Dan Charles
Stories
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Politics
Economists Say Trump Administration Is Over-Paying Farmers For Trade Losses
The Trump administration has released details of a $16 billion plan to compensate farmers who've lost money as a result of the trade dispute with China. Some economists say it's too generous.
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Food
Fair Trade Helps Farmers, But Not Their Hired Workers
According to a new study of cocoa-producing cooperatives, Fair Trade certification boosts the income of small farmers, but those benefits aren't shared with their hired workers.
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Environment
North Carolina Tries To Clean Up Its Electricity
North Carolina's governor is promising to quickly cut greenhouse emissions but will need to convince Duke Energy, the state's dominant utility, to abandon coal and gas in favor of solar and wind.
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Food
Some In The Beef Industry Are Bucking The Widespread Use Of Antibiotics. Here's How
Most beef cattle receive antibiotics in their feed to prevent liver abscesses while eating a high-energy diet. There's growing pressure on feedlots to stop this — and some have. But it's costly.
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Environment
Fighting Global Warming Requires Changes In How Cows Are Fed
Stopping climate change won't just mean a halt to burning coal and gasoline. It will mean an end to cutting forests and mining the soil to grow more food. Fortunately, it is possible.
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Environment
It's 2050 And This Is How We Stopped Climate Change
Let's imagine that we've ended global warming. Humans no longer are releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Here's what life is like in a zero-carbon world.
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Food
U.S. Soda Taxes Work, Studies Suggest – But Maybe Not As Well As Hoped
Connecticut and California now are considering state-wide taxes on sugary drinks. New data from soda taxes in Berkeley and Philadelphia present a mixed picture of their effects on sugar consumption.
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Environment
Scientists Have 'Hacked Photosynthesis' In Search Of More Productive Crops
Scientists have re-engineered photosynthesis, the foundation of life on Earth, creating genetically modified plants that grow faster and bigger. They hope it leads to bigger harvests of food.
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Food
Investigators Work To Track Down Source Of Romaine Lettuce Contamination
Supermarkets are clearing romaine lettuce off the shelves, following a warning that some of it may be contaminated with E. coli. Investigators are trying to figure out where the contamination started.
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Environment
The EPA Says Farmers Can Keep Using Weedkiller Blamed For Vast Crop Damage
The Environmental Protection Agency has given farmers the OK to continue to spray the controversial weedkiller dicamba. The chemical is prone to blowing in the wind and damaging other vegetation.