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WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012- The number of obese adults and children in the United States remained steady over the past few years. More than one-third of adults and almost 17 percent of youth were obese in 2009-2010, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

A grocer who defrauded the USDA food stamp program was sentenced this week and ordered to repay almost $2.5 million he obtained illegally by swapping electronic benefit cards for cash.

Dudley Butler, administrator of USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), has tendered his resignation, effective Jan. 26, Agri-Pulse learned Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012- The Obama Administration rejected the permit to begin construction on the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline today, which would cost approximately $7 billion and carry oil from Canada through six states to the Gulf Coast.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2012 – The battle between the GPS industry and LightSquared, a proposed 4G-LTE network backed by ground towers and satellites that may conflict with GPS signals, continued today as LightSquared executives publicly dismissed the most recent round of interference tests.

The USDA will provide $308 million for financial and technical assistance to help rebuild and repair land damaged on account of flooding, drought, tornadoes and other natural disasters in 33 states and Puerto Rico, the agency announced today.

ROME, Jan. 17, 2012 - FAO and the European Commission announced a new $5.3 million project aimed at helping Malawi, Vietnam and Zambia transition to a "climate-smart" approach to agriculture.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2012 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today provided investment information from the USDA Rural Development fiscal year (FY) 2011 annual report.

The U.S. House of Representatives returns from its break on Tuesday to a political environment that’s largely unchanged from December.

In one of the most closely-followed congressional races in the farm policy community, Democrat Christie Vilsack has built a financial lead in her challenge to incumbent Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, in a new district that includes many traditionally conservative-leaning rural counties.