Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dennis Hutson has found ways to use less water in one of the most drought-stricken places in the US.</li><li>At his TAC Farm in San Joaquin Valley, CA, Hutson is training people of color to farm sustainably.</li></ul>Dennis Hutson has played many roles in his life: pastor, US Air Force chaplain, and devoted husband and father of three — to name a few.But it wasn't until he co-bought 60 acres of land in Allensworth, California, that he felt he'd fulfilled his ultimate destiny.<h2>A Black-led agricultural revolution over 100 years in the making</h2>Allensworth is the first Black-founded and -governed town in California.Allen Allensworth, an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-escapes-modern-day-slavery-in-pakistan-2023-11">escaped slave</a>, founded it in 1908. He traveled throughout the eastern and midwestern US advocating for self-help programs that would give Black people a chance at social and economic self-sufficiency."Allensworth believed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-practices-for-offering-allyship-and-support-to-black-coworkers-2020-6">Black people are meant to help one another</a> — to pull one another into a higher station of life," Hutson told Business Insider.<div type="image" title="Dennis Hutson in a green shirt looks at the camera while standing in a thicket of bushes." height="720" width="1440" msid="105863623" hostid="261" sizebytes="77250"></div>The way he sees it, Hutson's destiny is to carry on Allensworth's legacy through farming. He's launching a teaching program on TAC Farm, which he co-founded with his sister and her husband on the land they bought together.Through the program, Hutson hopes to offer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-farmers-jubilee-justice-louisiana-regenerative-farming-2023-10">Black farmers</a>, indigenous farmers, and other farmers of color hands-on experience in organic and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/farmer-shares-sustainable-farming-plans-new-town-freedom-georgia-initiative-2022-2">sustainable practices</a>."I thought, this is a way to realize the purpose on which this town was discovered," Hutson said.<h2>Closing the racial gap</h2>Research has found that farming offers <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/build-black-wealth-millionaire-mentor-2022-9">Black Americans a substantial economic opportunity</a> to build net worth and generational wealth.But research has also found that <a target="_blank" href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10460-018-9883-3">significant racial disparities</a> in farmland ownership, in part due to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/black-minority-farmers-covid-relief-racial-discrimination-2021-3">discriminatory practices</a> by the USDA and lending organizations, have deprived farmers of color equal access to the loans, grants, and crop insurance necessary to sustain or grow their operations.As recently as 2021, only <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/black-farmers-in-the-us-the-opportunity-for-addressing-racial-disparities-in-farming">1.4% of farmers</a> in the US were Black or of mixed race — a significant decline from 14% about 100 years ago, according to McKinsey &amp; Company.<h2>A better way of doing things</h2>Hutson moved to Allensworth in July of 2017 — right after the 2012-2016 drought, one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-town-sinking-drought-central-valley-2019-2">most severe in California's history</a>.<a target="_blank" href="https://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov/wordpress/?p=22505">San Joaquin Valley</a>, a stretch of eight counties in central and southern California and where Allensworth is located, was hit especially hard, which is why Hutson said he knew he would have to lean into sustainable practices for TAC Farm."Otherwise, you're just adding to the problem instead of helping to solve it," he said.<div type="image" title="Picture of Dennis Hutson on TAC farm." height="717" width="1433" msid="105863625" hostid="261" sizebytes="109656"></div>To that end, TAC farm has adopted more efficient drip irrigation methods, which help reduce manpower while also conserving water, Hutson said.The farm also plants <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/patagonia-global-warming-solutions-2019-4">cover crops,</a> which aren't necessarily intended for harvest, but instead protect and enrich the soil for future harvest crops. Moreover, healthy soil can retain moisture longer, so it doesn't require as much water.A few years ago, Hutson began replacing the alfalfa, which required irrigating six to seven times per season, with the cover crop oats."I planted oats and relied on rains for irrigation. With this year's atmospheric rivers, I had an abundant harvest," he said. It's sustainable practices like these that could help TAC Farm survive in the face of the US's uncertain farming future.Over the next several decades, California's Department of Water Resources estimates that the state could <a target="_blank" href="https://resources.ca.gov/-/media/CNRA-Website/Files/Initiatives/Water-Resilience/CA-Water-Supply-Strategy.pdf">lose up to 10% of its water supplies</a> by 2040, and economists predict the central San Joaquin Valley will need to pull nearly half a million acres of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ppic.org/publication/policy-brief-the-future-of-agriculture-in-the-san-joaquin-valley/">farmland out of production</a>.It's also these sustainable practices that Hutson ultimately wants to pass on to other farmers of color.<h2>Cultivating the next generation of Black regenerative farmers in Southern California</h2>Hutson's TAC Innovation and Teaching Farm program has recruited approximately six farmers of color from across the Central Valley and Southern California, he told BI.In order to spread the word, TAC Farm partnered with a number of other organizations in the state — including African American Farmers of California, Crop Swap LA, and the Compton Community Garden.Participants will get access to a small plot of land on TAC Farm for two and a half years, and can then sell the crops they grow to local co-ops, Hutson said. The program will also help participants apply for loans.Hutson said most people don't realize how expensive agriculture is. For example, the Massey-Ferguson 4700 4-wheel drive tractor he purchased with a grant in 2020 cost $46,000.This program will equip students with a more realistic mindset about what it takes to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lawsuit-put-pause-usda-effort-pay-off-black-farmers-loans-2021-6">start a successful farm</a> from the ground up."After land cost, the second big hurdle is finding a water source — especially in the Central Valley," he said. "More and more, that means drilling a well."Before Hutson asked for a loan from the bank, he noted: "The bank said to me, 'We can't give you one until you have a water source.' So, I had to have a well drilled in 2009 — it's just 720 feet deep, and it was over $120,000. It probably costs twice that now. He added that's "not even taking into account equipment — tractors, implements, all those kinds of things."Hutson hopes the sustainable practices he's learned and designed over the last decade can usher in a new revolution of minority-owned and led sustainable agriculture in California."They can say, 'We did this with our hands.'"

