Sonny Perdue

11 Stories

Another Postal Service Issue: Mail-Order Chicks, Dead

Thousands aren't surviving usual shipments to Maine farmers

(Newser) - When Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies before Congress Friday and Monday, he'll surely get lots of questions about how new policies might affect mail-in voting. But he might also get questions about a new and grisly problem with mail-order chicks. The Portland Press Herald reports that thousands of chicks...

Governors Plead for Urgent Changes to Food Aid

For example, only 6 states allow people in program to order groceries online

(Newser) - Going out to buy food terrifies Yvonne Knight, a 38-year-old woman with cerebral palsy, but she is one of millions of people who receive food aid through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that can't be used in flexible ways. "Every time I go out, I put myself...

Feds Pull Crop Tour Staff After Threat From Farmer

'The safety of our employees is our top priority'

(Newser) - Trouble in the heartland for the Trump administration? The Department of Agriculture says it pulled all of its staff from a tour of corn and soybean fields in the Midwest after a credible threat was made against an employee. Sources tell Reuters that the threat was made in a phone...

USDA Chief: We're Nixing 'Loopholes' for Food Stamps

New proposal from Trump administration could kick 3.1M people out of SNAP program

(Newser) - A new proposal from the Trump administration Tuesday could cut more than 3 million people from the food stamps program. Per Reuters , the Department of Agriculture says a tightening of who qualifies for SNAP, aka the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, would save the federal government about $2.5 billion annually;...

Farm Debt Hits Levels Not Seen Since 1980s Crisis

Perdue says demand for loans is at a high

(Newser) - American farmers are in debt to the tune of $409 billion, up from $385 billion last year and reaching levels of the 1980s agriculture crisis, the agriculture secretary told Congress Wednesday. And loan demand among farmers is "historically high," Sonny Perdue added, per Reuters . Low interest rates and...

Trump Administration May Get Its Food Stamps Wish After All

USDA proposal would tighten waiver eligibility on work requirements

(Newser) - It may soon be more difficult to get food stamps if you're jobless. The Washington Post reports the USDA has a new proposal that would tighten eligibility for food assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and it's tied to unemployment. Under the current system, most adults who...

Trump to Give Farmers Aid, but Farmers Aren't Thrilled

'They want trade, not aid,' says lawmaker of $12B in emergency relief amid tariff disputes

(Newser) - President Trump showed off a new campaign hat on Monday—it's green with yellow letters, reminiscent of the John Deere logo, and it reads "Make Our Farmers Great Again," notes Politico . (See Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue sporting one here .) The message is a calculated one as...

Trump's Plan: Deliver Food Boxes Instead of Food Stamps

But critics say the idea of an 'America's Harvest Box' is 'prone to failure'

(Newser) - Trump administration members are hailing their newest idea as a "bold" approach that would save the government billions and feed more than 38 million people in low-income households, but critics are calling it an approach that's "prone to failure." President Trump's 2019 budget plan was...

If Disaster Strikes Amid Speech, Sonny's in Charge
If Disaster Strikes Amid
Speech, Sonny's in Charge
state of the union
Jan 30, 2018 7:45 PM CST

If Disaster Strikes Amid Speech, Sonny's in Charge

Agriculture secretary Perdue is this year's 'designated survivor' for SOTU

(Newser) - As the last i's are being dotted on President Trump's State of the Union address, one traditional formality has been announced: Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is this year's "designated survivor." That means if disaster strikes during the speech, wiping out the entire presidential line of...

Michelle Obama Slams Trump School Lunch Policy

'Why don't you want our kids to have good food at school?'

(Newser) - Michelle Obama slammed Trump administration efforts to delay or roll back her healthy-eating initiatives Friday, saying parents should "think about why someone is OK with your kids eating crap." The former first lady, speaking at a health conference in Washington, DC, said healthy school lunches should not be...

Ga. Governor Prays for Rain
Ga. Governor Prays for Rain
Nov 13, 2007 4:25 PM CST

Ga. Governor Prays for Rain

Perdue seeks divine intervention in drought

(Newser) - Georgia's governor called a prayer meeting in front of the Capitol today and asked residents of his parched state to "reverently and respectfully pray up a storm." About 250 Georgians joined Sonny Perdue in his unconventional bid for drought relief, reports the Journal-Constititution. A block away, protesters held...

11 Stories
Most Read on Newser