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The Next Chapter of WOTUS
The Next Chapter of WOTUS

The EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are seeking comment on the pre-2015 WOTUS rule published in the Federal Register.

Tennessee Singer Wins NCBA’s National Anthem Contest
Tennessee Singer Wins NCBA’s National Anthem Contest

Stephanie Nash of Chapel Hill, Tenn., is the winner of the 9th annual National Anthem Contest, sponsored by Norbrook®. Nash will sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at the 2022 Cattle Industry Convention in Houston.

Secy. Vilsack Unpacks Build Back Better and What it Means for Ag
Secy. Vilsack Unpacks Build Back Better and What it Means for Ag

On Tuesday, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack rang in on AgriTalk to share agriculture’s angle in the BBB plan with host Chip Flory.

USDA Invests $32 Million to Strengthen U.S. Food Supply Chain
USDA Invests $32 Million to Strengthen U.S. Food Supply Chain

USDA Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced on Monday the investment of $32 million in grants awarded to 167 meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities to support expanded capacity and efficiency.

New Advocacy Program Blazes Trail for Beef
New Advocacy Program Blazes Trail for Beef

The new Trailblazers program takes advocacy to the next level by giving participants the tools and training they need to promote beef to new audiences while addressing and correcting myths.

House, Senate Deliver Cattle Market Compromise
House, Senate Deliver Cattle Market Compromise

U.S. Senators and Representatives introduce legislation that seeks to return fairness to the cattle marketplace dominated by four major meat packers.

Trade Mentioned, Not a Focus of Biden-Xi Talks as China Warns U.S. It's 'Playing with Fire' on Taiwan
Trade Mentioned, Not a Focus of Biden-Xi Talks as China Warns U.S. It's 'Playing with Fire' on Taiwan

High-level talks between the U.S. and China yielded no major outcome Monday night. From human rights issues to crypto mining, leaders talked about a number of issues. Trade was mentioned but was not a priority topic.

Cattle Market Compromise Ensures Transparency, Eliminates Confidentiality
Cattle Market Compromise Ensures Transparency, Eliminates Confidentiality

AgriTalk’s Chip Flory is accompanied by Iowa Cattlemen’s CEO Matt Deppe on Tuesday as they discuss the new Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act that U.S. Senators are expected to propose in coming days.

Dissecting Congress' $1.2T Infrastructure Plan, What's In It For Agriculture?
Dissecting Congress' $1.2T Infrastructure Plan, What's In It For Agriculture?

After months of negotiation, the House passed the $1.2T infrastructure Bill. With $550 billion in new spending, from roads and bridges to a boost to broadband, we look into what's in the bill for agriculture.

U.S. Democrats Pass $1 Trln Infrastructure Bill, Ending Daylong Standoff
U.S. Democrats Pass $1 Trln Infrastructure Bill, Ending Daylong Standoff

Democrats set aside divisions between progressives and centrists to pass a $1 trillion package of highway, broadband and other infrastructure improvement, sending it on to President Joe Biden to sign into law.

World Leaders Are Placing Big Bets On Agriculture In The Growing Climate Crisis Debate
World Leaders Are Placing Big Bets On Agriculture In The Growing Climate Crisis Debate

The Biden administration kicked off the nearly week-long trip EU climate trip with a $1 billion announcement. And there's more funds in the Build Back Better program, but some say details are still sparse.

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Senators on Cyberattacks: ‘Agricultural Security is National Security’

Cyber criminals strike the agricultural industry once more. This time, a dairy processing company in Wisconsin. Senators Grassley and Ernst take the Floor while Resilience’s Davis Hake talks insurance.

From Historic Conservation Funding to Farmer Debt Relief, Who Will Pay for Biden's Revised Build Back Better Plan?
From Historic Conservation Funding to Farmer Debt Relief, Who Will Pay for Biden's Revised Build Back Better Plan?

Biden's new Build Back Better plan could have a sweeping impact on ag. The plan provides a boost to biofuels and conservation efforts and expands USDA's proposed minority farmer and rancher debt relief by $6 billion.

