President Joe Biden tries this week to sell congressional Republicans on his massive spending plans and tax proposals, while his nominee for the No. 2 position at the Agriculture Department moves closer to a final Senate vote.

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, tells Agri-Pulse he’s concerned that rural regions could be hit with a new surge of COVID-19 cases this fall if vaccinations continue to lag due to resistance to getting the shot.

Conservation groups praised the Biden administration’s first step in conserving 30% of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030, but the nation’s largest farm group said the initiative still lacks specifics, and a key farm-state senator said he was worried about removing too much land from production.

Voluntary conservation efforts by farmers and ranchers play a central role in the Biden administration’s strategy for conserving 30% of the nation’s land and marine waters by 2030.

Most of the iconic trading pits at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, where traders would buy and sell corn, wheat, soybean and other future contracts with elaborate hand gestures, will close permanently, according to a CME Group announcement.