Thinly sliced: Senate exacerbates Puerto Rico’s food emergency by delaying billions in aid

This is the web version of a list we publish twice-weekly in our newsletter. It comprises the most noteworthy food stories of the moment, selected by our editors. Get it first here.

Meat me in St. Louis. The Impossible Burger—arguably the most-hyped plant-based burger in the crowded alt-meat playing field—will debut at Burger King locations in St. Louis, The New York Times reports. The Impossible Whopper will contain mayonnaise, signaling the companies’ hope that the sandwich will appeal to vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

Cullen critiques candidates. Art Cullen, editor of the twice-weekly Storm Lake Times in Iowa, moderated this weekend’s Heartland Forum with a handful of Democratic presidential hopefuls (see NFE’s above). After the candidates left town, however, Cullen wrote a critical editorial which ran in The Washington Post. “[N]o one really had an answer about what to do to help farm country right now,” sums up his perspective nicely.

Avocados, toast. This week, President Trump renewed his threats to close the Mexican border. According to CNN, a border closure temporarily banning the import of agricultural goods would have a nearly immediate effect on the U.S. food supply. NBC estimates we’d run out of avocados in three weeks. To the strategic guac reserves!

Disaster aid for none. Last week, we reported on a congressional scuffle over funding for disaster aid for Puerto Rico. Since then, the conflict has escalated: The Senate blocked the bill on Monday, delaying billions of dollars in federal relief and potentially exacerbating Puerto Rico’s current food emergency.

Crab on the move. The Guardian dove into the recent history of the blue crab, native to waters off the East Coast of the U.S. Described as “voracious and almost without predators,” this crab has been rapidly expanding its territory since one wanderer was first spotted off the coast of Spain in 2012. Climate change, naturally, is a significant factor. One upside to the story? A spike in demand for these crabby nomads, from retailers and restaurants in Europe and Asia.