Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Losses Mount For Farmers Who Counted On Trump's January Promise That 'Best Days Are Yet To Come'
The Washington Post: Farmers’ Hopes For Respite From Trump-Era Struggles Fade Amid Pandemic
President Trump promised this year to deliver a financial bonanza for American farmers, boosted by two historic trade deals that would free them from their dependence on government bailouts. Instead, as the local Wendy’s runs out of hamburgers and some shelves at Costco lie bare, farmers are forced to euthanize millions of hogs and chickens, give away tons of unwanted potatoes, and pour out enough milk to fill a small lake. The closure of most U.S. restaurants amid the covid-19 pandemic has thrown the nearly $2 trillion food industry into chaos, convulsing specialized supply chains that are struggling to adjust. (Lynch, Gowen and Reiley, 5/11)
The Wall Street Journal: When Coronavirus Hits Food Deserts
Kimyatta Terrell was home watching a movie when a bag of veggies, from mustard greens to Chinese cabbage, was placed at her front door. An employee from Growing Home, an urban farm in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, had delivered fresh greens and a recipe card to the home 5 miles away, where Ms. Terrell, 44 years old, lives with her sister and brother-in-law. (Jamerson, 5/11)
The New York Times: Gone From Grocery Shelves, Now There’s A Mad Dash To Find Them
The fallout from the coronavirus hit Allison Arevalo when she could no longer find pasta at the supermarket. She tried ordering online from Whole Foods. Out of stock. She ran over to Key Food. Too late: The pasta aisle was cleaned out except for two bags of whole wheat no one wanted. So Ms. Arevalo, 41, a chef and cookbook author, dusted off her fancy pasta maker and ordered a 50 pound bag of semolina flour from a restaurant supplier. Soon, her neighbors in Park Slope, Brooklyn, were turning to her for their pasta fix. (Hu, 5/11)
