Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker, announced a series of new programs for homeless youth, and one of the programs is a pilot to house homeless community college students. Through the program, 20 homeless students at four community colleges will be provided with dormitory rooms in which to live at nearby four-year public colleges and universities. The state will reimburse the colleges for the cost of dormitory space for 18 months during the pilot, which will include access to the rooms during the summer and academic term breaks. [node:read-more:link]

NJ pension officials finalizing $100 million stake in private-equity fund that specializes in buying and leasing farmland in West, Midwest and Mississippi Delta. [node:read-more:link]

New York and five other states are suing the Trump administration in a bid to force the Environmental Protection Agency to take stronger steps to curb air pollution that blows across state lines. The so-called “good neighbor” provision of the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to police air pollution in certain states to ensure that it doesn’t blight downwind states. [node:read-more:link]

China has agreed to resume purchases of U.S. soybeans following talks Thursday between President Trump and Beijing's top trade negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He. It will start off by purchasing 5 million metric tons.  "Five million tons of soybeans per day," Trump told reporters at a Oval Office meeting with Liu. "That's going to make our farmers very happy. That's a lot of soybeans."The U.S. Trade Representative's Office clarified that the deal is for a one-time purchase of 5 million metric tons. [node:read-more:link]

Truterra works by pulling in data from a number of public sources to create what Weller calls “the mother of all environmental databases.” From there, the program asks the farmer a number of questions, digging into the nitty gritty of the farm’s agricultural practices, everything from nutrient application to water irrigation to cover cropping. Once the analysis is complete, the program provides the farmer with a number of recommendations designed to increase the farm’s sustainability. [node:read-more:link]

A team of Iowa researchers has concluded that there's no actionable evidence that the sound of wind turbines is a danger to public. Instead, the report authors found that reported symptoms of hearing loss or poor sleep are more likely related to people’s attitudes and beliefs about wind development. Residents in areas seeing wind development sometimes report headaches, sleep disturbance, hearing loss and other symptoms. A team of researchers from the University of Iowa, the Iowa Policy Project and The Iowa Environmental Council explored potential causes of these symptoms. [node:read-more:link]

After nearly a year of work by a legislative committee, a bill released Thursday afternoon outlines how Oregon would drastically cut its greenhouse gas emissions and become the second state to implement a cap and trade system. The anticipated legislation — criticized before it even appeared — instantly became the talk of the Capitol, though many legislators weren’t exactly certain what had emerged. [node:read-more:link]

Frustrated by federal inaction, state lawmakers in 41 states have proposed detailed plans to lower soaring prescription drug costs. Some measures would give state Medicaid agencies more negotiating power. Others would disclose the pricing decisions of the drug manufacturers and the companies that administer prescription drug plans. The more ambitious proposals would bump up against federal authority, such as legislation that would allow importing drugs from Canada or alter federal statutes on the prices states pay for drugs in Medicaid. [node:read-more:link]

Hawaii Dairy Farms announced it was discontinuing plans for a pasture-based dairy farm on Kauai. Instead, it will explore other alternatives for food production on the Grove Farm land in Mahaulepu on the South Side.“It is disappointing we were unable to find a path forward to help bring a more sustainable model of dairy farming to Hawaii,” said Amy Hennessey, director of communications for investor Ulupono Initiative in a statement. [node:read-more:link]

A bill allowing South Dakota residents to carry concealed handguns without a permit, also called "constitutional carry," is heading to Gov. Kristi Noem for a decision.  The House passed Senate Bill 47 in a 47-23 vote.Bill sponsor Rep. Lee Qualm, R-Platte, called it a "simple" bill that repeals the permit requirement, but doesn't change who can carry a concealed handgun in South Dakota.  [node:read-more:link]