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The biggest killer on the planet is stress & I still think the best medicine is & always has been cannabis. - Willie Nelson






MARIJUANA









U.S. AGRICULTURE



REPORT SHOWS CONSERVATION CAN PROMOTE PROFIT: Conservation practices like no-till and cover crops can deliver annual returns and increased yields for farmers, as well as improved value for landowners, bankers and crop insurers, according to a report from the Environmental Defense Fund. The group contracted with accounting firm K-Coe Isom to conduct a case study of three farmers to examine how conservation efforts affected their bottom lines. Results from that analysis were then compared with 10 other farms in the firm's finance programs.
The report found that conservation practices can impose cost increases, such as paying for cover crop seed, but yield cost savings in other categories, like decreased fertilizer costs as a result of planting cover crops, creating a net positive return. But there's not a one-size-fits-all for conservation plans, and it takes time to find the right combo of practices and management adjustments, the research concluded.
Why this matters: The analysis aims to provide a foundation for making a case for increased investment in USDA conservation programs. Currently there's a lack of comprehensive data on environmental and financial outcomes from conservation practices.

Farm bill breakdown: The farm bill conference committee is negotiating to reconcile two very different conservation titles. The House measure, H.R. 2 (115), proposes close to $1 billion in cuts to the conservation title over a decade, and would merge parts of the Conservation Stewardship Program into another incentive-based conservation initiative, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The Senate legislation, S. 3042 (115) , on the other hand, keeps funding consistent across the title and leaves in place CSP, which encourages long-term conservation practices. [POLITICO's Morning Agriculture, September 7, 2018]







PAID FAMILY LEAVE COSTS: A hypothetical paid leave program that incorporated paid parental, family care, and medical leave for up to eight weeks per year would cost 0.23 to 0.61 percent of total wages, according to estimates compiled by the AEI-Brookings working group on paid family and medical leave.
The bipartisan working group's report appears as federal lawmakers struggle to find consensus on paid family and medical leave. Sen. Marco Rubio (R.-Fla.) introduced legislation in August that would allow parents to borrow from Social Security when they have a child; they then would defer retirement benefits for three to six months, roughly equal to the time they take off. But that bill has shown no signs of moving due to lack of support.
Some working-group members of the conservative-leaning American Action Forum propose "a hybrid approach ... by allowing tax-deductible contributions to an account for paid leave up to $6,000 annually, with federal assistance provided to low-income families." Others suggest that the US provide eight weeks' paid leave with a 70 percent replacement rate capped at $600 per week for both medical and family leave. Read the full report here. [POLITICO's Morning Shift, September 7, 2018]

Farm bill breakdown: The farm bill conference committee is negotiating to reconcile two very different conservation titles. The House measure, H.R. 2 (115), proposes close to $1 billion in cuts to the conservation title over a decade, and would merge parts of the Conservation Stewardship Program into another incentive-based conservation initiative, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. The Senate legislation, S. 3042 (115) , on the other hand, keeps funding consistent across the title and leaves in place CSP, which encourages long-term conservation practices. [POLITICO's Morning Agriculture, September 7, 2018]


SPEAKING OF TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIPS... A coalition of advocates known as EdTaxCredit50 urged Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady in a recent letter to consider folding a new federal education tax credit into a second round of tax cuts, or the so-called tax reform 2.0 plan. The groups asked that House GOP leaders consider H.R. 5153 (115), a bill introduced by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) in March that would provide individuals with a federal tax credit in exchange for donations to apprenticeship organizations or organizations that award private school scholarships. But the measure hasn't gained traction and school choice legislation has been a nonstarter even in a GOP-controlled Congress.[ POLITICO's Morning Education, September 7. 2018]



IMMIGRATION





GOP EMBRACES TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION PLATFORM -- Republican leaders believe GOP candidates can win by embracing the president's hardline positions on immigration, which they predict will bolster turnout among Republican voters this fall and minimize the legal woes surrounding Trump. Republican candidates are following the White House's lead in showing public support for ICE, warning about MS-13 and highlighting crimes involving undocumented immigrants. "The aim is to draw a sharp contrast with Democrats over enforcement of border control laws," The Washington Post's David Nakamura and Sean Sullivan report. "Republican strategists view immigration as a deeply emotional issue that motivates the conservative base, and they have delighted as liberals push Democrats to the left as a reaction to Trump's presidency."
But the strategy poses risks. "In rapidly diversifying swaths of the Mountain West and the Southeastern states like Florida and Georgia, some Republicans also fear the party could do lasting damage to its prospects in national elections if it does not temper its rhetoric," they write. Senate Republicans believe the issue will serve them well in conservative states that are instrumental in maintaining their majority but not so much in suburban districts that could swing control of the House to Democrats. "For a party that has to contend with the burgeoning political scandal surrounding the White House, however, the immigration debate offers Republicans a chance to change the topic," they add. More: https://wapo.st/2LlFVje

