Helena Bottemiller Evich @hbottemiller Twitter profile

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

9 months

Delighted to report that @foodfixco turns one today! Still can't believe I quit a good job at @politico to launch my own publication, but I'm so glad I did. It was a big year! Here's some of what I shared with paid subscribers yesterday >> 🧵

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

NEW: McConnell is forcefully opposing a provision in the omnibus spending bill that would extend waivers that have allowed schools to serve universal free meals during the pandemic, per sources close to the talks.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

7 years

This raccoon is having a rough morning-just wanted some trash & ended up in Rosslyn! >And yes I alerted the driver

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

11 months

Big news: Vermont becomes 6th state to adopt universal free school meals permanently. Gov. Phil Scott opposed the bill, but the said this week it was clear that lawmakers would override a veto so he allowed the measure to become law w/o his signature

Gov. Scott allows universal free school meals to become law

In a letter to lawmakers, Gov. Phil Scott said it was clear that lawmakers would override a veto if he tried to block the bill.

www.vermontpublic.org

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

OMG. Imagine how much less insular major media outlets could be if the first barrier to entry wasn’t figuring out how to move to an ultra expensive city on little to no pay

Brandon Wall

@Walldo

4 years

NPR internship applications jump from 2,597 last year to 20,520 and a spox credits it to internships being remote this year. Funny how that works out.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

🧵Thread on the infant formula shortage situation, which feels like a slow-moving train wreck. First, retail stock has been rocky for months. It was already bad over the holidays, then a big recall + plant shutdown in Feb. made it worse. Great viz here @erindataviz / @datasembly :

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

Extending the Agriculture Department’s authority to extend the waivers, which expires in June, had been previously seen as fairly noncontroversial, even bipartisan.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

School nutrition program operators have been optimistically assuming that the waivers would get extended one more school year to help them transition back to normal, as supply chains are wrecked, food costs are up sharply and staffing is so low it’s approaching crisis levels.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

SNA is scrambling to put pressure on McConnell to back down. The group’s Kentucky association and throngs of school leaders in the state have been trying to apply direct pressure, arguing that there is bipartisan support for extending the waivers.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

1 year

Early in my career, I was so frustrated I was thinking about leaving a job I loved after realizing I was making like 50% less than a peer + I didn't have a title that reflected my contribution. Someone told me to go to Blake Hounshell, who I barely knew at the time.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

SNA itself has sent 15,000 emails to Capitol Hill in the past two days and members are meeting the staff this week as part of their annual fly-in.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

3 years

Washington is learning that if you give people money, they will feed their families. My latest:

Hunger rates plummet after two rounds of stimulus

Republicans have long sought to shrink government aid, but Democrats see the data as proof that the direct payments are working as intended.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

A GOP leadership aide laid out the case against extending waivers as an attempt to clamp down on government spending and get schools back to normal. “These were designed as ‘temporary’ Covid measures,” the aide said, noting that extending the waivers costs $11B

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

7 years

Rising carbon dioxide is making many of our crops less nutritious. Why aren't we talking about it? My latest:

The great nutrient collapse

The atmosphere is literally changing the food we eat, for the worse. And almost nobody is paying attention.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

“Parents and Republicans are for reopening our schools. Many of these waivers were designed to encourage schools to close and go virtual. This is not a message we should be sending to schools at this point, when almost everyone agrees we should be returning to normal.”

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

Per @ddayen , as of 2018, four companies—Abbott (Similac), Reckitt Benckiser (Enfamil), Nestlé (Gerber), and Perrigo (store-brands)—control about 89% of the U.S. market. "The antitrust agencies should definitely take a look," he writes.

