Quick hits: 'New' Superman is super-rural; VA restructuring; chocolate bar price bump; public pool safety; how much land does each state farm?

Superman (David Corenswet) and his dog Krypto in ‘Superman’ (Warner Bros, IMDb image via the Yonder).

Before Superman was super-anything, he was an orphan raised by farmers in Smallville, Kansas. The newest Superman is an old-fashioned, sincere and sometimes corny-sounding hero-in-the-making, who struggles to stay true to his ideals "in a world beset by 24/7 media noise, rationalized indifference, and organized meanness," writes Adam B. Giorgi for The Daily Yonder. "The boon of super strength and super speed doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to keep being good in the face of hardship, to do the right thing when the chips are down, or to be kind even when it’s not expected or rewarded."

After shedding roughly 30,000 jobs earlier this year and announcing it plans to curtail further layoffs, the Department of Veterans Affairs is still restructuring. "Senior leaders are telling employees that major changes are still coming," reports Eric Katz of Government Executive. "The VA is looking to empower medical center directors. Several employees, based on meetings and internal conversations, speculated that headquarters and possibly regional staff could be a casualty of that change."

'Inflation isn't finished with your chocolate bar.'

Chocolate maker Hershey may sell delightful sweets, but its latest announcement is a summer bummer. "Hershey is raising prices on its candy in response to continued high cocoa costs," reports Owen Tucker-Smith and Jesse Newman of The Wall Street Journal. While exact price hikes will vary, U.S. consumers can expect a roughly 20% increase on Hershey treats. "Three-quarters of Hershey’s confection portfolio should continue to cost $4 or less. . . .Demand for Hershey’s products has stayed strong. Shares of Hershey are up more than 7% this year."

With its varied seasons and climates, U.S. farmers and gardeners grow thousands of different crops each year. The amount of land dedicated to principal crops depends on the state. Discovering which states and regions farm the most land is best described in the map shared below.

Over half of Iowa is dedicated to farming. Click on map to enlarge.

The future of farming may involve less physical labor and more technology. "Imagine a farm where fleets of autonomous tractors, drones and harvesters are guided by AI that tweaks operations minute by minute based on soil and weather data," reports William Boston of The Wall Street Journal. "Farmers could swap long hours in the cab for monitoring dashboards and making high-level decisions. . . . Despite the promise of digital tools and autonomous machines, cost is a big barrier." 

Taking care while enjoying public pools can help reduce the chance of illness or skin rashes.
(Photo by Maria Korneeva, Moment, Getty Images via The Conversation CC)

Does chlorine kill all infectious "things" that end up swimming in the public pool? No. "Summer news headlines and social media posts often spotlight the 'ick-factor' of communal swimming spaces. These concerns do have some merit," writes Lisa Cuchara for The Conversation. "The good news is that chlorine, which is widely used in pools, is effective at killing many pathogens. The not-so-good news is that chlorine does not work instantly, and it doesn’t kill everything. . . .Read Cuchara's 10 tips for healthier public pool swimming here.