U.S. government proposes easing restrictions on drones: A new federal rule proposed this week would make it easier for companies to use drones over longer distances out of the operator’s sight without having to go through a cumbersome waiver process.
The federal government had already approved 657 waivers to allow companies such as Amazon and major utilities to do this in certain circumstances, but the waiver process made it difficult. The rule would establish a clear process for drone operators to seek approval for using drones this way.
- One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax provisions important for farms and agriculture: The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act (H.R. 1), was passed, signed and became law on July 4th. This Act impacts taxes and agricultural policy among a long list of other important issues. In this post, we list important tax provisions that were included in this legislation. Many of the provisions were law as a part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and were extended and in some cases made permanent by this new Act. There were also a few new provisions that were included in this new legislation. This article will summarize the provisions that should prove to be most important to farmers and others with ag interests.
Dairy processors report hitting sugar reduction target for school meals: Milk processors representing around 95% of the milk volume in U.S. schools have met their goal of lowering added sugars in their products, the International Dairy Foods Association announced Thursday.
Thirty-seven school milk processors have reported reducing added sugars by nearly 60% in flavored milk products sold in schools after agreeing to participate in the Healthy School Milk Commitment, which requires they provide school milk options with fewer calories and no more than 10 grams of added sugar per 8-ounce serving by the upcoming school year.
The Healthy School Milk Commitment was announced in 2023, according to the release. A year later, the Agriculture Department updated its school meal standards to also require 10 grams or less added sugar per 8 fluid ounces of flavored milk or, for flavored milk sold à la carte in middle and high schools, 15 grams of added sugars per 12 fluid ounces.