the poles were—they had communications because some local law of Puerto Rico permitted the common right-of-way usage, so we had to allow telecom companies to put the telecommunications cables there—but the pole itself not necessarily was designed to those standards. 59:10 Natalie Jaresko: So, as you know, Madame Chairman, the board took an action and filed in the Title III court to name a chief transformation officer. The court ruled yesterday against us in that action, although we have not yet seen the written judgment, so I can’t comment on it in detail. Hearing: Hurricane Recovery Efforts in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, Governors; Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Witnesses: - Donald Jackson - Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Corps of Engineers, Civil and Emergency Operations - Kenneth Mapp - Governor of US Virgin Islands - Jose Roman Morales - Associate Commission and Interim President of the Puerto Rico Energy Commission - Ricardo “Ricky” Rossello - Governor of Puerto Rico - Bruce Walker - Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability 38:20 Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy Bruce Walker: PREPA, with the limited crews that it had—I will point to this map over here—made an early decision to have to tie the southern portion, where the generation is, to the northern portion, where the load is. And in doing so, they made a key decision to construct the 230 kV line from the south, bringing it up to the San Juan area, the Bayamon substation. On the map, you can see here, from down here, wrapping up through here, that that align is going to appear all the way over to here. What was important about that was that one decision and the efforts made by PREPA, with limited staffing, enabled the power to be distributed to where the load was and in conjunction with the other big decision, which is the next slide, Jennifer, the Army Corps, working with PREPA, installed two 25-megawatt generators at the Palo Seco generation plant, and that, in conjunction with the rebuild of the 230 line, enabled power to be distributed to the northern portion to start picking up commercial and residential customers. Those two efforts were monumental, given the facts and circumstances. The installation of this generator was, with the letting of the contract and the install—and I was at Palo Seco when this was being put in—and the work that had to be done was really incredible—we had fantastic support from PREPA in coordinating it particularly with the re-laying and the coordination with the Army Corps. 1:10:00 Governor Ricardo Rossello: We have several flaws in terms of the design, aside from having antiquated power plants. Most of our generation was done in the south, yet most of the people and most of the consumption is done in the north, so you lose about 12 to 15% in the transmission, going northward. It is time, it is an opportunity, to rethink that, where do we have that generation and make it better? Piggybacking on Senator Cassidy’s comments, I think it is an opportunity also to leapfrog in renewables. I’ve envisioned us leapfrogging to 25% renewables in Puerto Rico and recognizing that there are some mitigation strategies that we need to put in place. That is why we have worked with the PREPA governing board to have a group of thought leaders that can actually help us in the design, looking forward, and specifically looking where this could happen. Last-mile events in Puerto Rico are very important. It’s important to consider the terrain. Puerto Rico’s not flat; it’s got a mountainous region. And so we will be very aggressively pursuing that we get to 90, 95% of energy consumption and energy generation, but that last mile always takes more time because there are sort of remote areas of the island. This is an opportunity to make microgrids in Puerto Rico so that they can be sustained in different areas. And, lastly, adding to this whole component of renewables, I think it is an opportunity to look at this from a bottom-up-and-a-top-down approach. With the collaboration of FEMA, we were able to, for the first time in the STEP program, allow that either a power plant generator be added to the house or a renewable battery-pack solar combo be added to those homes in the STEP program. Now, we expect that there will be about 80,000 homes that will be introduced in the STEP program. Think about what that means if half of them decide to go with the renewable battery-pack route. It means that now you have the starting conditions to actually think about things like a virtual power plant in Puerto Rico, where you can have smart distribution of the energy; and where some days it might be cloudy in some areas in Puerto Rico—it’ll be sunny, certainly, in others as well—and that energy can be distributed alongside, of course, a complement of utility-size and industrial-size generation, which I envision, Senator, should start transitioning from petroleum-based generation, which is costly and, of course, more harmful, to liquid-gas and so forth generation. So, those are, in a nutshell, what we envision the sort of future grid of Puerto Rico looking like. 1:34:15 Senator Catherine Cortez Masto: It’s my understanding under the Stafford Act, it’s Section 406(e), that limits the use of federal disaster-relief funds for repairing, restoring, reconstructing, or replacing a public facility or private nonprofit facility on the basis