Researchers increasingly draw links between pesticides and serious illnesses like cancer, Parkinson’s disease, birth defects, and a host of others, as well as impacts on aquatic life, such as the Potomac River’s very own intersex fish. Lately the mystery surrounding worldwide beehive loss is leading researchers to question when, where and how pesticides are used and how they affect bees. Maybe the beekeepers’ demand for the most basic pesticide information could be a tipping point in the quest for a reporting database.

This week marks an important turning point in the conversation about school food. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that 80 percent of schools are serving healthier meals that meet the nutrition standards—just one year after they were established. But USDA wasn’t the only...

On October 1, 2013, a historical accomplishment for socioeconomic parity for all Americans but in particular for African Americans and minorities and the beginning of a happier, healthier, more equal America for ALL totally happened. Also on October 1, 2013, most major functions of the United States government shutdown. For my those living under a rock, October 1st was the official beginning of the (first) “open enrollment period” for Health Insurance Marketplaces around the country. For all of my non-political readers, it was also the first day of the government’s 2014 Fiscal Budget.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Let's call September the Month of the Conference, shall we? For three out of four weeks in September, various MomsRising staff members, including myself, traveled all over the country to talk about food and healthcare. Both of these campaigns are timely as the USDA passed new...