Big Ag Spars with the First Amendment

Big Ag Spars with the First Amendment

The First Amendment may be inconvenient to some people at times, but it’s still the law of the land. Case in point: so-called “ag-gag laws.” These are laws in Idaho, Montana, Utah, North Dakota, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa that prohibit people from...
Chris Christie’s Pork Barrel Politics

Chris Christie’s Pork Barrel Politics

As the weather turns colder in this month of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the Winter Solstice, our hearts grow warmer and our thoughts turn to kindness and goodwill toward all. Unless, of course, you’re Chris Christie. The governor of New Jersey is a mighty...
Why You Should Meet Your Meat

Why You Should Meet Your Meat

A beloved organic farm in San Diego recently canceled a gourmet dinner it had planned to host. Guests had already paid $150 for a local, organic five-course meal prepared by several top chefs from the region. The dinner was called Death for Food. Whose death for whose...
Why You Should Meet Your Meat

A Bigger Threat to U.S. Health than Ebola

Despite all the panic, Americans don’t face any great risk from Ebola right now. But we do need to worry about a home-grown medical catastrophe of our own that we’re failing to address: the erosion of antibiotic effectiveness. Doctors prescribe antibiotics to...
Sick Pig Problems

Sick Pig Problems

A pound of bacon now costs more than $6. That’s a record increase from $3.86 a pound four years ago. What’s driving this spike? Blame Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus. The disease, known as PEDv, is rattling the pork industry after claiming over 10 percent...