Everyone who eats has a stake in the farm bill

+ what you hear when you read US Edition - Today's top story: These four challenges will shape the next farm bill – and how the US eats [View in browser]( US Edition | 8 May 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Gain-of-function research is routine and essential]( - [Celebrating the founding mother of occult in America]( - [Ironically, Medicaid work requirements likely to reduce workforce]( Lead story As members of Congress wrangle over raising the nation’s debt ceiling, other big measures are circling like planes in a holding pattern over a busy airport. One of the largest is the 2023 farm bill – a mammoth piece of legislation enacted roughly every five years that funds agriculture programs like crop support and insurance, conservation, trade, nutrition, research, forestry and energy. Kathleen Merrigan, professor of sustainable food systems at Arizona State University and a veteran of Capitol Hill and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, identifies four key challenges legislators face as they work to craft this US$1.5 trillion bill. What emerges, she writes, will show whether Congress “supports business as usual in agriculture or [a more diverse and sustainable U.S. farm system](.” [[Sign up here to our topic-specific weekly emails.](] Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Energy Editor Small-scale farmers, organic producers and local markets receive a tiny fraction of farm bill funding. Edwin Remsberg/VWPics/Universal Images Group/Getty Images [These four challenges will shape the next farm bill – and how the US eats]( Kathleen Merrigan, Arizona State University Even if you don’t live near farm country, you’ve got a stake in the upcoming farm bill – including what kind of farms your tax dollars support. Economy + Business - [What is insider trading? Two finance experts explain why it matters to everyone]( Alexander Kurov, West Virginia University; Marketa Wolfe, Skidmore College The SEC is investigating whether executives at First Republic Bank, which was seized by regulators and sold to JPMorgan Chase, improperly traded on inside information. Science + Technology - [Clothes moths: Why I admire these persistent, destructive, difficult-to-eradicate and dull-looking pests]( Isabel Novick, Boston University An appreciation for the moths that chomp holes in your clothes. They eat the inedible, occupy the uninhabitable and overcome every evolutionary obstacle in their way. - [Debunking the Dunning-Kruger effect – the least skilled people know how much they don’t know, but everyone thinks they are better than average]( Eric C. Gaze, Bowdoin College The idea that the least skilled are the most unaware of their incompetency is pervasive in science and pop culture. But a new analysis of the data shows that the Dunning-Kruger effect may not be true. - [Gain-of-function research is more than just tweaking risky viruses – it’s a routine and essential tool in all biology research]( Seema Lakdawala, University of Pittsburgh; Anice Lowen, Emory University From cancer immunotherapy and antibiotics to GMO crops and pandemic surveillance, gain of function is a cornerstone of basic research. Arts + Culture - [What is that voice in your head when you read?]( Beth Meisinger, University of Memphis; Roger J. Kreuz, University of Memphis Called your ‘inner voice,’ it develops along with your reading skills. Health + Medicine - [Medicaid work requirements would leave more low-income people without health insurance – but this policy is unlikely to pass this time around]( Simon F. Haeder, Texas A&M University Adults insured by Medicaid who are 19 to 55 years old and don’t have children or other dependents would need to spend 80 hours a month doing paid work, job training or community service. Ethics + Religion - [White Lotus Day celebrates the ‘founding mother of occult in America,’ Helena Petrovna Blavatsky]( Marina Alexandrova, The University of Texas at Austin Theosophy and its founders had an outsize impact on Americans’ ideas about spirituality and Asian religions. Trending on site - [Biden’s dragging poll numbers won’t matter in 2024 if enough voters loathe his opponent even more]( - [Peanut butter is a liquid – the physics of this and other unexpected fluids]( - [Montana House Rep. Zooey Zephyr’s censure shows that American standards of political decorum are failing]( Today's graphic 📈 [A chart comparing the decadal averages of Arctic ice sea cover from 1979 to 2023.]( From the story, [Arctic sea ice loss and fierce storms leave Kivalina Search and Rescue fighting to protect their island from climate disasters]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [Instagram]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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