of the design of the facility as the facility existed immediately before the major disaster. Now, my understanding of that, then, is that all of the talk that I’ve heard today, which is important talk about new infrastructure—burying lines, looking at how we add renewable capacity—that is something that is not going to be addressed through the funding, through the relief, that comes from the federal government. Is that correct? And I guess I’m asking Mr. Walker and General Jackson, is that your understanding? Assistant Secretary of the Department of Energy Bruce Walker: That is my understanding. As I mentioned earlier, we’re doing emergency restoration work now. A number of the things that have been mentioned here, if the Congress approves additional appropriations, those would be opportunities that we could further, you know, build into— Masto: And that’s—are you asking today, then? That’s what you’re asking Congress today, additional appropriations outside of the Stafford Act be able to set up new infrastructure and do just what we’ve heard today, because we know another hurricane’s going to come through, or some other disaster. I think it’s just the way the climate is today. Is that the ask today from the governors? Governor Ricardo Rossello: To amend that, could you repeat the question, Senator? Masto: Sure. So, the Stafford Act limits the amount of— Rossello: Yeah. Masto: —money that you’re getting from the federal government for disaster relief to repair and reconstruct. Rossello: Yeah. Masto: It is not for new construction or new types of renewable energy or burying lines. So, are you coming today for additional funds outside of the Stafford Act, outside of disaster relief? Is that what I’m hearing today? Governor Kenneth Mapp: Yes. Yes, because under Stafford, if a system connected to the power generation isn’t damaged, it can’t be touched. If it’s cost effective, it can be mitigated, but the whole power system is all connected, and so if we want to change to more-efficient renewables—wind, solar—if the generation system hasn’t been damaged, then we can have an exclusion. So we will need changes in the language to permit that. Rossello: Yes. We are, we recognize what the limitations of FEMA funding are within this, so we’re asking for additional funding so that we can get that flexibility as well and actually rebuild better. I mean, again, you can discuss whether it’s a good idea or not on the context of the merit of the energy and the structure, but it is really just a bad idea to rebuild a system that is frail over again, spend good taxpayer money in that, because you’re going to have to do it once over again. 1:44:34 Senator Mazie Hirono (HI): Based on your estimates, how much are you asking Congress to fund in terms of the kind of modernization, resilience, etc. that you would like to see in Puerto Rico? Governor Ricardo Rossello: Yeah. It’s about $17 billion in damage estimates. Hirono: One year? Rossello: No. For the bulk of the process. Hirono: Seventeen billion dollars? Rossello: Yes, that’s right. Hirono: And is it your—well, I know that you hope that Congress will authorize that, and do you think that authorization or the funding to occur in one year, or is it over a period of time? Rossello: No, it would be over a period of time, of course. 1:53:28 Senator Bernie Sanders (VT): Puerto Rico is struggling with an unsustainable 75-billion-dollar debt and $49 billion in pension obligations. More than one-third of that debt is held by Wall Street vulture funds that are getting interest rates of up to 34% on tax-exempt bonds they purchased for as little as 29 cents on the dollar. Is that correct, Governor? Governor Ricardo Rossello: Yep. Hearing: Puerto Rico Recovery Challenges; House Natural Resources Committee, November 7, 2017. Witnesses: - Natalie Jaresko - Executive Director of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico - Angel Perez Otero - Mayor of Guanynabo, Puerto Rico - Noel Zamot - Revitalization Coordinator of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico 22:30 Natalie Jaresko: As the committee is aware, the board has recently named Noel Zamot as chief transformation officer of PREPA, with all the powers of a CEO and reporting to the board. We believe this is absolutely essential both to restoring service as soon as possible and to creating a sustainable, efficient, resilient, and fiscally accountable power system for the island. While the board is confident, the PROMESA, coupled with fundamental aspects of bankruptcy law, gives us the power and responsibility to do as we have done. Some parties are vigorously contesting our authority in proceedings before the Title III judge. To avoid uncertainty and lengthy delays and litigation, congressional reaffirmation of our exercise of our authority is welcome. 23:08 Natalie Jaresko: We have also implemented a contract-review policy as a tool to ensure transparency throughout the government, for the benefit of the people of Puerto Rico and all stakeholders. The policy applies to all contracts in which the commonwealth or any covered instrumentality is a counterparty, including those with the federal government, state governments, and private parties. The policy provides that all contracts of 10 million or more must be submitted to the board for its approval before execution. In addition, the board retains the authority to adopt other methods, such as random sampling of contracts below that 10-million-dollar threshold, to assure that they promote market competition and are not inconsistent with the approved fiscal plan. 26:48 Noel Zamot: I will retain key leaders on my staff to enable speed and effectiveness in our decision-making. I’d like to highlight two key roles. The chief operations officer will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the utility. This will initially be a senior leader from within PREPA but will be augmented by an industry executive identified in conjunction with input that we are receiving from the Edison Electric Institute. 