All articles tagged with #usda
A group of USDA employees and a union sue Secretary Brooke Rollins in the Northern District of California, alleging her emails promoting Christianity—most notably an Easter message—coerced staff and violated the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act; they seek an injunction against further religious messaging and argue it clashes with USDA guidance on expressing religion at work.
A federal lawsuit accuses Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins of proselytizing federal employees by frequently invoking Jesus in work emails, alleging this violates the Establishment Clause and pressures staff to share her beliefs, with plaintiffs saying the messages create coercion and potential retaliation for opting out.
A federal lawsuit in the Northern District of California claims Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has adopted a pattern of sending proselytizing religious messages to USDA’s roughly 90,000 employees, highlighted by an Easter note praising Jesus. The suit argues this government-endorsed messaging coerces employees, excludes non-Christians, and violates the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act; it seeks to bar such religious communications and declare them unlawful, with backing from the National Federation of Federal Employees and allied groups.
USDA announced a second Supplemental Disaster Relief Program payment to eligible producers with approved 2023–2024 disaster-loss applications, increasing the payout factor to 70% (an additional 35% of the calculated SDRP payment) and extending the deadline to August 12, 2026. SDRP Stage 1 remains for insured or NAP-covered losses, while SDRP Stage 2 covers additional non-indemnified, shallow, and quality losses. The extension gives producers more time to adjust applications, as overall federal support for farmers exceeds $39 billion across SDRP and related programs.
USDA announced a broader expansion of its post-DC reorganization, moving hundreds more employees to regional hubs. FSIS will relocate about two-thirds of its DC-area staff to new sites, including a National Food Safety Center in Urbandale, Iowa and a Science Center in Athens, Georgia, with roughly 200 DC FSIS workers moving and frontline inspectors largely unaffected. ERS, NIFA, and NASS staff will shift to Kansas City and St. Louis, while ARS will decommission the Beltsville campus and relocate research nationwide. About 100 roles remain in DC for policy and congressional work. The move continues reforms begun under the first Trump administration and aims to modernize operations and better connect researchers with producers.
Facing Iran-war–driven spikes in fertilizer and fuel prices, the Trump administration is considering reviving the Biden-era Fertilizer Production Expansion Program to boost domestic fertilizer production and supply, potentially using Commodity Credit Corporation funds, with Agriculture Secretary Rollins set to announce fertilizer investments in Missouri as lawmakers press for relief.
USDA announced a major reorganization of the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area to streamline operations, strengthen leadership accountability, and move many positions from the National Capital Region to closer to farming communities. The plan relocates ERS and NIFA staff to Kansas City, shifts NASS positions to St. Louis, decommissions the Beltsville ARS site and relocates ARS programs nationwide, and expands the REE Business Center, while preserving the Office of the Chief Scientist to ensure science-based, farmer-focused results.
Palantir won a $300 million contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to deploy its software for farmland management, signaling a broader role in government tech beyond defense as farmers face rising costs and supply-chain risks from geopolitical tensions and trade frictions. The deal arrives amid scrutiny of Palantir’s government work with agencies like DHS/ICE, even as the company contends its tools help safeguard critical infrastructure amid global uncertainty.
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares rose in pre-market trading after the USDA awarded a $300 million, multi-year contract to support the agency’s digital systems for farmers, signaling Palantir’s growing role beyond defense into civil government work. The deal includes improvements to supply-chain tracking, fraud reduction in farm programs, and faster disaster aid payments via the “One Farmer, One File” system. Palantir has prior USDA involvement, including the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. Analysts hold a Moderate Buy rating with an average target of about $194.06, implying roughly 33% upside.
A department-wide Easter message from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, praising Easter and Christian themes, sparked internal backlash among USDA’s roughly 100,000 employees and a formal complaint to the Office of Special Counsel alleging establishment of religion; USDA defends the email as lawful, while critics say government resources should not promote a specific religion, with the Freedom From Religion Foundation also filing complaints. The incident highlights ongoing debates about the role of faith in federal communications and policy.
The USDA has expanded a recall of frozen Asian meals that may contain glass to include Trader Joe’s and several Ajinomoto, Ling Ling, and Tai Pei products. Affected items have best-by dates from February 28, 2026, to August 19, 2027. Consumers should discard any recalled products or return them to the place of purchase.
USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins highlights in a Hill op-ed the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, emphasizing eat-real-food, affordable, and flexible dieting, with steps to broaden access via SNAP stocking standards, updates to federal feeding programs, and the RealFood.gov initiative; the guidelines aim to make healthy options available to all households, noting meals can cost as little as about $3 each and outlining support for rural communities and farm families.
A federal judge blocked the USDA from withholding about $80 million to administer Minnesota’s SNAP program while the state challenges the agency’s plan to complete an expedited fraud review for roughly 100,000 households, saying the 30-day deadline may violate federal law. The judge noted the state could fund the shortfall itself and that the case concerns administration funding rather than monthly benefits, keeping the funds in place pending the lawsuit.
The USDA announced a $12 billion aid package for U.S. farmers, primarily distributing $11 billion in one-time payments based on crop type and acreage, with rice and cotton farmers receiving the highest per-acre payments. While intended to support farmers amid low crop prices and trade disruptions, soybean farmers argue the aid is insufficient to cover their losses, highlighting ongoing challenges in the agricultural sector.
The USDA announced the Farmer Bridge Assistance program rates for 2025, with rice and cotton receiving the highest per-acre payments, as part of an $11 billion effort to support farmers affected by trade disruptions. The payments aim to bridge the economic gap for farmers, but critics view them as insufficient and temporary solutions amidst ongoing agricultural challenges.