Monopolies and the Baby Formula Shortage

Today on TAP: Four companies sell almost all baby formula in the U.S., magnifying supply shocks that cause families to scramble.

prospect.org

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

1 year

I can't remember if I ever even properly thanked him. I went on to have a long and successful run at Politico. Tbh, I never really knew what Blake's job was at any given time - he had so many - but he was just very good at what he did. Sending prayers and love to his family. 💔

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

One very urgent thing that's been almost completely lost in the media coverage: This plant is also believed to have held a near monopoly on the production of certain specialized formulas that are used by thousands of people with unique medical needs.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

1 year

The remarkable thing was that he did fix it. I still don't know how how. I never understood it - but I think back to that meeting and how crucial it was for my career - both that I stuck up for myself, and that he stuck up for me, too.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

Never imagined I’d see agricultural science get **23 minutes** of airtime on a cable news program, but that’s what @maddow did last night, based off my latest story & other great reports from our ag team:

Trump USDA climate science quash squanders US science leadership

Rachel Maddow looks at the history of scientific excellence and global leadership by the USDA and how the agency's research capacity is being decimated by Donald Trump and Secretary Sonny Perdue's...

www.msnbc.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

3 years

Oh my god >> “plant manager Tom Hart organized a cash-buy-in, winner-take-all, betting pool for supervisors and managers to wager how many plant employees would test positive for COVID-19.”

Lawsuit: Tyson managers bet money on how many workers would contract COVID-19 • Iowa Capital...

A lawsuit claims that Tyson Foods ordered employees to work during the pandemic while managers privately wagered money on how many of them would contract COVID-19.

iowacapitaldispatch.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

So the FDA got this warning in October but did not interview the whistleblower until December. FDA didn’t inspect the plant until Jan. 31. Formula was recalled Feb. 17. It was a massive recall, including Similac the top brand in the U.S.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

Inside FDA's food failure >>> My investigation into why FDA doesn't come anywhere near American consumers' expectations on food safety and nutrition. Been working on this for months (or really, a decade?) Pour yourself a cup of coffee and read it here:

How the FDA’s food division fails to regulate health and safety hazards

A POLITICO investigation based on more than 50 interviews finds the FDA is failing to meet American consumers expectations on food safety and nutrition.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

But the real doozy came in late April, when we learned that a whistleblower (an employee who used to work at the Sturgis plant) had warned top FDA officials about food safety concerns at this very plant in Oct. 2021 - months before two babies died.

Whistleblower warned FDA about formula plant months before baby deaths

A former employee alerted senior FDA officials to what he said were "lax practices, including regulatory violations" at the Abbott Nutrition formula plant last October.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

So as this formula shortage story continues, please do keep in mind that this has been brewing for months and please *do not* lose sight of those with special medical needs who are understandably scared right now: / End

'I don’t know how my son will survive': Inside the dangerous shortage of specialty formulas

The shutdown of a Michigan infant formula plant has disrupted the supply of products that are a lifeline for thousands of people with rare medical conditions.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

1 year

My toddler and I ran into @SecretaryPete & @Chasten at Eastern Market this a.m. A nice older man who was panhandling stopped Buttigieg to shake his hand, though he couldn't quite place how he knew him. "You're a politician!" the man said. "You could say that!" - @SecretaryPete .

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

Scoop: President Biden will Weds. announce a White House conference on hunger, nutrition and health scheduled for Sept. in Washington. The last WH conference on food was held during the Nixon admin & led to major policy changes, incl expansion of food stamps & school meals. /1

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

1 year

Wow. The @washingtonpost editorial board is calling for a breakup of the FDA - splitting off food entirely - citing my reporting on the agency for @politico . Reminder: FDA oversees 80% of the food supply. The status quo is not working. 🧵

Opinion | For the nation’s health, break up the Food and Drug Administration

The baby formula fiasco shows just how broken the U.S. food-monitoring system has become.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

One thing I'd bet we'll hear more about: The infant formula industry is *extremely* consolidated, but is often left out of the antitrust convo. Is the supply chain we have resilient?

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

7 years

"If we really want to make this country great, then our kids need to be healthy." - @MichelleObama

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

The supply situation for these families is truly urgent and potentially life-threatening. I have been on the phone with parents crying in desperation over not being able to source the formula that their child truly needs to survive.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

“White House officials had hoped to keep the news about Ms. Hicks from becoming public, to no avail.” ⁦ @anniekarni ⁩ & ⁦ @maggieNYT ⁩

On Monday, Trump Updated the Nation on Virus Strategy. By Friday, He Tested Positive. (Published...

