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Helena Bottemiller Evich
@hbottemiller
Founder of , a new publication all about food policy. Sign up: foodfix.co. Mom. Polk & James Beard Award winner. Former . PNW lover.
Helena Bottemiller Evich’s Tweets
Big news: Vermont becomes 6th state to adopt universal free school meals permanently.
Gov. Phil Scott opposed the bill, but the said this week it was clear that lawmakers would override a veto so he allowed the measure to become law w/o his signature
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Wow did not know that worked in a small chicken slaughterhouse, like actually slaughtered birds & stripped feathers. Going to assume not many members of Congress have done this!
>Watching House Judiciary hearing on meat processing:
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A rundown of recent state action on universal free school meals. Why thinks the SNAP debate is over, for now. And a look at food and ag hearings on the Hill this week.
foodfix.co/states-forge-a
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We really do not praise copy editors and really all editors enough. Unsung heroes.
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"If you think about all the hot spots in the world today, all the places where there is conflict, where there's difficulty, there's a constant stream that runs through all of those locations and that is that they have many, many hungry people and many many unemployed people."
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"We shouldn't think that because we've got a Declaration of Independence or we have a Constitution that somehow that our democracy is assured." -
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Urgent tone from today at meeting in Washington, arguing that democracy depends on food security/broad access to nutrition aid.
"Democracy is a very fragile thing."
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"You get one bite at the apple," Ag Sec Vilsack says, suggesting SNAP changes are done after debt negotiations.
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House Republicans dove headlong into another controversial nutrition issue last week: Limiting what you can buy with SNAP benefits. Why nutrition incentives are something to watch.
foodfix.co/a-different-ki
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Back on VERMONT: I am told the state legislature has passed a bill to make free meals permanent. The bill is now with the Gov where has had until Wednesday to sign. Will it be the next state for free meals?
Background:
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A bear named Franklin in DC is what we all need right now tbh
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I’m here on DC bear watch, where our furry visitor has parked itself in this tree above a liquor store at 14th & Franklin. One neighbor has named him Franklin accordingly. Animal control is on the scene.
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200+ South African firefighters landed in Edmonton, Canada to assist in the fight against the raging wildfire. 🇿🇦🇨🇦
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At the Nutrition Incentive Hub meeting today and have so far met two people who said is the only newsletter they actually read - love to hear it!
#gusnip #nutritionincentivehub
Sign up here if you’re not on the list:
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Lots of anger from Dems on what was in the debt limit deal - haven't heard much at all from Rs on this yet.
Brush up here on the debate re: impact:
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Democrats are coming in hot against doing *anything else* that restricts SNAP access in next farm bill. Republicans, meanwhile, are so far focused on Qs related to nutrition - restricting what you can buy w/SNAP, Qs about why you can't buy a rotisserie chicken, etc.
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OH on Capitol Hill: "My grandfather was the art director for Barney, so I know something about puppets."
Dying to know the context here
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Sadly those of us from the West Coast knew immediately.
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Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) brings up a bipartisan greatest hit I wrote about last year: lifting the SNAP ban on rotisserie chickens
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More than 100 lawmakers want schools to bring back a banned substance: whole milk.
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Packed house for this morning’s House Ag Committee hearing on SNAP and other federal nutrition programs — comes after debt limit deal kicked up an intense debate over work requirements in SNAP.
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ALERT: AIR QUALITY CODE RED (1/3)- Today's air quality will be unhealthy for people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens. Avoid outdoor activities wherever possible.
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🥛 🥛 🥛
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House Education Committee approves, 26-13, a bill to allow schools to serve whole milk as part of school lunch program. HR 1147 is sponsored by House Agriculture chairman Glenn Thompson, who says "for too long, milk has been demonized." @FERNnews
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in today's edition of Food Fix, cites FDA's chief of staff Julie Tierney saying: "The fully empowered deputy commissioner for human foods position is an opportunity for generational change at the agency." FDA closes in on new deputy commissioner
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Truly a feat!
Also, I’d argue if you can negotiate with a toddler you are uniquely qualified for other high-stakes negotiations
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OMB’s @ShalandaYoung46 says on @Lawrence @MSNBC the hardest part of the debt negotiations was having a toddler.
Young had family and friends fly in to help care for her daughter during long days and nights of bipartisan talks.
It really did take “a village,” she said.
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This is such a grim headline.
"maybe we should think twice before putting chatbots in charge of crisis hotlines?"
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As context for the farmers/ranchers who say there are so few LGBTQ+ people, companies shouldn't have visibility or representation for the demographic...
Only 2% of the U.S. population are farmers/ranchers. An estimated 7.2% of people self-identify as LGBTQ+. #PrideInAg
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Are there gay people in rural communities?
7.2% of the U.S. population self-identifies as LGBTQ+ (Gallup 2022). An estimated 3%-5% for rural communities (MAP 2019).
As many as 4.4 million LGBTQ+ people live in rural communities. #PrideInAg
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Sen. John Fetterman is the first one in my inbox. He is one of a few Ds to vote no.
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> amendment to make new SNAP food aid work requirements in debt bill permanent, rather than sunset in 2030, fails 46-51
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Starting in 1 min! Tune in >>
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JOIN US: @Ximena_Bustillo and I are hosting a spaces tomorrow 8 pm ET to discuss SNAP in the debt ceiling deal.
House Republicans are touting a win, progressives are furious + CBO now projects expanded SNAP access.
What is going on here? What’s next?
twitter.com/i/spaces/1YpKk
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One hour ish warning - tweet us your Qs! cc
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Set a reminder for our spaces tonight. 8 p.m. ET.
Particularly welcome SNAP policy experts, SNAP participants, and reporters covering the program. Hope to have lots of discussion and Q&A >> twitter.com/hbottemiller/s…
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Arsenic Limits in Apple Juice Finalized by FDA 10 Years Later
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Joined on to talk about SNAP work requirements in the debt limit deal.
"It's a messaging battle right now."
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Set a reminder for our spaces tonight. 8 p.m. ET.
Particularly welcome SNAP policy experts, SNAP participants, and reporters covering the program. Hope to have lots of discussion and Q&A >>
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JOIN US: @Ximena_Bustillo and I are hosting a spaces tomorrow 8 pm ET to discuss SNAP in the debt ceiling deal.
House Republicans are touting a win, progressives are furious + CBO now projects expanded SNAP access.
What is going on here? What’s next?
twitter.com/i/spaces/1YpKk
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Republicans doing damage control on CBO score showing their SNAP work requirement changes don't cut spending or beneficiaries.
"We've seen many times in the past CBO is basing their score on weak information that doesn't reflect how snap really works," Rep Glenn Thompson says
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Dazed, confused, or just want to see us team up like the old time?! Tune in!! (Hint: set a reminder below!)
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JOIN US: @Ximena_Bustillo and I are hosting a spaces tomorrow 8 pm ET to discuss SNAP in the debt ceiling deal.
House Republicans are touting a win, progressives are furious + CBO now projects expanded SNAP access.
What is going on here? What’s next?
twitter.com/i/spaces/1YpKk
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