How a California farmer is helping build a Black-led sustainable agriculture revolution

New Delhi [<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>], March 1 (ANI): In a research report titled "When 8 per cent becomes the new normal: Decoding the new normals of a GDP on swing," the State Bank of India's Economic Research Department unveils key insights into India's economic landscape, shedding light on the recent GDP surge and providing projections for the future. The report highlights the unprecedented growth witnessed in India's economy during the third quarter of FY24, defying all estimates and expectations. India's GDP expanded by a remarkable 8.4 per cent during this period, following consecutive quarters of over 8 per cent growth. This surge has been attributed to effective policy frameworks and perspectives, which have surpassed irrational market expectations. The buoyancy in indirect tax collection, marked by a 32 per cent year-on-year growth amounting to Rs 3.9 lakh crore, further underlines the robustness of the economy. As a result, projections for FY24 indicate a GDP growth of 7.6 per cent and Gross Value Added (GVA) growth of 6.9 per cent. The report suggests that the GDP growth for the fourth quarter could be around 5.9 per cent, indicating a potential attainment of 8 per cent growth for the fiscal year. Significant revisions in both annual and quarterly numbers have led to upward adjustments in the GDP figures for FY22 and FY24. This revision has propelled the Year-to-Date (YTD) GDP growth rate above the 8 per cent mark. However, downward revisions in FY23 GDP numbers have implications for the fiscal deficit, necessitating an upward revision to 5.9 per cent of GDP for FY24. Delving into sectoral performances, the report highlights stellar performances in <keyword id="20788019" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="manufacturing-and-services" source="keywords">Manufacturing and Services</keyword>, buoyed by significant growth in industry, manufacturing, and construction sectors. However, the agriculture sector witnessed a decline of -0.8 per cent in Q3, attributed to uncontrollable factors. Moreover, the report underscores remarkable milestones achieved in terms of per capita GDP, with current prices crossing the Rs 2 lakh mark in FY24. Decadal Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) stands at 8.9 per cent, with notable increases observed even in constant prices. Notably, post-pandemic recovery has seen a substantial jump in per capita GDP. The report also analyzes investment and savings trends over the past decade, revealing an increase in Gross Capital Formation (GCF) and gross savings. <keyword id="19964112" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="noteworthy" source="keywords">Noteworthy</keyword> is the improvement in the <keyword id="20788020" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="incremental-capital-output" source="keywords">Incremental Capital Output</keyword> ratio (ICOR), indicating increasing efficiency of capital utilization and laying the groundwork for sustained economic growth. In conclusion, the findings of the SBI report suggest a promising outlook for India's economy, with the potential for sustained growth at 8 per cent in FY25. (ANI)

