A hurricane is brewing in the Gulf Coast and political storms are developing as Congress is back to work facing an end of month deadline on a spending plan for the new fiscal year. 

Hurricane Milton increased to a Category 5 storm today and is expected to make landfall late Wednesday threatening damage to areas already suffering from Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago. 

Agriculture groups are relieved that Gulf and East Coast ports are back open. European regulations on deforestation may be pushed back. 

As the death toll climbs from Hurricane Helene, crop damage is being measured much further west than the epicenter of the storm. 

The impact of the East and Gulf Coast port strike ripples through the economy and can stymie container shipping of U.S. soybeans and soy products to global customers. 

Damage estimates from last week's hurricane continue to grow across the south in the wake of the storm.