The National Coalition for Food and Agricultural Research has tapped Laura Peterson to be the new executive director, and Jess McCarron has left the Senate Ag Committee.

The House and Senate are both heading back to Capitol Hill this week as a partial government shutdown looms at the end of next week.

The U.S. and China are set to go head to head at the World Trade Organization in Geneva next week in a brewing battle over Chinese wheat and rice subsidies, and neither side is showing any sign of backing down.