WASHINGTON, April 29, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA is funding dozens of new infrastructure upgrades and clean energy projects in rural and Tribal communities participating in the Rural Partners Network (RPN).
Life
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This Apple Magic Keyboard Folio Is on Sale for $95 Right Now
This Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad (10th Gen) is on sale for $94.97 right now (reg. $249) with free shipping through April 30. It’s an open-box return—part of excess inventory from store shelves—but has been given clean packaging and works the same as new. The keyboard comes with a click-anywhere trackpad for scrolling, a 14-key function row with loads of shortcut options, and an adjustable stand to make your tablet setup feel more like a laptop. The two-piece design is detachable, so you can use the keyboard wirelessly while the back panel holds up your tablet. Both attach magnetically, and you can adjust the stand to different viewing angles.
You can get this open-box Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for the iPad 10th Gen on sale for $94.97 right now (reg. $249) with free shipping through April 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT, though prices can change at any time.
USDA Finalizes Policy to Protect Consumers from Salmonella in Raw Breaded Stuffed Chicken Products
WASHINGTON, April 26, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced its final determination to declare Salmonella an adulterant in raw breaded stuffed chicken products when they exceed a specific threshold (1 colony forming unit (CFU) per gram or higher) for Salmonella contamination.
The Best Movies to Stream This Week
Looking to settle in with a good movie? Me too. That’s why I’ve pored over the release schedules of major streaming services to bring you the best original and new-to-streaming movies you can watch right now.
This week’s highlights include Hulu’s Hip Hop and the White House, a documentary detailing the musical genre’s effect on politics (and vice versa), and a new stand-up special from Fern Brady who approaches comedy from a unique place. I’ve also included a couple of smaller films that might be flying under people’s radars but really shouldn’t be because they’re both incredibly innovative and amazing.
Hip-Hop and The White House
When president Obama strode into the White House Correspondent’s Dinner in 2013 to DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win,” it marked a seismic cultural shift, for both hip-hop and American politics. Narrated by Jeezy, Hip-Hop and the White House goes beyond Obama’s power move to explore the deeper history of hip-hop’s relationship to the nation’s power structures, charting hip hop’s evolution from a disreputable musical form politicians derided for cheap political points, to a cultural force that helps move elections.
Where to stream: Hulu
Late Night with the Devil (2024)
Late Night with the Devil is the most clever, effective found-footage horror film I’ve seen in years. The story of a late-night talk show host’s encounter with the Lord of all Evil is told through footage that was supposedly broadcast live, nationwide on Halloween night in 1977. Late Night with the Devil‘s period details are so perfect and the performances so spot-on, you might believe that Jack Delroy (played by David Dastmalchian) was a real competitor to Johnny Carson, and that his show, Night Owls with Jack Delroy, really did try to boost ratings by airing an episode where all hell, literally, breaks loose. Funny, smart, and scary, Late Night with Devil is a must-stream.
Where to stream: Shudder
Hundreds of Beavers (2024)
If you’re in the mood for a comedy that’s different, and I mean really different, check out Hundreds of Beavers. Written by, directed by, and starring Milwaukee filmmaker Mike Cheslik, Beavers is a cinematic outsider’s fever dream that mashes up slapstick comedy from the 1930s, internet memes, Warner Bros. cartoons, and a furry convention. Before grabbing its streaming debut through sheer force of will, Hundreds of Beavers earned raves from audiences on festival circuit and a 95% positive rating from Rotten Tomatoes for its frantic pace and anything-for-a-laugh style.
Where to stream: Fandor
Fern Brady: Autistic Bikini Queen
If you like stand-up comedy but you’re sick of the same old shizz, check out Fern Brady: Autistic Bikini Queen. The Scottish standup, podcaster, and writer’s unique life story, personality, and neurodivergence guarantees unique and screamingly funny takes on sex, drinking, autism, feminism, and everything else.
Where to stream: Netflix
Last week’s picks
Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver
The climax of Zack Snyder’s epic science fiction story promises a breakneck pace, larger-than-a-galaxy action sequences, and heroic characters battling impossible odds with everything on the line. Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver continues the story of Kora and her surviving allies as they face off against Admiral Atticus Noble and the Imperium legion. With the collective force of the Realm gathered to destroy them, this rag-tag band of rebels mounts a last stand to free the villagers of Veldt. In other words, it’s rip-roaring space adventure.
Where to stream: Netflix
An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th
This HBO original documentary digs into the story of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, detailing not just the tragic explosion on April 19, but the massive FBI investigation that followed, and the seething underground of anti-government conspiracy theorists and hate-mongers who inspired Timothy McVeigh to commit mass murder.
Where to stream: Max
Men (2022)
The monster in this “elevated horror” film is men—not a particular group of men, but men in general. From this provocative premise, director Alex Garland builds a creepy, disturbing narrative that explores the cultural and historical roots of misogyny through the victimization of the film’s main character, Harper Marlowe (played by Jessie Buckley). In a stroke of genius, all the men in the movie (but one) are played by the incredibly talented Rory Kinnear, because men are all basically the same.