 Newest Tax Proposal in Washington Won’t Impact Most Farmers Today, But Tax Expert Warns it Could Be a Trojan Horse for Higher Taxes
Newest Tax Proposal in Washington Won’t Impact Most Farmers Today, But Tax Expert Warns it Could Be a Trojan Horse for Higher Taxes

The newest tax proposal in Washington would impose a tax on billionaires. A farm tax expert warns the proposed changes could turn into a trojan horse for farmers and result in higher taxes within a decade.

House Ag Committee Passes Chronic Wasting Disease Bill to Hinder the Spread of Prions
House Ag Committee Passes Chronic Wasting Disease Bill to Hinder the Spread of Prions

The House Agriculture Committee passed the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act with a unanimous vote, allotting $70 million annually to chronic wasting disease (CWD) control.

Cattle Contract Library Act Passes Ag Committee
Cattle Contract Library Act Passes Ag Committee

The House Ag Committee passed the Cattle Contract Library Act of 2021 by unanimous vote on Thursday. Supporters say the act would give greater transparency to cattle markets and more leverage to producers.

Beef Contract Library Bill Introduced in House
Beef Contract Library Bill Introduced in House

“Cattle Contract Library Act of 2021” is designed to provide cattlemen with the market data needed to make more informed marketing decisions and exert greater leverage in negotiations with major meatpackers.

China Presses U.S. to Cancel Tariffs in Test of Bilateral Engagement
China Presses U.S. to Cancel Tariffs in Test of Bilateral Engagement

China said on Saturday it pressed the United States to eliminate tariffs in talks between the countries' top trade officials that Washington saw as a test of bilateral engagement between the world's biggest economies.

FSA Farmer Fallout? Vaccine Mandate Pegs All Personnel, Including Elected County Committee Members
FSA Farmer Fallout? Vaccine Mandate Pegs All Personnel, Including Elected County Committee Members

The White House’s executive order signed in September requires all USDA employees to be vaccinated by Nov. 22, and includes county FSA offices and employees, as well as elected county committee members who are paid.

Biden Announces Expansion of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase
Biden Announces Expansion of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase

The White House announced Thursday President Joe Biden would sign three proclamations to restore protections for Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine national monuments.

trade cargo
U.S., China Container Shipping Rates Plummet 50%, Backlog of Unfilled Orders Grows

As backlogs at U.S. ports and climbing shipping rates plague the supply chain, new data shows container shipping rates between the U.S and China are dropping by more than 50% in  just a month. 

Mandatory COOL Discussions Heat Up
Mandatory COOL Discussions Heat Up

"The shirts you and I are wearing today say where they come from, but the beef we put in the center of our plate doesn’t have to bear that label,” Sen. John Thune told Chip Flory on AgriTalk about mandatory COOL.

Secy. Vilsack, ‘I think at the end of the day I should pay tax’
Secy. Vilsack, ‘I think at the end of the day I should pay tax’

Chip Flory is joined by USDA Secretary Vilsack to discuss who is affected by stepped-up basis and why he thinks agricultural America should be in support of it.

Biden Administration Seeks to Protect Americans from Extreme Heat
Biden Administration Seeks to Protect Americans from Extreme Heat

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday ordered his administration to find ways to ensure people are protected from extreme heat, including through work-related rules and other cooling efforts.

USMEF Approves of President Biden’s USTR Nomination
USMEF Approves of President Biden’s USTR Nomination

President Biden’s nomination of Elaine Trevin for USTR role could produce a win for agriculture. Those in trade are taking notice.

BLM Will Relocate Headquarters Back To D.C.
BLM Will Relocate Headquarters Back To D.C.

On Friday Interior secretary Deb Haaland announced the BLM will move its headquarters back to Washington, DC, after having relocated to Grand Junction, Colo., during the Trump administration.