SBI report deciphers India's GDP surge and economic projections

New Delhi [<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>], February 28 (<keyword id="19904948" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ani" source="keywords">ANI</keyword>): The State Bank of India's Economic Research Department has released its analysis projecting the GDP growth for the third quarter of the financial year 2023-24. According to their report, the GDP growth is likely to be at 6.8 per cent, based on an unchanged base, but could potentially hit 7 per cent due to expected downward revisions in the estimates for Q3 FY23. As per a report by <keyword id="20407500" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="soumya-kanti-ghosh" source="keywords">Soumya Kanti Ghosh</keyword>, Group Chief Economic Adviser, SBI, the global economic landscape, as outlined in the report, presents a mixed picture with several significant developments impacting the trajectory. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has upgraded its global growth forecast to 3.1 per cent in 2024 and 3.2 per cent in 2025, indicating a brighter outlook. However, challenges persist, with countries like the UK and Japan slipping into recession, alongside concerns over the German economy. Additionally, China's marked slowdown, driven by deflationary concerns and declining industrial profits, adds further complexity to the global scenario. In contrast, India's domestic economic indicators show signs of resilience and optimism. Consumer confidence has strengthened, supported by positive sentiments regarding the economic situation and employment conditions. Various enterprise surveys also reflect strong business optimism. The Composite Leading Indicator (CLI) Index, comprising 41 leading indicators across sectors, suggests a slight moderation in economic activity in Q3 FY24. Based on this data, the SBI Economic Research Department estimates GDP growth in the range of 6.7-6.9 per cent, with a Gross Value Added (GVA) growth of 6.6 per cent. Corporate India continues to exhibit robust performance, driven by accelerating consumption patterns across urban and rural areas. Corporate results for Q3FY24 indicate significant growth in <keyword id="20140796" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ebidta" source="keywords">EBIDTA</keyword> and PAT (Profit After Tax), with a notable improvement in margins. Corporate GVA, measured by EBIDTA plus employee expenses, recorded strong growth compared to the previous year. The agricultural sector, however, faces some challenges, with a decline in the estimated production of major Kharif crops for 2023-24 compared to FY23. While the sowing season for Rabi crops suggests a slight increase in overall acreage, concerns arise over the decline in the sown area under cereals. Despite these challenges, the inland fish production has shown rapid growth, reaching 131.13 lakh tonnes in 2022-23. The fisheries sector's contribution to the national GVA and agricultural GVA indicates potential support for the Agri &amp; Allied sector's growth in FY24. (ANI)

SBI Eco Research forecasts Q3 FY24 GDP growth at 6.8% amid global complexities

<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> is set to deploy drones to gather atmospheric data that is currently collated by sending sensors through weather balloons released from at least 55 locations across the country twice every day. The sensors embedded in a radiosonde, which is a telemetry instrument carried by a weather balloon, record atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind direction and speed as the hydrogen-filled weather balloon soars up to 12 km height and transmit data to the ground receiver through radio signals. However, weather balloons and radiosondes are unretrievable as they drift afar from weather stations that release them in the atmosphere. We are now exploring the possibility of using drones to gather this atmospheric data which is crucial for weather forecasting, M Ravichandran, Secretary, <keyword id="158211" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ministry-of-earth-sciences" source="Orion">Ministry of Earth Sciences</keyword>, told PTI. Various studies have suggested that specialised drones equipped with sensors to gather weather data could be an efficient successor to the traditional weather balloons. The <keyword id="6355166" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india-meteorological-department" source="Orion">India Meteorological Department</keyword> (<keyword id="6366970" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="imd" source="Orion">IMD</keyword>) gathers weather data from 550 locations across the country through weather stations and uses radiosonde observations which are then fed into forecasting models to issue weather forecasts. The drones have a key advantage over weather balloons as they can be controlled and guided to fly at low as well as high altitudes. The IMD plans to use drones to gather data from up to five km altitude and compare it with data gathered using the traditional weather balloons. It has invited industry and academia to join the demonstration of the capability of drone technology for weather observations. It is expected that drones should be capable, economically feasible, easily deployable and recoverable and should be technically comparable or superior to currently deployed radiosondes for upper air observations up to the boundary layer of upper air atmosphere, the weather office said. While the flight of a weather balloon usually lasts for up to two hours, the IMD expects to gather data using drones during a 40-minute flight. If successful, a key benefit would be reducing the wastage of radiosondes as the IMD loses more than 100 such instruments every day as weather balloons cannot be retrieved after their flight. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/2-out-3-indians-are-facing-digital-payment-issues-due-to-poor-network-connectivity/articleshow/92076595.cms">A survey suggests that 2 out 3 Indians are facing digital payment issues due to poor network connectivity</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/galaxy-z-fold-4-is-expected-to-come-with-1tb-internal-storage-and-snapdragon-8-gen1-chipset/articleshow/92074564.cms">Galaxy Z Fold 4 might be Samsung's most expensive foldable phone — here’s everything you need to know</a>