27:41 Noel Zamot: I’ve also identified key executives to serve on a board of advisors. These are CEOs from public and private utilities who have generously volunteered to bring their considerable expertise to help with this task. I will also rely on an internal group of world-class experts from multi-national utilities, the energy sector, academia, and more. 28:22 Noel Zamot: Puerto Rico’s energy strategy calls for 50% renewables by 2040, with a balance of natural and LP gas mix; regional grids, with generation close to demand; physical hardening and control systems to provide resiliency; and widespread distributed generation, all wrapped by an empowered and accountable energy regulator. PROMESA is clear in its guidance to attract private capital to achieve this end state. We need to do just that, not only for generation but to attract innovative capital solutions from the private sector for transmission and distribution as well. 43:42 Representative Raul Grijalva (AZ): Do you or the board hold a view that, relative to Title V, waiving or eliminating additional federal environmental safeguards like NEPA or regulations will accelerate the recovery in Puerto Rico? Ms. Jaresko, you and then Mr. Zamot, if you don’t mind, as well, answering the question. Natalie Jaresko: I certainly believe that further expeditious permitting is a requirement. I’m not an expert on the individual sets of permitting, but I want to underline that it’s both federal, commonwealth, and municipality permitting at all levels. It needs to be expedited for any private-sector investment to become a quick recovery. Grijalva: Okay. Mr. Zamot, do you think that’s needed? Noel Zamot: Thank you, sir. My view is that economic growth and fast-tracking projects is not inconsistent with being good stewards of the environment, and we have a very robust process within Title V and within the working group that we have set with the government to ensure that we, the residents of Puerto Rico, are very respectful of that. Grijalva: If I may, sir, let me just follow up with you. You cite the proposed trash incinerators an example of a project Title V that could come to fruition, but I see an example of why Title V, in this instance, doesn’t work. Public comments about the project are overwhelming in opposition. It’s opposed by both mayors’ groups, representing all the mayors in the island. It was stalled in part because it couldn’t get a permit to drain 2.1 million gallons from a protected wetland. Farmers and residents concerned about the effects on their health, that it could undermine recycling programs that are in place. It flooded during the hurricane. We have a before-and-after situation, that’s up on the screen. It flooded during and released some of the hundreds of tons of toxic ash that could release, in the future, toxic ash into surrounding neighborhoods. And it requires a major loan from the federal government to go forward even though it’s fully privately funded for 67 megawatts of power. Is that what we can expect in terms of Title V critical projects? Zamot: Sir, there are many voices that, obviously, in a democratic process, voice their concern with such a project, but there are equal number of voices on the positive side. We don’t look at this project in Arecibo necessarily as even a power project. It is really a waste-management project. Puerto Rico has a critical, essentially a crisis, in waste management and landfill use that has been identified by the EPA, and that is why the EPA has actually been supportive of this program. 47:30 Representative Doug Lamborn (CO): Is it safe in assuming that pretty much 100% of the electricity generated in Puerto Rico today is from burning fuel oil? Noel Zamot: Sir, I would say it’s 96%. There is approximately 4% that is renewables in Puerto Rico right now. Lamborn: And as we know, fuel oil is very expensive and very dirty. Zamot: That is correct, sir. Lamborn: So, I like the plan. I think you said by 2040, 50% renewables, 50% natural gas through liquefied form. Zamot: That’s correct. Lamborn: Have you identified investors who are willing to make that huge investment in a LNG terminal? Zamot: Sir, there are a number of investors that are actually very bullish on Puerto Rico’s long-term prospects, and we and the board and specifically in my role as revitalization coordinator, we receive a lot of proposals, a lot of questions about how people can bring innovative capital solutions using private capital to bear, to benefit, the reconstruction of the grid and the people of Puerto Rico. Lamborn: Well, I would really urge you to keep pushing in that direction because I don’t think nuclear or coal is going to be a solution. Renewables are great, but to provide that much electricity in that short of time is unrealistic. So I welcome the discussion about LNG. 50:30 Representative Doug Lamborn (CO): And the last thing I want to ask you about is that 800-million-dollar project, and the ranking member referred to it: burning waste to create electricity. Is my understanding that that would be privately funded and would not need government subsidies of any kind? Noel Zamot: That is correct, sir. It’s entirely privately funded. Some of the capital structure includes some federal loans, but there is no money from Puerto Rico, and it relies on relatively new technology that is respectful of emissions. 