Biden Announces Methane Reduction Effort, NCBA Confident In U.S. Cattle Record
Biden Announces Methane Reduction Effort, NCBA Confident In U.S. Cattle Record

The U.S. and the European Union have launched a global pledge to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% by the end of the decade. NCBA urges an open dialog on domestic methane targets.

White House Takes On 'Big Meat,' Says Inflation Isn't the Source of Swelling Retail Protein Prices
White House Takes On 'Big Meat,' Says Inflation Isn't the Source of Swelling Retail Protein Prices

In an unprecedented move, the Biden administration unveiled a broad plan to tackle record retail meat prices. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said consolidation in beef, pork and poultry processing is leading to higher prices.

NCBA Pressures Congress to Protect Family-Owned Businesses
NCBA Pressures Congress to Protect Family-Owned Businesses

Congress must consider the implications that changes to federal tax policy will have on family-owned agricultural businesses, and the “American Families Plan” must also support family farms and ranches.

U.S. Out of Time on Climate, Biden Says After Hurricane Ida
U.S. Out of Time on Climate, Biden Says After Hurricane Ida

President Biden highlighted the ravages of climate change during a visit to flood-damaged New Jersey on Tuesday, putting a focus on domestic priorities after weeks of public attention on the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Vilsack Says USDA is Still Assessing Hurricane Ida Damage, Outlines Possibilities for Disaster Aid
Vilsack Says USDA is Still Assessing Hurricane Ida Damage, Outlines Possibilities for Disaster Aid

Hurricane Ida, and possible aid to producers, was a big topic of the Farm Journal Farm Country Update with Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday. Vilsack highlighted when additional aid may be on the way. 

Fire, Fuel and Food: Secretary Vilsack Outlines How USDA Is Helping Producers, Combatting Climate Change
Fire, Fuel and Food: Secretary Vilsack Outlines How USDA Is Helping Producers, Combatting Climate Change

U.S. Secretary spoke on the impacts of climate change in the agricultural industry, as well as prevention plans set forth by the Biden Administration, during Thursday's Farm Journal Farm Country Update.

USMEF Audio: Shipping Obstacles Continue to Be a Challenge for Red Meat Exporters
USMEF Audio: Shipping Obstacles Continue to Be a Challenge for Red Meat Exporters

While U.S. pork and beef exports have achieved impressive volumes in 2021, port congestion and other shipping obstacles continue to frustrate exporters.

Ag Secretary to Join Virtual Town Hall, Discussing Most Pressing Issues in Agriculture
Ag Secretary to Join Virtual Town Hall, Discussing Most Pressing Issues in Agriculture

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will join Clinton Griffiths for a virtual live town-hall Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. CDT. Farmers and ranchers will ask about the most pressing issues and opportunities they face.

Court Strikes Down Navigable Waters Protection Rule
Court Strikes Down Navigable Waters Protection Rule

The U.S. District Court in Arizona struck down the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule, a regulation that corrected the 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and provided protections to farmers and ranchers.

Record-Breaking Agricultural Exports Expected to Continue Through 2022
Record-Breaking Agricultural Exports Expected to Continue Through 2022

USDA is out with its new ag export forecast for both this year and next, and it's showing exports could hit $173.5 billion in 2021, $4 billion more than 2020, due to higher livestock, poultry and dairy exports.

Pfizer Vaccine Receives Full FDA Approval: “Now is the Time to Get Vaccinated,” White House Says
Pfizer Vaccine Receives Full FDA Approval: “Now is the Time to Get Vaccinated,” White House Says

Dr. Bechara Choucair, White House vaccination coordinator, joins AgriTalk’s Chip Flory to discuss Full FDA approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for people 16 years old and older.

Port Problems Continue as Single COVID-19 Case Partially Shutters World's Third Largest Port in China
Port Problems Continue as Single COVID-19 Case Partially Shutters World's Third Largest Port in China

Shipping issues continue to surface. The latest is in China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan container port, which is the third-busiest in the world, and has been partially shut down for six days, with no sign of reopening yet.

