Doc's Blog

This month’s column is more serious than most. If you’re looking for entertainment and my usual wild stories, you may want to skip this one.

But this column is a must-read, if you raise livestock and/or care about the American food supply (and if you’re like me, you like to eat). Livestock disease outbreaks are occurring every day somewhere in the world. These diseases, if not contained, could threaten our food supply and lifestyle in a way that most Americans are too naïve to fathom.

September, 2018
James Doubek
NPR's Alexis Diao and Ian Stewart produced and edited this story for radio.

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Toronto has been called the "raccoon capital of the world."

The "trash pandas" — as they're (possibly) affectionately known — have been particularly adept at getting into Torontonians' garbage bins.

The raccoon scourge was bad enough that the city spent CA$31 million on "raccoon-resistant" organic green-colored waste bins in 2016. It was the latest assault in what Canadian media have called a "raccoon war."

The Toronto Star recently published a 6,000-word investigation on the bin battle.

A North Carolina woman shared video of the unexpected sight she came upon in her back yard -- a black bear swinging in her hammock.

Michelle Baber posted a video to YouTube showing the bear she discovered swaying back and forth while lounging in the hammock behind her Asheville home.

Baber filmed the video from the safety of her home.

She says in the video that the bear had previously been spotted in her hammock, but it left and returned later for another round of swinging.

U.S. egg farmer Steve Bliesner describes the behavior of healthy hens with top notch animal welfare on his farm.

Wyatt Bechtel
August,  2018

A viral comedy video exposes “nut milking” and seeks to start a conversation with consumers about labeling plant-based beverages that are often called “milk.”( Know Ideas Media )

Amazon.com has been granted a new patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a delivery drone that can respond to human gestures.

Click here to read full article.

Becky Worley, ABC News technology and consumer correspondent, led the segment, comparing three same-day delivery services by placing simultaneous orders and judging the results.

Click here to read full article.

Events in the nation's capital

Cohosted by The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology presented the new publication Regulatory Barriers to the Development of Innovative Agricultural Biotechnology by Small Businesses and Universities. Dr. Alan McHughen (UC-Riverside) spoke about the highlights of the science-based paper, and the event included a Q&A session.