Articles by Philip Brasher

President Donald Trump took office for the second time Monday, declaring that the “golden age of America begins right now,” and laying out top policy priorities that include raising tariffs, reclaiming the Panama Canal, securing the southern border and ending the “Green New Deal.”

Donald Trump launches his second term with what is promised to be a blizzard of executive orders and mass deportations, while Brooke Rollins gets her confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee. She's expected to face questioning on a wide range of issuses, including biofuels and avian flu.

Richard Fordyce, a Missouri farmer who ran USDA’s Farm Service Agency during the first Trump administration, has been picked to be the department’s undersecretary for farm production and conservation.

Dairy producers have approved a series of modifications to federal milk marketing orders, including reversing a change to milk pricing that was made in the 2018 farm bill, USDA announced Thursday.

More Senate confirmation hearings are on tap today. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head EPA, former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, will appear before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, selected to be interior secretary, will testify before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. 

A fractured clean air plan * Flows-only path hurts housing * Zeldin, Burgum face Senate hearings today

Higher prices for eggs helped drive a 0.3% increase in the cost of groceries in December. Beef prices rose 0.5%, while chicken and pork prices were 0.3% higher.

House Republicans are targeting nutrition assistance for possible funding cuts as they look for ways to pay for other policy priorities, raising questions about how such reductions could affect Democratic support for a new farm bill.

USDA on Monday announced the 2025 enrollment periods for commodity programs used by row crop growers and dairy producers.

One week to go to the new Trump administration. Ahead of next Monday’s inauguration, Senate committees will be rushing to tee up Donald Trump’s least controversial cabinet selections for quick confirmation.