USDA to Increase SNAP Benefits By More than 20% Starting in October
USDA to Increase SNAP Benefits By More than 20% Starting in October

A big increase in benefits is on the way for Americans receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The average SNAP benefit will increase for FY 2022 beginning on Oct. 1, according to the agency.

Beef_Hamburgers
U.S., Global Meat Demand Beefs Up as Cattle Industry Works to Keep Beef at Center of the Plate

Consumer and wholesale beef demand are currently at 30-year highs, and economists say there are currently limited signs of that demand slowing down, as beefed up demand is a story across the U.S. and around the world.

Bridge
52% of New Spending in Senate Infrastructure Bill Funds Transportation, Passage Expected to Hit Major Roadblock in the House

The Senate passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill Tuesday, and transportation could receive more than half the new funding slated in the bill, but the plan is expected to hit a major roadblock in the House.

Hear It Here First: Vilsack Shares Details on Important ‘First Step’ for Infrastructure Bill
Hear It Here First: Vilsack Shares Details on Important ‘First Step’ for Infrastructure Bill

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack joined AgriTalk host Chip Flory on Tuesday to celebrate what he described as an important first step in the process of improving infrastructure in rural America and across the country.

Thousands Gather in Tennessee for Annual Cattle Industry Convention
Thousands Gather in Tennessee for Annual Cattle Industry Convention

The 2021 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show kicked off in Nashville Tuesday, where more than 6,000 cattle producers, industry partners and stakeholders gathered for the event.

EPA Announces Plans to Revert Back to Pre-Obama WOTUS Rule, Public Input Meetings Set for August
EPA Announces Plans to Revert Back to Pre-Obama WOTUS Rule, Public Input Meetings Set for August

EPA announced it's creating a durable definition of WOTUS by reverting back to the pre-Obama era rule as a framework. EPA is encouraging farmers and ranchers to weigh in during a series of public meetings in August.

High Steaks: Hearings Highlight Need for Congressional Action on Cattle Price Transparency
High Steaks: Hearings Highlight Need for Congressional Action on Cattle Price Transparency

It was a busy week on Capitol Hill for the beef industry. NCBA’s Ethan Lane joined AgriTalk to sum up the events.

$1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Clears Senate Hurdle, Includes Biggest Bridge Funding Since Eisenhower Era
$1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Clears Senate Hurdle, Includes Biggest Bridge Funding Since Eisenhower Era

The Senate cleared a key procedural vote on a bipartisan infrastructure deal Wednesday, which could set Biden’s infrastructure focus into action. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called it “a very big moment."

House Ag Committee Takes a Turn Tackling Beef Supply Chain Issues
House Ag Committee Takes a Turn Tackling Beef Supply Chain Issues

The hearing held on July 28 featured testimony from economists and covered the recent Black Swan events affecting the cattle industry.

From Drought and Derecho Damage, to Losses from Record Cold Temps, $8.5B Disaster Aid Bill Passes House Ag Committee
From Drought and Derecho Damage, to Losses from Record Cold Temps, $8.5B Disaster Aid Bill Passes House Ag Committee

New WHIP+ legislation made its way out of the House Agriculture Committee Tuesday. The $8.5B bill expands not only the type of weather events and resulted losses covered, but also the level of drought needed to qualify.

Tense U.S., China High-Level Meeting Wraps Up, China Says Countries are in a 'Stalemate'
Tense U.S., China High-Level Meeting Wraps Up, China Says Countries are in a 'Stalemate'

U.S. and Chinese officials met face-to-face for high-level talks, and the meeting had a tense tone as the countries remain at odds over issues from cyber security to human rights. 

Farm Reform Act a “Direct Attack” on Cattle Production NCBA’s Lane Says
Farm Reform Act a “Direct Attack” on Cattle Production NCBA’s Lane Says

Lane joined AgriTalk this week to discuss the bill, which was introduced by Sen. Cory Booker, who is known for being vegan among other things.