51:53 Representative Grace Napolitano (CA): The incinerator would be built in an area in Arecibo previously contaminated by a battery recycling plant, and it was flooded during the hurricanes. Has the area been tested for lead, arsenic, and other contaminants? Noel Zamot: Ma’am, I do not have the specific details on what work has been accomplished to date, but we do know that the company that is planning that work has done extensive mitigation pre-work— Napolitano: How long has the plant been there, that it hasn’t been tested? Zamot: Ma’am, I do not have that information. Napolitano: Would you mind sending the answers to this committee— Zamot: Yes, ma’am. Napolitano: —so we can understand that. And how does the Energy Answers Arecibo, LLC plan to prevent their landfill from being flooded by future hurricanes? Zamot: Ma’am, could you repeat the question? Napolitano: How do you prevent landfill from being flooded by hurricanes? Zamot: That is an engineering question that I’m not prepared to answer right now. I would imagine that that has been looked at in the permitting that the company has received to date. Napolitano: Okay. When and—how and when does the company plan to bury the toxic ashes generated by the incinerator? Zamot: That is being currently discussed with the current Puerto Rico administration. Napolitano: Is, let’s see, how many Puerto Rico municipalities refuse to send trash to the plant incinerator? Zamot: I think the answer to that is many, because that represents a threat to current waste management in Puerto Rico, which the EPA has identified as a critical need to address. 1:19:36 Representative Steve Pearce (NM): Now, one of the problems that I see, just as a former business owner taking a look at it, one of the reasons that residents had to pay such a high rate is that certain entities didn’t have to pay for the electrical power. One of those would be the hotels. So are they still exempt from paying their power? Natalie Jaresko: Each of the economic development plans that Puerto Rico implemented over the years had individual tax agreements— Pearce: I’m just asking about the hotels. Jaresko: —between businesses and energy. Pearce: Are they still exempt? Are they not exempt? Jaresko: Some of them are, yes. Pearce: Some of them are exempt. Jaresko: That’s correct. Pearce: Now, also, cities were also exempt, and so city governments were exempt prior, according to what I’ve read. Noel Zamot: That’s correct, sir. 1:38:50 Natalie Jaresko: The board certainly considers privatization as one of the options going forward. There’s a question that remains open to see whether it’s privatization of the entire power sector, meaning generation transmission and distribution or some select part, or whether it just means bringing in private sector to compete and bring down the cost and bring up the efficiency of electricity. We’re looking at all of those as we define this fiscal plan for PREPA. 1:49:50 Representative Raul Labrador (ID): You stated that prior to the hurricane that the board possessed the authority to execute its mission and deliver on the underlying mandate Congress set with PROMESA, but with the devastation, you allude that those tools may be inadequate. So please tell us why does the board currently have—does the board currently have the tools necessary to facilitate efficient and effective recovery? Natalie Jaresko: I will try to be clear. I believe the board has the tools, that PROMESA gives us the tools. That said, when there are disagreements, the use of those tools ends up in costly and time-consuming litigation. Today more than ever that time and that cost is not helping Puerto Rico, so we asked for clarity of the tools that we have—whether it is in the appointment of a CTO through Title III, whether it is the implementation of our contract-policy review, or whether or not it is the implementation of the fiscal plans in full when certified. Labrador: So, what else do you need to be successful? Is there anything else that we need to give you to be successful? Jaresko: I think we would appreciate a legislative affirmation of those and/or conditioning of appropriations on those powers as you see fit. 2:11:11 Representative Garret Graves (LA): The governor recently proposed a law to address emergencies and disasters. Part of that law would allow, basically, eliminating or waiving sales tax in Puerto Rico. Are you aware—is that proposal on your radar screen? Were you consulted? Natalie Jaresko: No, we were not consulted. And I am aware that there has been a problem because of the lack of electricity and the collections of the sales-and-use tax. However, as electricity comes back, the collection process should also return. Graves: So you were not consulted. You were not aware on the front end. If ultimately the governor certifies that this is in compliance with the fiscal plan and you determine otherwise, what happens then? How does that play out? Jaresko: Well, I would hope that they would