Americans spend billions on Halloween annually. But with every modestly priced pumpkin come behind-the-scenes costs that add up for the farms producing them, like seeds, fertilizer, irrigation and labor.

Food production is concentrated in too few countries, many of which face water shortages, the researchers said.

Undocumented labor quietly props up the entire American economy — but nowhere more dramatically than on dairy farms.

Food is the springboard to talk about a host of issues, including climate, economic justice, public health and labor.

With the strikes in the Odesa region, Russia appears to be trying again to prevent Ukraine from exporting grain, harming its economy and pushing up world prices.

Readers discuss recent hurricanes and actions that citizens can take. Also: Jack Smith’s timing; the Supreme Court and the campaign; therapy as health care; a Trumpian character.