National

Jose Franco and his colleagues at the Corcoran prison dairy milk about 300 cows a day.

National

Prison Dairy Gives Inmates Job Skills — And A Sense Of Purpose

5:45pm November 05, 2014

by Lisa Morehouse

California's high-security Corcoran prison is home to a dairy that provides milk to almost every prison in the state system. For inmates who staff it, it's more than a job: It's a refuge and a future.

In the latest bids to compel companies to label foods made with genetically modified ingredients, voters in Colorado and Oregon weighed in on the issue Tuesday.

GMO Labeling: Colorado Voters Reject Food Measure; Maui Voters Approve

4:49pm November 05, 2014

by Bill Chappell

While more than half of U.S. states have contemplated similar GMO legislation, the only one that has come close to requiring a label is Vermont.

Massachusetts composting companies like City Soil, which turn food waste into compost that can be used on gardens and farms, say they expect to get quite a bit of new business from the food waste ban.

National

Massachusetts Food Waste Ban Gains Broad Acceptance

4:03pm November 05, 2014

by Susan Kaplan

Massachusetts law now says that if you throw out more than a ton of food waste a month, it can't go to a landfill. But many institutions had already begun composting waste or turning it into energy.

Queue Listen Now

Fast-food workers and activists demonstrate outside a Chicago McDonald's in July in favor of a higher minimum wage. Illinois voters on Tuesday called on the state Legislature to approve a $10 minimum wage.

Thumbs Up For Higher Minimum Wages, And For Marijuana Industry

3:44pm November 05, 2014

by Marilyn Geewax

Voters in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota overwhelmingly approved minimum-wage hikes. Illinois voters approved a nonbinding wage-hike referendum. Recreational pot was approved in Oregon.

President Obama stumped for gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf this weekend in Philadelphia. Wolf's victory Tuesday was among the few bright spots for Democrats.

We Need A New Word For The Latest Republican Wave

3:22pm November 05, 2014

by Ron Elving

In 2006, President Bush's Republicans took a "thumpin'." Four years later, President Obama's Democrats saw "a shellacking." So what do you call the damage done to Obama and his party last night?

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he sees issues where a Republican-led Congress can work with President Obama. McConnell won re-election Tuesday, as his party took control of the Senate.

McConnell Says 'Senate Needs To Be Fixed,' Discussing GOP Gains

2:52pm November 05, 2014

by Bill Chappell

One day after the GOP took control of Congress, presumptive Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Republicans are willing to work with President Obama on some issues.

Supporters of efforts to label GMOs in foods turn out at a rally in Denverin 2013. A ballot measure that would such labels failed to pass by a wide margin Tuesday.

Colorado, Oregon Reject GMO Labeling

1:40pm November 05, 2014

by Luke Runyon

Voters in Colorado and Oregon rejected measures to require labels on foods produced with genetic engineering. Meanwhile, voters in Maui, Hawaii, approved a moratorium on GMO crops.

Stressed About Holiday Cooking? Take Our Survey, And We'll Help

1:01pm November 05, 2014

by Maria Godoy

NPR is planning our holiday food coverage, and we want to know what you would find useful. What sorts of tips and tricks are you looking for? Fill out our survey and let us know.

Edgar Meadows has been growing Bloody Butcher corn, an heirloom variety, for generations. The name Bloody Butcher refers to the flecks of red mixed onto the white kernels, like a butcher's apron, Meadows says.

On The Trail To Preserve Appalachia's Bounty Of Heirloom Crops

1:00pm November 05, 2014

by Roxy Todd

With some 1,500 heirloom fruits and vegetables under cultivation, Appalachia is the most diverse foodshed in the U.S., Canada and northern Mexico. Among them is a beloved corn called Bloody Butcher.

Voters In Texas City Approve Ban On Fracking

12:55pm November 05, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

It's the first time a city in the energy-friendly state has voted to ban hydraulic fracturing. The vote in Denton is likely to face legal challenges.