President Trump interacted with scores of staff members, donors and supporters this week. Early Friday morning, it was still unclear how many other aides who had come into close contact with him had...

www.nytimes.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

✌️Personal news: Today is my last day at POLITICO. It's been a great 8 years! I'm proud to have worked alongside so many talented people. I'm not done covering food policy! I'm launching something new. More details to come. Get on the early list here:

Keep in touch!

Helena Bottemiller Evich is launching something new. Submit your email here to be kept in the loop.

docs.google.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

*Thrilling thread re: FDA food inspections & shutdown 👇 FDA might do something like 50 inspections of high-risk food facilities (think soft cheese, seafood) per week. Most people agree these inspections are important. But there are *20k* high-risk food facilities in the U.S.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

1 year

Poor Blake sat there, wide-eyed, while I poured out all of my frustration about being undervalued, underpaid, etc. (Again, he was not my boss!) He didn't say much. His response was something like: I'm so sorry, I didn't know you felt this way. I am going to help fix it.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

The incident has raised questions about the rigor of FDA's routine inspections of infant formula plants. The FDA was in this plant in Sept. 2021, the very week the first case was reported the agency. That inspection didn't warrant regulatory action:

'What else have they been missing?' Massive infant formula recall raises questions about FDA...

Federal inspectors were in the Abbott Nutrition plant the very day of the first report a baby was sickened by a rare bacteria after consuming formula produced there.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

Many of these families feel totally abandoned by Abbott, by the government - and by the media for largely ignoring this desperate situation affecting many people with special needs.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

It's truly gratifying -- and wild -- to see months and months of my reporting inform this whole congressional hearing. I am running on fumes at this point, I've been on this story since February, but this is why I do what I do. Sunlight is so powerful.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

There are so many questions here, about Abbott's corporate/food safety culture and responsibility, about FDA's (and CDC's) competence, about why this industry is so consolidated & apparently vulnerable.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

Breaking: USDA finds more than $4.8 billion to keep food stamp benefits funded in February amid ongoing shutdown. Using obscure spending bill provision (the last now expired CR), Feb. benefits will be paid out early (Jan. 20) WITHOUT dipping into SNAP reserve fund. March TBD.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

Really feels like peak maternity to leave to find out about this via text message while nursing my 2 month old right as contractors cut open our dining room ceiling in search of a water leak. 💪🏼

George Polk Awards

@PolkAwards

4 years

Polk Award for Environmental Reporting: Helena Bottemiller Evich of Politico for describing how a politicized Department of Agriculture ignored its own climate action plan.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

“If, God forbid, a family member of President Joe Biden or Jeff Bezos or someone influential had one of these diseases, this crisis wouldn’t have made it to Day Two,” Carter said.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

All 4 infants who were hospitalized consumed formula produced at an Abbott Nutrition plant in Sturgis, Mich. -- this plant made a huge chunk of the U.S. formula supply. This plant has been shut down since mid-Feb as FDA & the company negotiate how best to re-open it.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

Happy New Year! *Big news* in my world: My husband & I welcomed our first child on Dec. 14! John Henry “Hank” Evich - 9 lbs, 9 oz & a whopping 22.5 inches. We’re all happy, healthy & a little sleep deprived!❤️ Will be offline while on maternity leave. See you in the Spring!

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

I imagine that re-opening this plant has been made MUCH more difficult by everything that has come out about Abbott's allegedly poor food safety practices/management. Standing water, equipment in disrepair, improper micro testing, etc. FDA also found 5 strains of Cronobacter.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

A top scientist studying climate change at USDA has quit, following others who say the Trump administration has politicized science. My latest:

'It feels like something out of a bad sci-fi movie'

A top climate scientist quit USDA, following others who say Trump has politicized science.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

P.S. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a good page here with advice for parents and caregivers if they cannot find formula. They strongly advise against both watering down formula and making homemade formula:

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

Biden notes his national strategy calls for moving toward universal free school meals by first expanding to 9M more students by 2032 -- "a major first step for free meals for every single student." - @JoeBiden #WHConfHungerHealth

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

3 years

For reference, the NFL starts postponing games when the AQI hits 200.