consult prior to putting that policy in place because it is something that can have a direct adverse fiscal effect, and it could be not in compliance with the fiscal plan. If they certify that it is, as you described, then we have a situation which could potentially, again, lead to difference of opinion in terms of what our role is in PROMESA. And it is very difficult for us, once it is certified by the government as being in compliance, if we disagree, to reverse that. Graves: I’m sorry. Say that last part again. Jaresko: If the government certifies that the executive order or law is in compliance with the fiscal plan, it is difficult for us to reverse that. Graves: Your hands are effectively tied. Do you think Congress should revisit that in terms of something that you believe causes economic harm or undermines the objectives of the fiscal plan but you don’t have the ability to actually help reset that? Jaresko: I think it should be very clear that the intent of PROMESA was for us to be able to stop things that were having an adverse effect on the fiscal plan, yes. 2:26:37 Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL): Arecibo incinerator, Mr. Zamot, I would hope you would talk to Secretary Vilsack because you seem to have a different perspective than he does, since the loan from the USDA is through the Rural Utilities Services. In other words, the money is not in order to do something with waste management; the money is to create energy. But you said to us earlier—and correct me if I’m wrong, if I misunderstood—that the purpose is one of for garbage, basically, disposal, and not for energy. How do you see it? Is it garbage disposal or energy? What is the primary purpose of it? Noel Zamot: Sir, the government of Puerto Rico has a letter out, and they consider that plan in Arecibo to be both a provider of energy— Gutierrez: But when you said primarily, you said primarily. Zamot: The plan at Arecibo, where about 2% of the aggregate electrical demand— Gutierrez: Okay. So primarily, I heard you—and we can go back to the record—you said that it was primarily; yet, they are asking for a loan between half a million and 750 million dollars. And let me just assure you and everybody here: Given the fact that the government of Puerto Rico already owes over $2 billion, unless Mrs. Jaresko’s going to use some of her skills to eliminate that debt, I don’t see how we’re going to do that. And in the last 25 seconds, because I want to focus on this issue with you, do you believe that the control board has such power that you do not have to take into consideration the concerns of the duly elected mayors of the cities that will be affected by the incinerator? Or do you feel you need to consult with them before you make a decision going forward? Zamot: Sir, in 9 seconds, the statute provides for a public comment period that in conclusion— Gutierrez: So, you don’t believe. You do believe that you’re supreme. You’re kind of a dictator over everything. 2:32:05 Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez (PR): You say that the board has the power to name a chief transformation officer to take over the management of PREPA, and at the same time, I know the state government, state legislator, the governor is against that. And you filed a motion in the court to allow that to happen. Do you have the power or you don’t have the power to actually name the coordinator board? Natalie Jaresko: Thank you. We believe we do have that power, and that’s why we filed that petition in court. We believe we have that power under Title III as any representative of a debtor, and the board is named the representative of the debtor, in the law in PROMESA, to name a chief restructuring officer, a receiver, a chief transformation officer, as we call it. Gonzalez: So, sorry to interrupt you, but then you don’t need any change in the PROMESA law? You don’t need any power to make that happen, because that’s the question this committee is doing. What do you need in terms of helping the people of Puerto Rico to recover power? I think that’s the main question. If we were a state, we will not have you. If we were a state, we will have full funding in all federal programs, and now that’s a problem all territories got. Jaresko: The board believes that in appointing this CTO will help us move more quickly to restoration of power. That is the only reason the board took this position, and they took it at this time. 2:43:30 Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL): Mayor, thank you very much for being here with us. Could you tell us your annual salary? Mayor Angel Perez Otero: My? Gutierrez: Yes. *Otero: 96,000. Gutierrez: $96,000. Mr. Zamot? What’s your annual salary? Noel Zamot: That’s a matter of— Gutierrez: I’m sorry? Zamot: Sir, that’s a matter of public record. Gutierrez: How much is it? Zamot: I think it’s in the record, sir. Gutierrez: Just—can’t you tell us how much it is? You know how much you’re getting paid. Why are you so reluctant to give us—this is a committee. Just want to know how much you’re getting paid. The mayor was very forthcoming. Zamot: The board found a competition competitive compensation of $315,000. 2:55:30 Representative Luis Gutierrez (IL): So, I’ll ask Mrs. Jaresko—I didn’t get to ask you—what’s your annual salary? Natalie Jaresko: $625,000. Gutierrez: $625,000. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)  

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