Senator Joseph Lieberman’s long-time wish for more stringent internet regulations has been catapulted into the realm of legislative possibilities, as bipartisan support has advanced H.R. 3261 – the Stop Online

At a time in the presidential election cycle when Republican candidates traditionally draw stark distinctions between themselves and their Democratic rivals, Ron Paul is following a different tactic by

Forget ‘crying over it,’ the way federal health officials portray the potential health risks of unprocessed milk might have some scrambling for a HazMat suit and respirator if faced with an overturned glass.

Arizona has declared its independence from two-party politics as a full third of the state’s electorate is now “unaffiliated” with either Republican or Democratic parties. Independents now outnumber

What was set to be an uneventful re-coronation of 5 term U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter during Michigan’s August 7th primary has suddenly become a competitive race between a political outsider and a last minute

While his grandchildren compete to find the most Easter eggs this weekend, Lawrence Paul of Palm Harbor, Florida will be on an egg hunt of his own. Part of a growing movement of suburban chicken-keepers, Paul

Can food lift California out of its recession? A mounting body of evidence points to yes.  Local food startups that only source labor and materials from local and regional businesses as part of a “community

On the heels of a new study touting the legitimate medicinal uses of marijuana and in yet another violation of its oath not to interfere with state laws, the Obama administration is threatening to shut down

Initial foreclosure filings were 6 percent higher last month than in July 2011, according to RealtyTrac. Year-over-year, initial foreclosure notice filings to distressed homeowners has increased for three

A recent proposal by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to amend its assured water supply rules would provide grandfathered irrigation water rights to farmlands that were retired for development. The

Western Growers, a powerful trade association representing the interests of California and Arizona specialty crop farmers, recently endorsed Mitt Romney for president, saying he subscribes to the right kind of

The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects food prices to rise by 3 or 4 percent in 2013 due to drought conditions being reported in most of the country. The department made the announcement Wednesday as it

California’s dependence on a global food economy has placed local consumers
at great risk. A state’s
long-term economic security is predicated on its ability to feed
itself and to continue to do so without

California’s Leading Role in Rehabilitating Our Nation’s Food System: As more Americans become further removed from the supply sources of their food, both in proximity and knowledge, they become less secure in its

Due to ongoing drought conditions, the USDA has just declared more than 1,000 counties natural disaster areas, making it the largest natural disaster in America ever. Not good news at any time but especially

Healthier food and communities, protection of genetic diversity, lower taxes, a richer local economy..There are countless reasons to support micro-farmers and urban homesteaders who provide local food. Here is a <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/buylocal.html&quot;

According to a poll commissioned by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, an overwhelming majority of Americans want the federal government to double the value of food stamp benefits at farmers markets to ensure “fair

USDA rule changes proposed by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack would not only benefit the local food movement but would make for more effective use of Farm Service Agency (FSA) resources, says the

When Senate leaders said last week that they had finally reached a deal on freezing student loan rates for one more year, many wondered how it could be passed by both houses before July 1 when rates were set

A five-year agricultural spending bill was passed by the Senate yesterday on a 65-34 vote. This version of the farm bill is expected to cost $970 billion. The following are some observations on the most

What was set to be an uneventful re-coronation of 5 term U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter during Michigan’s August 7th primary has suddenly become a competitive race between a political outsider and a last minute

According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study, over 1000 American counties have at least one in four “food-insecure” children. The findings coincide with summer recess for the nation’s schools – a time

Independent candidates seeking public office generally face tougher hurdles than their partisan counterparts. A recent federal court ruling, which gives non-partisan candidates more time to collect signatures

Bruce Ray Riggs, an independent running for U.S. Congress in Florida’s 5th District, has a message and his message has attracted a small yet fervent following. Riggs, part of a recent surge of independents

A new poll shows that independent voters in five swing-states, three of which are among the hardest hit by foreclosures and unemployment, disapprove of President Obama’s leadership throughout

Attempts to tackle comprehensive immigration reform at the state level has wounded agriculture and exposed an unavoidable issue for farm-state lawmakers seeking election in 2012. Because U.S. citizens, by

The state’s largest farm organization is optimistic that recent electoral reforms in California will spell victories for their endorsed candidates in November. Casey Gudel, California Farm Bureau

This weekend, Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone unveiled a plan for thirteen counties in Southern California, excluding Los Angeles and Ventura counties on the coast, to secede from the Golden State and

When the nation’s farmers started experiencing labor shortages last year they didn’t know what to expect for the future; for many, the situation was without precedent. Early indicators for the 2012 season

Rumors of the demise of Ron Paul‘s presidential campaign have been greatly exaggerated. Never lacking an “off-script” offering to complicate the mainstream media’s primary election narrative, the Texas

Directed by the Obama Administration to abandon a proposed change to its regulatory code, the Labor Department has announced that it will not enforce new rules designed to limit the type of work minors

California agriculture’s first sustainability progress report is in. The consensus: the Golden State is on track to meet key environmentally-friendly goals set by a coalition of farmers, ranchers,

A new government report shows that honey-production in the U.S., and California in particular, dropped dramatically in 2011. Data from the NASS also shows that honeybee colony numbers are on the decline

A new bill working its way through California’s State Assembly could ground a fleet of food trucks whose aim is to allow communities to reconnect and reinvest using hot meals, says a group of Bay Area mobile

California might be one step closer to rejoining nationwide settlement talks between major U.S. banks and a coalition of state attorneys general over allegations of widespread mortgage fraud.

“For the past

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have found a way to identify aphids that spread plant viruses. Big whoop, right? Actually, the discovery of biomarkers that differentiate between

A year ago, we reported on the State Department’s new passport application rules, which some have called unconstitutional. A new bill now making its way through Congress could prevent even more Americans from

Congressional House leaders have unveiled their budget proposal for FY2013. Though it revealed few surprises, when House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) announced the plan on Tuesday he drew ire

The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California says in a new report that state funds allocated to county jails for the influx of inmates from the state prison population are being used counter

Before Supreme Court Justices completed day one of oral arguments regarding the Affordable Care Act, local leaders in Northern California announced that they are taking steps to implement one of the law’s

As reported by the Associated Press last week, a growing number of companies, government agencies and universities are asking job applicants for unfettered access to their social media accounts. When

Foreclosure activity unexpectedly dropped in February, according to a new industry report. This, after a sharp increase in foreclosures during January. Following a $25 billion settlement between all fifty

California State Senator Joe Simitian has proposed a law that would restrict the way local law enforcement agencies/individuals obtain and use information gathered by license plate recognition (LPR)