Elizabeth Strater

@straterize

3 years

The piece rate to fill one of these apple bins is l $23 and the AQI is 329.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

The severity of the shortage appears to differ greatly based on where you live + which retailer you shop at. Of course, none of this macro data matters at all if you are a parent who can't what you need. It's beyond stressful. This should not be happening.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

“If this doesn’t get fixed soon, I don’t know how my son will survive,” said Phoebe Carter, whose 5-year old son John — a nature-lover and “paleontologist in training” — has a severe form of Eosinophilic Esophagitis, a rare digestive and immune system disease.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

🚨Can't stress enough that this is a really serious infant formula recall. Please share with any parents in your life>> Major brands affected include Similac, Alimentum and EleCare, all made by Abbott Nutrition. More on how to check your formula here:

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

1 year

Blake wasn't my editor, nor my supervisor and really didn't have anything to do with my job whatsoever, but his influence in the newsroom always spanned much further than his job title. I took the advice and scheduled a meeting w/him.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

3 years

Diet-related diseases like obesity and diabetes made Americans much more vulnerable during the pandemic. Washington isn't paying attention. My latest:

Other countries have been galvanized to confront diet issues. The U.S. has had no such wakeup call.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

6 years

. @MickMulvaneyOMB said the Trump admin wants to make SNAP kind of like @blueapron w/its "America's Harvest Box" proposal in the budget. -Blue Apron has around 1 million customers & does fresh food. -USDA would be supplying 16 million households w/shelf-stable food.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

So we already had a highly consolidated, rocky supply chain. The situation was then exacerbated by a massive Feb. recall sparked by four reports of Cronobacter sakazakii, a bacteria that causes rare but deadly infections in babies. Two infants died.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

3 years

HISTORY: For the first time ever, we're going to have two Black senators serving on the Senate Ag Committee ( @CoryBooker & @SenatorWarnock ) & our first Black chairman of the House Ag Committee ( @repdavidscott ). This represents a significant change for the food/ag space. 1/4

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

Holy shit: HALF of those tested in Iowa in past week are positive for Covid-19 (!!?) By comparison, neighboring Minnesota (6% positive), Illinois (5% positive) - Wisconsin also very bad w/24% positivity rate.

Melissa DeRosa

@melissadderosa

4 years

Incredible context: NY, once the world’s epicenter of COVID, has the 3rd lowest rate of positivity 8 months into this fight

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

While other federal agencies quickly adapted their programs to the coronavirus crisis, the Agriculture Department took more than a month to make its first significant move to buy up surplus fruits and vegetables — despite repeated entreaties. My latest:

USDA let millions of pounds of food rot while food-bank demand soared

State officials and growers say Trump’s Agriculture Department has been woefully slow to respond to farm crisis caused by coronavirus.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

Other than brief mentions in Politico, CNN, & WaPo this got almost no coverage. *Why?* Why are we more interested in who's up and who's down and so much less interested in the policy outcomes? 30M + kids eat school meals. I got free meals growing up. It's a pretty big deal.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

The USDA is doing little to help farmers adapt to increasingly extreme weather in an administration that really doesn’t want to talk about climate change. My latest deep dive on what’s going on & why it matters:

'I'm standing right here in the middle of climate change': How USDA is failing farmers

The $144 billion Agriculture Department spends less than 1 percent of its budget helping farmers adapt to increasingly extreme weather.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

It was in this very room under this very portrait of Lincoln that @MichelleObama launched @letsmove in 2010. (Photo c/o White House)

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@hbottemiller

5 years

Scoop: USDA drafted a sweeping plan for studying and responding to climate change back in 2017, but it was never released to the public.