Related: "Republican who's broken with Trump on immigration says president may be too generous on DACA," by The Washington Post's David Weigel and Mike DeBonis: https://wapo.st/2w6E510 [POLITICO Huddle, August 23, 2018]



JUSTICE SYSTEM





FROM THE PORCH








Health groups press FDA on biosimilars
More than 15 health care organizations, including consumer advocates and industry groups, are pressing the Food and Drug Administration to finalize guidance that could beef up the savings from biosimilars.
How it works: Biosimilars are comparable to generic drugs, but for the new and highly complex class of drugs known as biologics.
  • When your doctor writes you a prescription for a traditional drug, pharmacists can automatically fill it with the generic instead of the brand-name product.
  • But because biologics and biosimilars are more complex, the FDA doesn't always allow that automatic substitution.
"We are concerned that this continued dynamic will discourage further investment from biosimilar developers, and ultimately reduce the number of interchangeable biologics that reach the market," the coalition of health care organizations writes in a letter to FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb today.
  • The coalition is asking the FDA to finalize a guidance on interchangeability, which would give the companies developing biosimilars a clearer understanding of what they have to do in order to meet the FDA's standards.
  • Signatories include the Campaign for Sustainable Drug Pricing, along with other consumer advocates, as well as industry stakeholders representing insurers, pharmacy benefit managers and hospitals. [Axios Vitals, August 23, 2018]

CELL-CULTURED MEAT KUMBAYA? After a monthslong public spat over whether FDA or USDA would ultimately get jurisdiction over cell-cultured meat products, Memphis Meats and the North American Meat Institute have come to their own decision: How about both?
In a letter to Trump on Thursday, NAMI and Memphis Meats, a San Francisco cell-cultured meat startup, outlined how they would like to see both FDA and USDA have a role in overseeing the growing sector.
The joint statement comes after a public turf battle between the two agencies. The two are also calling for a joint meeting involving the White House, USDA, FDA, meat-industry interests and representatives of the cell-cultured meat industry.
Finally, a name? The two said they have also agreed on a preferred way to refer to the new wave of products: "cell-based meat and poultry."
Share the sandbox: The letter suggested that FDA should have oversight over premarket safety evaluations and that USDA should then regulate the products "as it does with all other meat and poultry products, applying relevant findings from FDA's safety evaluation to ensure products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled."

TBD: It remains to be seen how the rest of the meat and cell-cultured meat landscape will respond. The U.S. Cattlemen's Association on Thursday called the move "a positive step forward, but there is still work to be done as we look to how these products are ultimately labeled and whether they are included at the meat counter." [POLITICO's Morning Agriculture, August 24, 2018]



JAMES MATTIS





Mick Mulvaney’s decision to scale back enforcement of the Military Lending Act (MLA) by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is sparking outrage among veterans groups.
Nearly 40 veterans and military family organizations are urging Defense Secretary James Mattis to stop Mulvaney from dismantling important consumer protections for servicemembers.
Their demand for action comes as Vox reports that "Department of Defense studies over the past decade have found that service members, their families, and veterans are four times as likely to be targeted by predatory lenders."
We know that Trump’s nominee to run the CFPB, Kathy Kraninger, is Mulvaney’s close ally, and has said she doesn’t disagree with anything he’s done at the Bureau. She would certainly continue his policies making it easier for financial scammers and predatory lenders to target service members and their families.
If we stand up with these veterans groups, we can STOP Kraninger’s confirmation and protect service members and their families.
Speak out today! Call (202) 224-3121, and tell your senators to protect military families and vote against Kathy Kraninger for CFPB Director.
Thanks for standing up for service members and their families,
Allied Progress

[ACTION ALERT via Allied Progress, September 14, 2018]




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SOUTH KOREA






WHIMSEY







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