U.S., Chinese officials to meet Aug. 15, assess trade deal [Wall Street Journal]
…The trade pact has emerged as one of the few remaining avenues for the two countries to engage on matters of mutual concern. Relations have deteriorated in recent months, with the Trump administration hammering Beijing over the coronavirus outbreak, Hong Kong and the treatment of Uighurs in western China….The focus will be on the so-called phase-one deal, which includes China’s commitment to boost its U.S. imports by $200 billion over two years. So far, China has fallen well short of the pace needed to reach the target, even though it has increased purchases of American soybeans, pork, corn and other farm products in recent months.
New program to help isolate farm workers if they contract COVID-19 [KFSN TV/Fresno]
…Growers around the state learned of a new program designed to isolate farm laborers who become infected with the coronavirus. They would be placed in hotel rooms to help keep their family members safe. “The initial rollout is for the Central Valley because of the big surge that is happening there,” says State Ag Secretary Karen ross. “But we do want to make it available for any county to opt-in. FEMA will cover up to 75% of the cost for the hotel rooms.”
New California rule requires meals with beers but not wine. Why? [Bay Area News Group]
Want to go out for a beer? If so, you’ll have to order a meal with your drink, thanks to a state order issued last month. The rule is intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus by encouraging brewpub patrons to sit and dine rather than mingle. By encouraging the consumption of solid food with drinks, it also ostensibly helps soften the effects of inebriation, which may lead people to relax and let down their guard at a time when vigilant social distancing is considered critical. “I’ve been at a couple of parties where I saw it happen — people started drinking a little and their social distancing practices just fell away,” says Mike Altman, owner of Fairfax’s Iron Springs Pub and Brewery….Altman appreciates what the rule is trying to achieve, but he thinks it’s too riddled with loopholes and inconsistencies to work effectively. For one thing, it isn’t clear in all cases what constitutes a full meal, proof of which is supposed to appear on each transaction receipt.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/08/05/new-rule-requires-meals-with-beers-but-not-wine-why/
Riverside tech startup wants to help farmers squash bugs [Inland Valley Daily Bulletin]
As a man who likes to be on the cutting edge, I was of course keenly interested when UC Riverside asked if I’d like to learn about “the next generation of insect monitoring.” I did not volunteer my lack of knowledge of the current generation of insect monitoring….Soon enough I was on a Zoom call with two executives from the UCR tech startup FarmSense. Tech startups are not all TikTok or Snapchat. This one is aimed at farmers….FarmSense’s cloud-based monitoring system — FlightSensor — uses algorithms and machine learning to tell a farmer exactly where his bugs are, how many there are and what types, and when they arrived.
https://www.dailybulletin.com/2020/08/04/riverside-tech-startup-wants-to-help-farmers-squash-bugs/
Editorial: Dam removal plan for the Klamath River hinges on billionaire Warren Buffett. [San Francisco Chronicle]
Through three governors, California has set a path to tear down four aging dams on the Klamath River astride the Oregon border. It would be the biggest such removal project in the nation, done in the name of fish preservation, clean water flows and political consensus. But the undertaking is hitting a snag, one that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to undo. He’s pleading in a letter with billionaire Warren Buffett, who controls the power company operating the dams, to stick with the $450 million demolition project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees dam licensing, wants Buffett’s company, PacificCorp, to remain on the license until the demolition is complete.
Planning Commission to consider industrial hemp zoning [Turlock Journal]
As the City of Turlock works behind the scenes to get its four retail cannabis dispensaries opened and operating, it’s also looking to cash in on another form of the crop — hemp. The Planning Commission will decide during their meeting on Thursday whether or not to amend the City’s Zoning Code to allow for a City Hemp Program, which would permit industrial hemp manufacturing businesses to operate in approved areas. While hemp was excluded from the City’s regulation of cannabis businesses, one industrial hemp manufacturer who applied to be a part of the Pilot Cannabis Program — approved by the City Council in June 2019 — helped staff realize the potential for more revenue and new jobs in Turlock. “Getting that one response triggered that there was potentially an interest in looking into hemp,” Turlock Deputy Director of Development Services Katie Quintero said.
https://www.turlockjournal.com/news/government/planning-commission-consider-industrial-hemp-zoning/