Trump's USDA buried sweeping climate change response plan

A document prepared in 2017 shows USDA has a plan to study and respond to global warming but it hasn’t been made public.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

We do not have good answers for why the infant formula supply chain was already so strained before the massive Feb. recall (more on that situation later), other than the same strains on everything right now: tight supplies, labor, transportation, etc.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

I'm a big supporter of breastfeeding, but if I have to read one more tweet shaming parents for using formula for ANY reason, whether it's lack of parental leave, lack of milk supply, health issue, mental health or personal preference so help me god.

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@hbottemiller

2 years

This data set also found a lot of regional variability - As of April 24, there were 6 states that had baby formula out-of-stock rates higher than 50 percent: Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota were 50-51%. Missouri was 52%. Texas was 53% and Tennessee was 54%

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@hbottemiller

2 years

The retail data on the current supply situation varies. A custom analysis by @datasembly found that over the past two weeks, the out-of-stock percentage for baby formula nationwide increased from 31 to 40 percent.

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@hbottemiller

2 years

Hank had a great time meeting Peanut Butter & Jelly today, even though they were much bigger than he expected. 😂

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

The Trump administration has refused to publicize dozens of government-funded government studies that carry warnings about the wide-ranging effects of climate change, defying a longstanding practice of touting such findings by USDA scientists. My latest:

Agriculture Department buries studies showing dangers of climate change

The Trump administration has stopped promoting government-funded research into how higher temperatures can damage crops and pose health risks.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

6 years

So thrilled to win a James Beard award tonight. Thanks to @sfheuser & @MauraReynolds for all their work to help me tell this story in a way that would resonate amid our current political frenzy. Thanks to @loladze for letting me tell his story. He is brilliant. #jbfa

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@hbottemiller

7 years

FYI, animal lovers: The company was super responsive, has the truck #, etc.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

So thrilled and totally overwhelmed by this news! BIG THANKS to so many people at @politico who made this package of stories possible. 👇

POLITICO journalist wins prestigious Polk Award

Helena Bottemiller Evich is recognized for series examining USDA's failure to address climate issues.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

1 year

I was just pushing a stroller on the sidewalk when we were randomly stopped by the hubbub. Just sharing to say it's great when people are kind, regardless of who they are and regardless of who is watching. Happy New Year!

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

🧵Unplugged this weekend because I've been wrapping up a big investigative project & I'm totally fried--heck of a time to go offline! I do welcome criticism. I hear it. Media deserves PLENTY of it. That said, I want to share some context here that I think is important:

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@hbottemiller

2 years

However, not all data sets suggest outages this high. @iriworldwide , which pulls information directly from retailers, found that the average in-stock rate is currently about 79% across the U.S. — far below the pre-pandemic norms of 95%, but not critically low.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

I was so late to the Harry Styles party, but I'm so glad to be here now.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

7 years

P.S. I also called the company to get the driver some help - I felt bad for the little bugger even tho raccoons are kind of the worst.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

In conclusion, criticism is healthy. I hear it. I'd personally LOVE to see more policy coverage. Especially on food policy. Most pubs see it as a niche beat not worthy of attention. More reporting. Less opining. Thanks for reading! P.S. I'll have more on school meals soon.

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@hbottemiller

3 years

A lot of folks don’t realize this - per capita meat and dairy are up despite these buzzy trends

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@hbottemiller

2 years

Is it a Veep skit or the downfall of American democracy?

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

Honored to be nominated for a James Beard Award 🎉

James Beard Foundation

@beardfoundation

2 years

Health and Wellness: Michael Behar for @EatingWell ; @hbottemiller for @politico ; and @AdrianaV for @endocrineweb #jbfa

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

So thankful to work in a newsroom with leaders who will enthusiastically put nearly 4k words on **agricultural science** front and center on the homepage. And thankful for the readers who are making it the most read story on @politico right now!