India is all set to replace weather balloons with drones

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A report by a bipartisan House committee details meat-processing giants' response to the pandemic.</li><li>One hospital doctor told <keyword id="12062971" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jbs" source="Orion">JBS</keyword> that all its COVID-19 patients were linked to a JBS plant in Texas.</li></ul>Major US <keyword id="11894326" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="meat" source="Orion">meat</keyword> companies <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tyson-fires-7-workers-accused-betting-how-many-contract-covid-2020-12?r=US&amp;IR=T">were aware that their sites were hotbeds for coronavirus transmission</a> but exaggerated impending product shortages so they could keep workers on site at the height of the pandemic, according to an investigation by a House committee.They also lobbied the White House and the US <keyword id="13682049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="department-of-agriculture" source="Orion">Department of Agriculture</keyword> to minimize coronavirus safety measures on the industry, <a href="https://coronavirus.house.gov/sites/democrats.coronavirus.house.gov/files/2022.5.12%20-%20SSCC%20report%20Meatpacking%20FINAL.pdf">according to the report</a>, which was released on Thursday by the bipartisan House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.Meat processing sites were a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meat-processing-plants-are-the-new-hotspot-for-the-coronavirus-2020-5?r=US&amp;IR=T">major source of coronavirus outbreaks</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-meat-industry-lawsuits-investigations-class-action-2020-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">triggering a wave of lawsuits</a>. This was largely down to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meat-industry-workers-catch-covid-19-saying-employers-failed-them-2020-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">their lack of </a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meat-industry-workers-catch-covid-19-saying-employers-failed-them-2020-4?r=US&amp;IR=T"> safety procedures</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meat-industry-workers-catch-covid-19-saying-employers-failed-them-2020-4?r=US&amp;IR=T"> like social distancing</a> and staff's inability to work from home.The report focused on five of the US' largest <keyword id="13925512" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="meatpacking" source="Orion">meatpacking</keyword> companies — <keyword id="12062970" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tyson-foods" source="Orion">Tyson Foods</keyword>, JBS, <keyword id="12062972" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="smithfield" source="Orion">Smithfield</keyword> Foods, Cargill, and the National Beef Packing Company. During the first year of the pandemic, more than 59,000 workers at these companies were infected with the coronavirus and at least 269 died, the committee said.The report details how meatpacking executives were allegedly aware of the high risks of coronavirus transmission inside their plants.For example, a doctor at a hospital close to JBS' processing plant in Cactus, Texas, sent an email to a JBS executive on April 18, 2020, saying that "100% of all COVID-19 patients we have in the hospital are either direct employees or family member[s] of your employees.""I am not sure this situation is being treated with the urgency it deserves," the doctor continued. "Your employees will get sick and may die if this factory continues to be open."<h2>Claims of meat shortages were 'intentionally scaring people'</h2>Despite awareness of outbreaks at some sites, meatpacking companies continued to push for their workers to stay on site. In the report, the committee dismissed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tyson-millions-of-pounds-of-meat-will-disappear-coronavirus-2020-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">claims that there would be meat shortages if sites closed</a> as "flimsy if not outright false. It also said they were "an attempt to justify operating meatpacking plants under dangerous conditions."<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sick-workers-closures-hit-meat-suppliers-sparking-shortage-fears-2020-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">Smithfield CEO Ken Sullivan</a> said in April 2020 that the closure of meatpacking facilities "is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply. It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running."But an executive at trade body North American Meat Institute said in an email published in the committee's report that Sullivan was "intentionally scaring people." The email also said that three days after his statement, Smithfield had asked the Meat Institute to "issue a statement that there was plenty of meat," including enough for export."Smithfield has whipped everyone into a frenzy," the executive added.Meatpacking companies' reports of impending shortages appeared to come as the companies bulked up their exports. The US exported around 640 million pounds of pork in April 2020 – a 22% increase on April 2019, per <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/livestock-and-meat-international-trade-data/livestock-and-meat-international-trade-data/#Monthly%20U.S.%20Livestock%20and%20Meat%20Trade%20by%20Country">data</a> from the Department of Agriculture. Pork exports to China more than quadrupled over that time period, the data shows."The meat production system is a modern wonder, but it is not one that can be re-directed at the flip of a switch," a Smithfield spokesperson told Insider. "That is the challenge we faced as restaurants closed, consumption patterns changed, and hogs backed-up on farms with nowhere to go. The concerns we expressed were very real and we are thankful that a food crisis was averted and that we are starting to return to normal."The report also outlined how the meatpacking industry "worked actively to cultivate its very close relationship with <keyword id="12527471" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="usda" source="Orion">USDA</keyword>" at the start of the pandemic in an attempt to minimize coronavirus safety measures on the industry. This included the USDA under secretary for food safety being in regular communication with industry representatives and lobbyists, using both her personal and government phone and email, per the report.The USDA and meatpacking companies also jointly lobbied the White House to dissuade workers from staying home or quitting during the pandemic."Meatpacking companies engaged in a concerted effort with Trump Administration political officials to insulate themselves from coronavirus-related oversight, to force workers to continue working in dangerous conditions, and to shield themselves from legal liability for any resulting worker illness or death," the committee wrote.The Smithfield spokesperson told Insider that the company had "exceeded CDC and OSHA guidelines" and had paid workers to stay at home during the pandemic."The content of the report was deeply disturbing and many of the decisions made by the previous administration are not in line with our values," a USDA spokesperson told Insider. "This administration is committed to food safety, the viability of the meat and poultry sector, and working with our partners across the government to protect workers and ensure their health and safety is given the priority it deserves."

