Marcia Brown

Marcia Brown

@marciabrown.bsky.social

Journalist covering food and agriculture at POLITICO. Read my newsletter: https://substack.com/@marciagbrown Signal: marciagbrown.68

5,125 Followers 1,177 Following 501 Posts Joined Nov 2024
14 hours ago
Bean sprout in a starter pot on a window sill

We’re hoping to plant some veggies and herbs this year and we’re starting them inside.

Our first energetic bean sprout!

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17 hours ago

Are you or a loved one on a fixed income and struggling to pay for gas right now? Want to talk to a reporter about it? Email sluterman at 19thnews dot org or DM.

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18 hours ago
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Iran Live Updates: Japan and Germany to Release Oil Reserves as Strait of Hormuz Attacks Escalate The Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil, is all but closed as war in the Middle East expands. A British agency said three ships were hit by unidentified projectiles in or near the strait.

Breaking News: Thirty-two countries will release 400 million barrels of oil to help shore up global supply as the war with Iran rages on.

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18 hours ago

YIKES.

This, too, is wild:

"Handheld X-ray devices can establish the composition of seafood tissue by identifying chemical markers unique to certain environments, while MRI technology can analyze water molecules to verify if a product has ever been frozen."

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18 hours ago
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One in Five Fish Products Tied to Fraud - Inside Climate News From substitutions to forgery, the $195 billion seafood industry is awash with deception. Nuclear forensics might offer a lifeline.

“If pregnant women or children are unknowingly eating shark, they are being exposed to potentially higher levels of mercury and heavy metals,” said scientist Francesca Chipparoni, highlighting a 2025 report that found over 60% of imitation crab sold in L.A. grocery stores contained shark.

Yikes.

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2 days ago
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The Scale of Billionaires’ Campaign Donations is Overwhelming U.S. Politics

NEW: We just published a deep dive into just how much billionaires are now dominating U.S. politics.

We found 300 billionaire families accounted for 19% of federal donations in 2024. The deluge was even larger in many state and local races.

1/7

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...

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2 days ago
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Former SGWS Employees Indicted For Bribery Scheme in California Grocery Chains A federal grand jury has indicted five former senior executives at Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits (SGWS) – the largest alcohol distributor in the U.S. – along with a salesman from a major Napa Val...

"A federal grand jury has indicted five former senior executives at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS) – the largest alcohol distributor in the U.S. – along with a salesman from a major Napa Valley wine company, on charges stemming from an alleged bribery scheme"

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2 days ago
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‘I share your outrage’: Democrats woo MAHA moms ahead of the midterms Democrats hope the Trump administration's recent pesticide move will sway voters in their direction.

NEW with @ruthreader.bsky.social: Some Democrats see an opening to win over MAHA voters ahead of November as the movement's frustrations with the Trump administration reach a breaking point www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

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5 days ago
An alligator wearing a leprechaun hat

Spotted in the wilds of Charleston.

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5 days ago
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Expanding Middle-Tier Mega-Deal, RNDC Says Reyes Will Buy Five More Markets The biggest news in the beverage-alcohol industry’s middle tier is getting bigger: Reyes Beverage Group (RBG) will acquire five additional markets from its rival, Republic National Distributing Compan...

BREAKING: The country's biggest beer wholesaler is buying more markets off the country's (for-now) biggest wine/spirits wholesaler.

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5 days ago
View of Charleston, South Carolina from an airplane window seat.

Headed to Charleston for the first time this weekend.

Where should I eat? Anything I can’t leave without seeing?

Best window seat view in a while!

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1 week ago
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Federal funding for people in poverty heading to anti-abortion centers instead The bulk of the money Missouri gives to its crisis pregnancy centers comes from federal funds meant to assist families experiencing poverty with basic necessities and child care, Republican Rep. Jason...

The bulk of the money Missouri gives to pregnancy centers comes from federal funds meant to assist families with basic necessities and child care.

As many as $3 of every $4 was from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in 2024, and in 2026, it will be $2 out of $3.

From me:

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1 week ago
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POLITICO Pro: Democrats say the farm bill coalition is dead Rep. Angie Craig and other lawmakers argue that Republicans "destroyed" the bipartisan coalition that historically passed the legislation.

The top Democrat on the House Ag Committee made clear today what everyone has been saying for months: the farm bill coalition is gone.

Rep. Angie Craig blamed Republicans' moves to "decimate" SNAP in last year's One Big Beautiful Bill.

For @politico.com

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1 week ago

Ajinomoto Foods North America is expanding its recall of frozen not ready-to-eat chicken products that "may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically glass."

Total recall includes 36,987,575 pounds of chicken products, pork fried rice, ramen and shu mai dumplings.

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1 week ago
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New York Times runs in-house ad asking listeners to “support any news organization dedicated to original reporting” The New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger has voiced a new ad encouraging listeners to support any news organization dedicated to original reporting — even if it's not the Times. It's Sulzberger's...

Subscribe to real journalism, says NYT publisher A.G. Sulzberger — even if it isn’t us. A classy ad. www.niemanlab.org/2026/03/new-...