Where to stream: Max
Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
Mixing multiple genres is a notoriously difficult cinematic feat, but Lisa Frankenstein blends horror, dark comedy, gore, romance, and a coming-of-age story, sets it in the 1980s, and doesn’t seem to break a sweat. Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Zelda Williams, Lisa Frankenstein stars Kathryn Newton in the title role, a golden-age goth chick who falls in love with a corpse payed by Cole Sprouse. In keeping with the “Frankenstein” name, Lisa’s dead crush doesn’t remain in the grave for long, setting up an unlikely romance that’s funny, weird, gross, and surprisingly touching.
Where to stream: Peacock
Migration (2023)
Migration is a colorful kid flick from Illumination that tells the story of a family of ducks migrating from New England to Jamaica for the winter. Kumail Nanjiani and Elizabeth Banks voice the parents of the Mallard family, who just want to guide their two children south safely, but, like a duck version of National Lampoon’s Vacation, everything on the journey goes comically wrong, especially when they end up in New York City. Migration is perfectly produced, mildly amusing, and fast-paced without being exhausting. The cast is excellent, with Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Keegan-Michael Key, and Carol Kane all voicing various wildlife. Plus, it’s over in less than 90 minutes. What more can you ask from a kids’ movie?
Where to stream: Peacock
Cruising (1980)
If you’re a classic cinema fan, check out William Friedkin’s Cruising, a hidden treasure on the Criteria Channel (while you’re there, check out literally any movie on the Criterion Channel). A thriller set in New York’s gay S&M scene in the 1970s, Cruising was notorious when it was released, and was rejected by audiences and critics alike. But the passage of time has revealed a gritty, intense, psychological thriller featuring a nuanced and enigmatic performance from Al Pacino as a cop who goes undercover to catch a serial killer and discovers things about himself instead.
Where to stream: Criterion Channel
Biden-Harris Administration Partners with Local Organizations, Cooperatives and Tribes to Support High-Speed Internet Deployment in Rural Communities as Part of Investing in America Agenda
McALLEN, Texas, April 24, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA is partnering with rural cooperatives, local organizations and Tribes to support high-speed internet deployment in 11 states.
USDA Actions to Protect Livestock Health From Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza
WASHINGTON, April 24, 2024 – To further protect the U.S. livestock industry from the threat posed by highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, USDA is sharing a number of actions that we are taking with our federal partners to help us get ahead of this disease and limit its spread.
Today, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced a Federal Order requiring the following measures, effective Monday, April 29, 2024:
Mandatory Testing for Interstate Movement of Dairy Cattle
Biden-Harris Administration Announces New School Meal Standards to Strengthen Child Nutrition
WASHINGTON, April 24, 2024 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced major steps to promote the health of America’s children through school meals. Nutrition standards for school meals will be gradually updated to include less sugar and greater flexibility with menu planning between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027. The Department arrived at these changes after listening closely to public feedback and considering the latest science-based recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra
Most people assume that Roombas, which are nearly synonymous with robot vacuums, are still the best option on the market—but that could not be further from the truth. Roombas are fine, generally speaking, but it has been struggling to keep up with the competition for a while, long before its Amazon deal fell through and the layoffs began, leaving many people wondering what the future of Roomba will look like. Meanwhile, the competition has been picking up where Roomba left off.
Roborock, one of the most promising robot vacuum brands, makes some of the best high-end robot vacuums that you can buy right now. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is one such example, and according to price-checking tools, it is currently at its lowest price ever via Amazon. It’s on sale for $999.99 (originally $1,599.99) after a $600 discount. Yes, it is still expensive, but this is truly a premium robot vacuum.
This vacuum’s 6,000Pa suction power is powerful. For reference, the comparable vacuum from Roomba, the Roomba Combo j9+, is estimated (because Roomba doesn’t like publishing suction power figures) to be around 2,200Pa, according to T3’s review. Like most premium vacuums, the S8 Pro Ultra is self-washing, self-drying, self-emptying, self-refilling, and self-cleaning. It has a 200 ml water tank capacity for mopping and a runtime of 180 minutes.
While this is a premium robot vacuum, it is not perfect. PCMag’s reviewer said it lightly scratched their floor during testing. There is no camera for monitoring the vacuum while you’re away from home, which other competitors at this price point do have. Also, the mop cloth is not detachable, so if you have a plush carpet, it might get stuck, and there’s not much you can do about it.
Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Clean Energy and Domestic Biofuels to Strengthen American Farms and Small Businesses as Part of Investing in America Agenda
ERIE, Pa., April 23, 2024 – Today, in honor of Earth Day 2024, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is funding more than 700 clean energy projects to lower energy bills, expand access to domestic biofuels and create jobs and new market opportunities for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers.
CDC Announces Important Advances in Protecting Americans from Heat
Today, CDC, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS), launched a new Heat and Health Initiative to protect Americans from heat exposure.