Balanced Reporting. Trusted Insights. Friday, June 19, 2026

Rural

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Colorado River politics snag pick for Reclamation commissioner

Nominee says Upper Basin pressure likely drove White House reconsideration

The Bureau of Reclamation will remain without a leader for the foreseeable future after politics allegedly sank the nomination of former Arizona water official Ted Cooke, leaving the agency rudderless as it arbitrates tense negotiations over a future framework for Colorado River water cuts.


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House Ag's chairman, unedited: 'Farm bill 2.0' & tariff-funded farm aid

Congress has returned to session after the August recess. House Ag Committee Chair Glenn "GT" Thompson has continued to vocalize his goals to take committee action on a “farm bill 2.0” in September to address elements not included in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. During an interview for Agri-Pulse Newsmakers, the chairman discussed what’s on his radar this fall: farm aid payments, tariffs, ag labor reform legislation, the USDA reorganization plan, and his vision for "farm bill 2.0." 



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