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An Idaho state district court judge has dismissed a 2022 defamation lawsuit brought by businessman and current USDA Natural Resources and Environment Undersecretary Michael Boren against four people who had criticized his request for a permit to use a pasture on his ranch in a federal recreation area as a landing strip. 

As Washington prepares for a big week in agriculture, with review of the North American trade deal, farm labor legislation and one of USDA’s biggest reports of the year all on tap, the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran was tested this weekend. EPA’s new mandates for biomass-based diesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard are welcome, but the soybean crush industry also needs a signal from the agency on whether to keep expanding, Clean Fuels Alliance America CEO Donnell Rehagen says.

Almost a third of all U.S. agricultural exports are on the line as the first joint review of the North American trade deal starts later this week. In Congress, debate over foreign farm workers begins anew with the unveiling of a plan to revamp ag labor law. 

House Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson plans to introduce a farm labor bill next week, stoking the hopes of ag leaders who say new worker rules are long overdue. 

Senate Ag Committee Chair John Boozman, who has consistently said he doesn’t want to touch the state SNAP cost sharing requirements enacted in last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tells Agri-Pulse Newsmakers he’s open to providing some relief to states working to comply.

 The Senate’s draft farm bill doesn’t include language for year-round E15 or the elimination of California’s Proposition 12, but Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman is still highly optimistic both measures will make it through Congress this year. The two biggest U.S. ethanol trade groups are defending the Trump administration against legal challenges to EPA biofuel-blending rules from environmentalists, biogas groups and oil refiners.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced long-awaited regenerative ag rules aimed at helping farmers fully benefit from biofuel markets. 

A new executive order signed by President Donald Trump seeks to promote precision ag techniques and expedite approval of new pesticide active ingredients. Trump signed the order shortly before hosting farmers for dinner at the White House Rose Garden. 

The American Petroleum Institute says Congress needs to stick with a House-passed E15 bill as President Donald Trump formally asks lawmakers to clear a new funding package that also includes the pro-ethanol measure. 

The Supreme Court gave Monsanto and parent company Bayer a huge win Thursday, ruling that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act preempts certain lawsuits brought under state tort law.