MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'department of agriculture'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:43:36 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911458&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQxVIGCRKwPA%2F By Walter OlsonLast week First Lady Michelle Obama and the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled “ChooseMyPlate.gov,” an updating of the federal government’s ongoing efforts to lecture us on how to eat. While the idea of nutrition recommendations from Washington, D.C. isn’t itself new, the past couple of years have seen a lurch toward a more coercive approach, especially under the Obama administration, under pressure from a burgeoning “food policy” movement, as I explain in a new Daily Caller op-ed: All sorts of nannyish and coercive ideas are emerging from that [movement] nowadays: proposals at the FDA to limit salt content in processed foods; mandatory calorie labeling, which poses a significant burden on many smaller food vendors and restaurants; ne... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911458 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:50:54 +0100 4911458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872058&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgzN-yzO2kgM%2F By Walter OlsonFifty-three elementary schools in the District of Columbia take part in the federal government’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, a recently ramped-up federal initiative that dishes out millions to local schools to get them to use raw produce as snacks. According to the Washington Examiner, it was by inadvertence that students at Turner Elementary School were given raw green onions (scallions) as a snack the other day when they were supposed to be given zucchini slices instead. Children were observed making “yuck” faces before throwing the offerings in the trash or, in some cases, resourcefully tucking them into their bags to take home for their parents to cook. Are we sure this is the best way to keep students from sneaking Doritos into the building? On ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872058 Fri, 27 May 2011 19:54:51 +0100 4872058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570531&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBIcjiB8MLAc%2F By Tad DeHavenSpending at the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be an estimated inflation-adjusted 43 percent higher this year compared to just a decade ago. The following chart shows the dramatic rise in USDA spending from fiscal 1970 to the president’s projection for fiscal 2011: Most folks probably think of farm subsidies when they think of the USDA. However, farm programs only account for 19 percent of total USDA outlays. The vast majority of USDA spending, 69 percent, goes to food subsidies: food stamps, school breakfast and lunch programs, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). In fact, spending on food stamps alone this year will account for roughly half of total USDA spending. Why aren’t these programs housed at the Department ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570531 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:04:19 +0100 4570531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4338068&cid=t_230663_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhit-task-force-guidance-health-it In September 2010, Vivek Kundra, the Federal Chief Information Officer, and I issued guidance articulating five key health IT policy and technology principles for Federal health IT projects. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4338068 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:52:45 +0100 4338068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275312&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fe8bzmoXl4WI%2F By Chris EdwardsThe media is reporting on a new study that finds long-term benefits to kids of breastfeeding. Yet if health experts agree on the advantages of breastfeeding, why does the federal government subsidize mothers to use formula through the $7 billion Women, Infants, and Children program? The WIC program is run by the Department of Agriculture, which summarized the subsidies as follows (page 1): …infants participating in WIC consume about 54 percent of all formula sold in the United States. In most states, WIC participants use food vouchers or food checks to purchase their infant formula, free of charge, at participating retail grocery stores. It’s true that in addition to handing out free formula, WIC administrators counsel women on the advantages of breastfe... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275312 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 17:27:50 +0100 4275312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151749&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2rbOt1IvouU%2F By Tad DeHavenSelf-anointed elites have been relentless in prodding government planners to apply their enlightened solutions for the purported benefit of the ignorant masses. As a result, the federal government has become a Super Nanny monitoring and guiding the intimate activities of the nation’s 300 million inhabitants. However, the government is not altruistic and does not have the solutions for how people should live their lives. The amalgamation of programs and regulations that constitute the federal government is basically a reflection of the myriad special interests that have won a seat at Uncle Sam’s table. Government consists of fallible men and women who are naturally susceptible to pursuing policies that have less to do with the “general welfare” and more to do with rewa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151749 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:57:43 +0100 4151749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581581&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fdiy-wildlife-pest-control-does-killing-squirrels-count%2F A few weeks ago, I tried to rescue a squirrel. He was trembling, prostrate, sick, and unable to crawl to a handful of carefully placed Diamond premium shelled walnuts. Poor guy. After I called the Humane Society, a specialist armed with gloves and a crate arrived within 30 minutes. Thirty minutes! I only hope 911 works as expeditiously. Soon my squirrel was whisked off to Second Chances, a nearby animal rehab center. Since nothing happens in the wilds of suburbia – and I’m always interested in painting myself in a positive light – I shared my Dr. Doolittle delusions of grandeur far and wide. One neighbor’s suspicious response: “Well, I hope that doesn’t have anything to do with us,” she said, going on to explain how her husband had laid out some poison for the critters ne... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581581 Wed, 19 May 2010 16:10:18 +0100 3581581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362369&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fjunk-food-in-schools-child-abuse%2F What do human trafficking, “The Lovely Bones,” and school cafeterias have in common? In varying degrees, they all involve a bit of child abuse. Bear with us: We’re not living out childhood antagonism against the mean lunch lady here. We’re talking about food that kids eat when they’re at school, and that’s everyone’s responsibility. The story goes like this: School budget cuts lead to lunch budget cuts lead to unhealthy fast food in cafeterias. Right now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gives an average of $2.68 per day for each student’s school lunch. When was the last time you made a nutritious, filling meal for less than three bucks?  