NEW: We just published a deep dive into just how much billionaires are now dominating U.S. politics.
We found 300 billionaire families accounted for 19% of federal donations in 2024. The deluge was even larger in many state and local races.
1/7
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...
"A federal grand jury has indicted five former senior executives at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS) – the largest alcohol distributor in the U.S. – along with a salesman from a major Napa Valley wine company, on charges stemming from an alleged bribery scheme"
NEW with @ruthreader.bsky.social: Some Democrats see an opening to win over MAHA voters ahead of November as the movement's frustrations with the Trump administration reach a breaking point www.politico.com/news/2026/03...
An alligator wearing a leprechaun hat
Spotted in the wilds of Charleston.
BREAKING: The country's biggest beer wholesaler is buying more markets off the country's (for-now) biggest wine/spirits wholesaler.
View of Charleston, South Carolina from an airplane window seat.
Headed to Charleston for the first time this weekend.
Where should I eat? Anything I can’t leave without seeing?
Best window seat view in a while!
The bulk of the money Missouri gives to pregnancy centers comes from federal funds meant to assist families with basic necessities and child care.
As many as $3 of every $4 was from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in 2024, and in 2026, it will be $2 out of $3.
From me:
The top Democrat on the House Ag Committee made clear today what everyone has been saying for months: the farm bill coalition is gone.
Rep. Angie Craig blamed Republicans' moves to "decimate" SNAP in last year's One Big Beautiful Bill.
For @politico.com
Ajinomoto Foods North America is expanding its recall of frozen not ready-to-eat chicken products that "may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically glass."
Total recall includes 36,987,575 pounds of chicken products, pork fried rice, ramen and shu mai dumplings.
Subscribe to real journalism, says NYT publisher A.G. Sulzberger — even if it isn’t us. A classy ad. www.niemanlab.org/2026/03/new-...
NEW: A pipe collapse in January led to 240+ million gallons of sewage spilling into the Potomac River.
This morning, the city said E. coli levels in the water have been low enough that residents and pets no longer need to stay away.
What that means going forward, from @maustermuhle.bsky.social:
At the Annual Meat Conference in Maryland, organizers remind attendees not to break antitrust laws.
The meat industry has faced a number of class action lawsuits alleging anti-competitive conduct and the Trump administration recently opened a new investigation into the big four meatpackers.
RFK Jr. just gave remarks at the Annual Meat Conference, a huge gathering of meat processors, retailers and others in the food business.
He urged people to eat more animal protein and to cook more underneath the government’s new slogan “Eat Real Food.”
The blueberries were distributed in Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and in Canada.
In 2010, an undocumented farmworker from Mexico received a misdemeanor citation for leaving his two young kids alone to buy them pajamas at Walmart.
The Trump administration says this now merits deportation in a potentially wide-reaching court case.
One of Zohran Mamdani's key campaign pledges was municipal grocery stores. Atlanta has him beat--the city opened one up last summer and has another coming soon. www.bonappetit.com/story/zohran...
Despite plenty of criticism, wellness influencer and physician Casey Means appears likely to be confirmed as surgeon general — and she’s planning to focus on food.
foodfix.co/casey-means-...
Some background on the fallout from the executive order with MAHA. www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
ICYMI: USDA Sec. Brooke Rollins told me in a brief interview that the administration's alliance with MAHA is unchanged despite the president's order boosting glyphosate production, the active ingredient in Roundup.
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...
Today in @politico.com's Morning Ag:
🍞 Dems are making food and agricultural monopolies a centerpiece of their affordability pitch ahead of the midterms.
📂 USDA announced a new filing system for farmers via a multi-million dollar contract with Palantir.
🐔 Bird flu in PA is bad right now.
@cafastfoodunion.org are pushing fast food franchises to step up and support their workers' rights amid ongoing ICE operations and raids
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Feeding America names former VA Sec. Denis McDonough as CEO.
www.prnewswire.com/news-release...
NEW: ProPublica recently reported that the U.S. Forest Service knowingly issued protective gear containing PFAS to wildland firefighters.
The agency says it has now stopped distributing those garments.
By @abestreep.bsky.social
Trump attacks Supreme Court justices after he is handed a major tariff loss
The WH is walking a tightrope as it works to please #MAHA and court traditional GOP allies.
With the glyphosate EO, that challenge became stark.
“Are people happy about it? No, but there’s a logic here that’s pretty undeniable,” a WH official said.
w/ Cheyenne Haslett for @politico.com
"Descendants of enslaved people are fighting an attempt to use eminent domain to carve a spur through one of Georgia’s largest Black‑owned farms."
Scooplet in @politico.com's Morning Ag newsletter:
Coca-Cola has left the top trade group the Consumer Brands Association as the packaged food and beverage industry struggles to respond to the Make America Healthy Again movement.
subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter/2...
PETA announces they're no longer supporting cage-free eggs.
www.peta.org/media/news-r...
NEW: Yet another reason why Social Security numbers should no longer be used for verifying your identity. @lhn.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/a-mega...