Major meat companies lied about impending shortages to keep workers on site at the height of the pandemic, a House committee says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>At least 41 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wind-farm-company-admits-150-eagle-deaths-fined-8-million-2022-4">bald eagles</a> in 14 states have died after contracting H5N1, a strain of avian flu.</li><li>Nearly <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022">27 million chickens and turkeys</a> were killed en masse to prevent spread of the virus.</li></ul>A highly contagious <keyword id="13260370" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bird-flu" source="Orion">bird flu</keyword> strain that's ripped through the US in recent months is now spreading among the nation's national birds — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eagles-lead-poisoning-bullets-hunting-2022-2">bald eagles</a>.According to the latest data from the <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds">Department of Agriculture</a>, at least 41 bald eagles in 14 states have died after contracting this particular strain, known as H5N1. "We are seeing significant mortality," Victoria Hall, executive director of the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center, told <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-least-36-bald-eagles-have-died-in-bird-flu-outbreak-11650302381">The Wall Street Journal</a>. "The better data we can collect about what is happening in these populations, the better we can figure out how we can best support them."Though bald eagles were once a dwindling bird population due to pesticides and hunters, they're no longer endangered. In fact, numbers have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/eagles-lead-poisoning-bullets-hunting-2022-2">steadily risen</a> since 2009, thanks to decades of conservation efforts.Beyond bald eagles, the virus has been detected in flocks of wild birds, with more than 700 positive birds reported in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/data-map-wild-birds.html">31 states</a>, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Bald eagles are raptors — birds that hunt for living prey and scavenge for carcasses, which experts think is a possible route of transmission. "If the waterfowl are dying, then eagles can pick it up from eating those dead waterfowl," Krysten Schuler, co-director of the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/science/eagles-bird-flu.html">The New York Times</a>. <div type="image" title="A double-crested cormorant struggles and is likely dying of bird flu" height="1093" width="1457" msid="91014164" hostid="261"></div>Since January, the USDA has also detected the strain at several <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-horror-stories-at-meat-industry-factories-arent-surprising-2020-12">poultry farms</a>, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/04/19/avian-flu-2022-killing-birds-egg-prices/7275697001/?gnt-cfr=1">driving up the price of eggs and poultry</a> in the process. Nearly <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022">27 million chickens and turkeys</a> were killed en masse as part of state containment efforts to prevent the avian flu's spread. This new flavor of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-flu-china-coronavirus-pathogenic-strain-of-h5n1-highly-2020-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bird flu infection</a> is dangerous for birds. Though symptoms from other strains can range from mild to severe, in chickens, the most deadly forms of bird flu have mortality rates <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-in-birds.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">upward of 90%</a>, according to the <keyword id="11917544" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cdc" source="Orion">CDC</keyword>. More research is needed to understand how this novel strain differs from others, but experts say it's both severe and highly transmissible. The H5N1 strain, which can cause neurological and respiratory issues in birds, usually kills them within just two days. Though flu can sometimes jump species and infect people, humans don't seem to be at increased risk of infection from this particular strain, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/spotlights/2021-2022/h5n1-low-risk-public.htm">CDC</a>. So far, there's been only one documented human case — a person in England who raised birds and was asymptomatic. No one in the US has been infected.Experts at the Raptor Center <a href="https://raptor.umn.edu/about-us/our-research/HPAI">recommend</a> that people in states where the strain has been detected pause <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/pets/best-bird-feeder">using bird feeders</a>, to keep birds from congregating and spreading the virus."This is a virus to take seriously," Julianna Lenoch, a veterinary epidemiologist and national wildlife disease program coordinator for USDA, told <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/north-american-birds-face-their-own-pandemic-latest-bout-avian-flu">Audubon</a>. She added that government agencies like the <keyword id="13682049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="department-of-agriculture" source="Orion">Department of Agriculture</keyword> will keep track of the flu in hopes of limiting its spread. "We just don't want to have any further introductions if we can help it."