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1 week ago
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D.C. lifts advisory for Potomac River after sewage spill But environmentalists say more has to be done to convince people the waters are safe

NEW: A pipe collapse in January led to 240+ million gallons of sewage spilling into the Potomac River.

This morning, the city said E. coli levels in the water have been low enough that residents and pets no longer need to stay away.

What that means going forward, from @maustermuhle.bsky.social:

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1 week ago
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At the Annual Meat Conference in Maryland, organizers remind attendees not to break antitrust laws.

The meat industry has faced a number of class action lawsuits alleging anti-competitive conduct and the Trump administration recently opened a new investigation into the big four meatpackers.

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1 week ago
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RFK Jr. just gave remarks at the Annual Meat Conference, a huge gathering of meat processors, retailers and others in the food business.

He urged people to eat more animal protein and to cook more underneath the government’s new slogan “Eat Real Food.”

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1 week ago
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55,000 Pounds Of Frozen Blueberries Recalled For Listeria The blueberries were distributed in Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and in Canada.

The blueberries were distributed in Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and in Canada.

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1 week ago
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Trump’s Latest Deportation Tactic: Targeting Immigrants With Minor Family Court Cases Should a dad be deported for leaving his toddlers alone at home for a half hour 15 years ago? The Trump administration says yes in a pending court case with sweeping implications for both the immigrat...

In 2010, an undocumented farmworker from Mexico received a misdemeanor citation for leaving his two young kids alone to buy them pajamas at Walmart.

The Trump administration says this now merits deportation in a potentially wide-reaching court case.

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2 weeks ago
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Zohran Mamdani Promised City-Owned Groceries. Atlanta Already Has One When major chains refused to open in downtown Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens carved his own path forward

One of Zohran Mamdani's key campaign pledges was municipal grocery stores. Atlanta has him beat--the city opened one up last summer and has another coming soon. www.bonappetit.com/story/zohran...

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1 week ago
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Casey Means pledges focus on food as first MAHA surgeon general Despite plenty of criticism, wellness influencer and physician Casey Means appears likely to be confirmed as surgeon general — and she’s planning to focus on food.

Despite plenty of criticism, wellness influencer and physician Casey Means appears likely to be confirmed as surgeon general — and she’s planning to focus on food.

foodfix.co/casey-means-...

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1 week ago
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MAHA unleashes on White House after Trump backs pesticide MAHA advocates promptly denounced the move and said it would threaten Republicans’ chances in the midterms.

Some background on the fallout from the executive order with MAHA. www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

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1 week ago
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POLITICO Pro: Rollins says the MAHA alliance is unchanged by Trump's pesticide EO The Agriculture secretary said MAHA icon Robert F. Kennedy Jr. understands that the order was a national security priority.

ICYMI: USDA Sec. Brooke Rollins told me in a brief interview that the administration's alliance with MAHA is unchanged despite the president's order boosting glyphosate production, the active ingredient in Roundup.

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2026...

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1 week ago

Today in @politico.com's Morning Ag:

🍞 Dems are making food and agricultural monopolies a centerpiece of their affordability pitch ahead of the midterms.

📂 USDA announced a new filing system for farmers via a multi-million dollar contract with Palantir.

🐔 Bird flu in PA is bad right now.

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1 week ago
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California fast food workers, still reeling from ICE raids, demand employers step up Union-backed pledge urges fast food employers to protect workers’ rights as immigration raids fuel fear and walkouts

@cafastfoodunion.org are pushing fast food franchises to step up and support their workers' rights amid ongoing ICE operations and raids

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

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2 weeks ago
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Feeding America names former VA Secretary Denis McDonough CEO /PRNewswire/ -- The Feeding America Board of Directors announced today that Denis McDonough will become the organization's Chief Executive Officer, effective...

Feeding America names former VA Sec. Denis McDonough as CEO.

www.prnewswire.com/news-release...

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2 weeks ago
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U.S. Forest Service Stops Issuing Firefighter Pants That Contain PFAS, Following ProPublica’s Reporting Officials at the agency knew about the use of potentially dangerous “forever chemicals” in protective gear years before publicly acknowledging the issue, according to emails obtained by ProPublica.

NEW: ProPublica recently reported that the U.S. Forest Service knowingly issued protective gear containing PFAS to wildland firefighters.

The agency says it has now stopped distributing those garments.

By @abestreep.bsky.social

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2 weeks ago
Trump attacks Supreme Court justices after he is handed a major tariff loss The president excoriated the court hours after its decision to strike down his tariffs.

Trump attacks Supreme Court justices after he is handed a major tariff loss

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2 weeks ago
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MAHA unleashes on White House after Trump backs pesticide MAHA advocates promptly denounced the move and said it would threaten Republicans’ chances in the midterms.

The WH is walking a tightrope as it works to please #MAHA and court traditional GOP allies.

With the glyphosate EO, that challenge became stark.

“Are people happy about it? No, but there’s a logic here that’s pretty undeniable,” a WH official said.

w/ Cheyenne Haslett for @politico.com

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