Well, schools can’t do it either. The french fries, sloppy joes, nachos, and sugary drinks served in sch... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362369 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:55:40 +0100 3362369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311656&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ff_Tmvu9RBGg%2F By Sallie JamesUsually when I hear that a policy proposal has bipartisan support, I instinctively check for my wallet. But I greeted with pleasure the news on Wednesday that two lawmakers — Rep. Scott Garrett (R, NJ) and Rep. Patrick Murphy (D, PA) — had introduced a bill to shut down the USDA’s Market Access Program, which the congressmen rightly paint as “corporate welfare to big business.” I yield to no one in my abhorrence of trade barriers, here and abroad. But this program is less about addressing market access per se, and more about taxpayer funding of marketing campaigns, trade shows and other promotions, which surely are the responsibility of the firms/industries concerned. Incidentally, the Market Access Program is a line item in one of many agricul... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311656 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:24:16 +0100 3311656 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3178757&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWT-osuLJ250%2F By Jim HarperWith a year in office, and perhaps under some pressure to deliver on promises of transparency and change, the White House went on a little PR offensive this week. It rolled out a blog post and a video claiming the transparency successes of the administration’s first year. A lot has gone on, and it’s worth a review. It’s also worth noting some signals that the government transparency project could be heading for a slight detour. In the video — a little infomercial-y, but tolerable and interesting — federal chief technology officer Aneesh Chopra cites several examples of government use of technology. A system called ISDS Distribute helps the government monitor flu outbreaks, for example, akin to Google.org’s Flu Trends. Chopra touted the ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3178757 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:04:39 +0100 3178757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865648&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOU8VBlIASEw%2F Did you know that the average American family spends $1,000 each year on the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whether or not it consumes that agency’s services?  Or that the federal government annually spends $1,500 per household on net interest costs alone? In an ongoing effort to shed light on runaway government spending and expose wasteful government programs, Cato launched a new Web site today that examines the federal budget department-by-department to see which agencies can be reformed or terminated. DownsizingGovernment.org describes which programs are wasteful, damaging and obsolete in an era of trillion-dollar deficits. The research exposes that many public outlays—though vigorously defended by the politicians who created them and the constituencies they purport to help... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865648 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:59:26 +0100 2865648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2715920&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FUrtpVTrB35Q%2F Pardon me while I pile on the post earlier today by my colleague Sallie James about the Obama administration refusing to allow more sugar to be imported to the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week declined to relax the quotas the federal government imposes on imported sugar despite soaring domestic prices and understandable complaints from U.S. confectioners and other sugar-consuming businesses about potential shortages. For all his talk about change, President Barack Obama has shown no inclination to pursue meaningful reform of U.S. agricultural programs. He supported the subsidy-laden and protectionist farm bill that finally passed Congress in 2008. On the eve of the U.S. presidential election in October 2008, he wrote a letter to the U.S. sugar industry reminding ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2715920 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:49:07 +0100 2715920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2356865&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKB3vRBkUGPQ%2F From today’s Washington Post: In another sign that the Department of Agriculture is embracing sustainable food, the agency today will unveil expanded plans for a People’s Garden that will include the entire six-acre grounds of the Whitten Building, the department’s neoclassic marble headquarters on the Mall. The plans, to be announced at the agency’s Earth Day celebrations, include a 1,300-square-foot organic vegetable garden — slightly larger than the one at the White House — as well as ornamental flower gardens and bioswales, or mini-wetlands designed to reduce pollution and surface water runoff. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find out exactly what a “bioswale” is, and why I should pay for one in our new “People&#82... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2356865 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:38:21 +0100 2356865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2263782&cid=t_230663_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F80euALkVotE%2F Come Monday you can thank the federal government for making food more expensive by requiring retailers to provide useless information. On March 16, federal regulations will finally kick in that require perishable food at the grocery store to sport “country of origin labeling,” known as COOL. The rules were originally passed by Congress as part of the 2002 farm bill, but are only being implemented now because of understandable resistance from retailers. The COOL regulations will require that all perishable food products be labeled at retail to indicate the country of origin. The regulations cover beef, pork, lamb, goat, chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, and ginseng. In a recent statement announcing ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2263782 Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:44:11 +0100 2263782 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2125359&cid=t_230663_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FwoYHOr3kqfM%2F The number of countries, and land areas, growing genetically modified foods has grown tremendously in the last decade. In recent years, several developing countries like Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and China have become rabid growers of transgenic crops. But North America still remains the world’s biggest grower, and exporter, of GM crops. Recently however, the Office of Inspector General warned the US Department of Agriculture to be prepared to block the influx of GM foods from foreign countries, if they are believed to pose threats to our health, environment or agriculture. The OIG is concerned that many GM products produced by other countries are not approved by the USDA, and GM crops could begin entering the US illegally or without proper declaration or labels. Read the comple... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2125359 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:05:24 +0100 2125359