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

This line of questioning from @SenatorTester (a farmer) is fascinating... he's asking whether anyone is studying whether more modern wheat varietals are really healthy for people. "Why isn't FDA doing it?" @DrMayneFDAFood says they don't have the resources to study that.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

. @AndrewYang beat me to tweeting my own story. Maybe he has a google alert for “USDA” like I do? 🚜

Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸

@AndrewYang

5 years

Suppressing scientific research and findings is the opposite of what we should be doing

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

6 years

Scoop: Trump admin to announce billions in aid for farmers suffering losses from trade retaliation @ceboudreau , @ABehsudi & me here:

Trump to offer farmers $12B in trade aid

The administration is also rolling out new, campaign-style hats that say: 'Make Our Farmers Great Again.'

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

For the record, I was the one who first reported that McConnell was dug in against school meal waiver extensions on 3/7. *My reporting is quite literally how most people knew this was happening.* Here's the headline on that first story:

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

Several Dems have criticized @USDA over my story, including @SenAmyKlobuchar , @SenStabenow , @SenatorBennet , @SenatorLeahy & @AndrewYang .

Democrats demand answers from USDA on lack of climate science promotion

"While our farmers fight against #ClimateChange, #USDA is shamefully fighting against #science," Sen. Patrick Leahy wrote.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

For as much as the food industry complains (and complains bitterly) about any new mandatory labeling, it’s amazing how quickly the entire leafy greens industry was able to label where romaine is grown to get it back on the market.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

My favorite thing about more folks working from home is that we are no longer pretending that we don't have kids or elders or other people or pets or homes to care for. There's just much more openness (and also noise). I feel like I get to know people more? Am I just a sap?

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

3 years

Finally spotted this in the wild. I think we're going to see *a lot* more climate food marketing in the coming years - some of it based on real change, some of it pure greenwashing.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

6 years

NEWS: Farm bill appears to be scuttled for the time being as Freedom Caucus wants immigration vote *before* farm bill. “At this point there’s not enough votes to pass the farm bill.” - @RepMarkMeadows

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

1 year

Buttigieg smiled and held the man's hand for a while, until he put it together. "Pete!" He was excited and lit up when he realized @Chasten was there, too. They chatted for a min and then went their separate ways.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

3 years

This is BIG: Households with kids reporting dramatic drop in hunger after first tax credit payment last month

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

6 years

Just asked Senate Ag Chairman @PatRoberts if he's taken a look at the Trump administration's plan to move SNAP from USDA to HHS. “I haven’t looked at it because we’re not going to do it." [long pause] "Is that succinct enough for you?”

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

Thread >> Five years ago, I started recording audio on my phone of my beloved grandma Helen talking about her life. Each time I visited her in PA, I asked a few questions while we cooked or putzed. What's your earliest memory? Have you always been interested in politics?

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

The next scooter bro who nearly runs into me while I’m visibly pregnant is getting clotheslined. And I will not be sorry about it! 😑

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

The White House suggested last week USDA doesn’t have *$1.7 billion* to cover gap in food stamps for nearly 39 million people in February. Earlier this year, USDA was able to pledge *$12 billion* in trade aid for farmers w/o getting any new money from Congress.

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

Hi! I'm back from maternity leave! What did I miss? You know, other than a globe-changing pandemic and the food/ag sector being upended... What still needs to be covered? Drop me a line! DM or email - hbottemiller @politico .com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

5 years

Managed to do an hour long panel on agriculture with a mostly urban audience *OUTSIDE* in feels like 97 degree Austin heat while 7 months pregnant so I’m assigning myself a gold star for the day ⭐️

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

4 years

Climate change has been a politically fraught topic in agriculture for decades, but things are starting to change. My latest:

How a closed-door meeting shows farmers are waking up on climate change

Perdue, Vilsack and leading agricultural groups gathered in a Maryland barn to talk about the farm-country issue that dare not speak its name.

www.politico.com

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Helena Bottemiller Evich

@hbottemiller

2 years

FDA only inspected 3 of the country's 23 infant formula plants in 2020, per AP. (These inspections usually happen at least 1/year) That means someone decided that infant formula wasn't "mission critical" during pandemic. Many Qs about that decision.

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