Categories: News

The latest: August 23, 2017

Tovin Lapan

Trump’s proposed after-school cuts could lead to more hungry kids, lower test scores

Research shows good nutrition helps children do better in school.

By Tovin Lapan | Read more


The Impossible Burger is probably safe. So why is everyone so worked up about “heme”?

The flap over a key ingredient in the plant-based patty missed the real point: The future of an important kind of food tech is being written right now.

By Patrick Clinton | Read more


USPTO

Drone wars. Amazon and Walmart have both filed patents for floating drone warehouses. Both companies see drone delivery as the future of retail, and both are investing heavily in its potential. But Amazon’s planned zeppelin flies higher, holds more stuff, and may stay airborne for months at a time. Read more.
—Claire Brown


Backyard bacteria. How big a deal are backyard chickens? It’s hard to say, though the trend pieces have held steady for years. Some have noticed a surge in poultry-related noise complaints (see the Reddit thread “My neighbors chickens are assholes—can I do anything?”). Some have measured the phenomenon by the uptick in local vet visits. Others have noted the marked increase in abandoned birds dropped off at pet shelters, presumably by disenchanted hobbyists. But while anecdotal evidence suggests their ranks are growing, harder numbers remain elusive.

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Now, though, we’ve got a new sign of a movement’s rise, thanks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s called salmonella poisoning. Read more.
—Joe Fassler


Just the one-liners

Anatomy of a trend: Starbucks is now selling sushi burritos. Does that mean they’re not cool anymore? (Were they ever?)

The Dallas metro area keeps adding restaurant jobs, but employers are struggling to fill them. The reasons for the labor shortage aren’t quite what you’d expect, The Guardian reports.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture has set up a crisis hotline for farmers struggling financially, High Plains Public Radio reports.

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