Running Out of Rice
Rice consumption in Japan has been falling for decades. Lately, however, the Japanese have been racing to the store to buy as much rice as they can. Not because their…
Is American “Tequila” the Solution to Climate Change? California Wants to Find Out
In 2023, California was the largest agriculture producing state in the US. The state produces approximately one-third of the US’s vegetables and three-quarters of the nation’s fruits and nuts. However,…
Liverwurst and Listeria: Outbreak Leads to Deli Meat Recall
A listeria outbreak that has so far led to 57 hospitalizations and 9 deaths has been traced back to Boar’s Head deli meats. The outbreak, which has spread to 18…
From Horseless Carriages to Electric Horses: Ford to Begin Selling E-bikes
Following in the footsteps of auto manufacturers such as Jeep, Mercedes, and Porsche, Ford Motor Company has announced it is getting into the e-bike business. The auto manufacturer is entering…
Water, Water Everywhere. But Not a Drop to Drink
The combination of a severe drought and leaky infrastructure has led to a severe watershortage in the town of Agrigento, Sicily. This has led the government to imposerestrictions limiting the…
Robots Are Now Climbing Skyscrapers
A new technology is hitting the skylines in New York and Tel Aviv—window washing robots. The new robot, called OZMO (due to its use of reverse osmosis to cleanse the…
ZiGs: The World’s Newest Currency
In 2009, following an extreme bout of hyperinflation, Zimbabwe abandoned its national currency. During the period of hyperinflation, prices were increasing at an astonishing rate of 5 billion percent annually.…
Oh, SNAP!
A perfect storm is hitting low-income families. During the pandemic, Congress passed an aid package that increased benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is commonly referred to…
Price-fixing Pork Producers
Pork producer Hormel Foods has agreed to pay $11 million to settle a class actionlawsuit alleging price-fixing in the pork industry. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2018,claims Hormel Foods and…
GDP Growth Slows in the First Quarter of 2024
US GDP grew at a 1.6 percent annualized rate in the first quarter of 2024. This is significantly lower than the 3.4 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2023.…