A bird flu outbreak is killing bald eagles and driving up egg prices

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Biden is set to announce the largest-ever boost to <keyword id="730276" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Food-stamps">food stamps</keyword> on Monday, the NYT reports.</li><li>The average monthly benefit will rise to $157 per person from $121. That's about 40 cents per meal.</li><li>A 15% boost to food stamps was set to lapse on September 30, but Biden's move offsets that.</li></ul><keyword id="1533678" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="President-Joe-Biden">President Joe Biden</keyword> is expected to announce the largest-ever boost to food stamps on Monday, permanently increasing aid for the roughly 42 million Americans on the program.The average monthly benefit will climb to $157 per person from $121, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/15/us/politics/biden-food-stamps.html">The New York Times</a> reported, citing an administration official. That translates to an increase of roughly 40 cents per meal. For a family of four, the maximum benefit will rise to $835 per month, up about 21% from the pre-pandemic limit.The increase will take effect on October 1.The move is one of the ways Biden can increase aid for Americans without Congressional approval. The <keyword id="6423212" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="agriculture-department">Agriculture Department</keyword> will increase payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (<keyword id="24754" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="snap">SNAP</keyword>) by updating its list of foods needed for a healthy diet.Biden's increase ends a process that began in his first days in office. In a late January executive order, the president called on the <keyword id="134457" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="USDA">USDA</keyword> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-will-implement-executive-actions-to-provide-relief-to-americans-2021-1">to review the Thrifty Food Plan</a>, which includes the list of foods that determines SNAP payments. The administration argued the plan didn't accurately reflect households' nutritional and financial needs.The food plan was originally set to be updated by 2022, but the Biden order sped up that process and is now set to bring higher benefits before the end of the year.<h2>The fiscal cliff looms large</h2>The announcement comes just weeks before enhanced <keyword id="11871661" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="snap-benefits">SNAP benefits</keyword> were set to lapse at the end of September. Congress approved a 15% supplement to the program at the end of last year, and Biden's move will offset that boost's expiration and leave SNAP beneficiaries with permanently higher payments.The September deadline was part of a larger set of expirations known as the "fiscal cliff." A slew of pandemic-era support programs was set to end in September, with Republicans arguing the economic recovery made such aid obsolete.Some, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-extends-student-loan-debt-payment-freeze-pause-extension-borrowers-2021-7">the freeze to student loan payments</a>, were recently extended to avoid a sudden pullback in government support. Others, like the federal eviction moratorium, weren't re-upped and have raised concerns around reversing aid while virus cases rebound. The Biden administration renewed some parts of the eviction ban in a last-ditch effort earlier in August, but legal battles risk canceling the extension.The boost to food stamps hasn't come without its share of backlash. Ranking members on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees asked the Government Accountability Office last week to review the White House's process for updating the Thrifty Food Plan.The administration will publish the results of its review soon and is prepared to brief lawmakers on the matter, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/15/biden-food-stamp-benefits-snap-504915">Politico</a> in a statement.

You Searched For "Department of Agriculture" and got 7 results

How a California farmer is helping build a Black-led sustainable agriculture revolution

Rebecca Strong

SBI report deciphers India's GDP surge and economic projections

ANI

SBI Eco Research forecasts Q3 FY24 GDP growth at 6.8% amid global complexities

ANI

India is all set to replace weather balloons with drones

PTI

Major meat companies lied about impending shortages to keep workers on site at the height of the pandemic, a House committee says

Grace Dean

A bird flu outbreak is killing bald eagles and driving up egg prices

Paola Rosa-Aquino

Biden's about to raise food stamps to $157 a month from $121 - the biggest boost ever

Ben Winck

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides