Lydia Johnson

CropLife America hired Annemarie Pender as senior director of strategic communications. Landus president and CEO Matt Carstens abruptly stepped down on Friday, April 4.

Combest, Sell & Associates hired Sydney Lundberg as a staff economist based in Washington D.C. National Pork Board CEO Bill Even will leave his position on May 1 after nine years leading the organization. John Hendrix was promoted to legislative assistant on the House Agriculture Committee majority staff. 

House GOP leaders will try to win passage of the Senate-passed budget framework over opposition of deficit hawks this week, and lawmakers will get a chance to vent their concerns about the market turmoil unleashed by President Donald Trump’s stiff new tariffs. You'll find a full list of hearings and events scheduled for this week.

There is continued handwringing on Capitol Hill over the president’s vast new duties on U.S. trade partners. Senators have launched a bipartisan bid to claw back some congressional oversight of U.S. trade policy less than 24 hours after the “Liberation Day” announcement.

National Pork Board CEO Bill Even will step down from his post on May 1 after nine years and return to his family’s South Dakota farming operation. Alex Wibholm will serve as interim CEO

Just hours after President Trump announced sweeping new duties on U.S. trade partners, multiple senators from his own party sided with Democrats to rebuke his trade policy.

Julie Berge joined the Wine Institute as vice president of communications and member relations. She was previously senior director of strategic communications at the Western States Petroleum Association. Earlier in her career, Berge worked at global communications firm FleishmanHillard focused on using storytelling to connect food and wine clients with Californians. 

Lesly Weber McNitt returned to the National Corn Growers Association this week as vice president of public policy, leading the Washington office and serving as the chief advocate. She worked at NCGA from 2017 to 2021 managing NCGA trade and biotech portfolios. McNitt earlier was senior professional staff member on the House Ag Committee, chief of staff at USDA Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services and most recently a leader at the global malnutrition philanthropy Eleanor Crooke Foundation. 

Enjoy the weekend because there’s a huge week ahead on the trade front. President Donald Trump will announce his reciprocal tariffs and also make a decision on the scope of existing tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

ACWA leads water bill opposition * U.S. ‘no longer reliable’? * Lawmakers get HHS news as it happens

President Donald Trump is announcing new tariffs on U.S. car and truck imports — and they may have implications for agriculture. The announcement of the 25% tariff comes just days before Trump is set to unveil “reciprocal” duties on U.S. trade partners.