Three-way Democratic race at House Agriculture Committee
Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig launched a campaign on Monday to be elected the Democratic leader on the House Agriculture Committee, joining two other candidates, California Rep. Jim Costa and Georgia Rep. David Scott, currently the ranking member. Costa and Craig say they will defend SNAP and climate funding in the new farm bill and carry a Democratic message to rural America, a weak spot for the party.
‘Keep calm and gobble on’
In his final turn at a 77-year-old holiday tradition, President Biden pardoned Peach and Blossom, two Thanksgiving turkeys presented to the White House by U.S. turkey growers, on Monday. “They tell me there’s 2,500 people here today looking for a pardon,” chuckled the president, who will leave office in two months.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Low grocery inflation: Food-at-home prices will rise by 1.2 percent this year, the lowest grocery inflation rate since 0.9 percent in 2019, and by 1.6 percent in the new year, with chicken, fish, eggs, fats and oils, and bakery products costing more, said USDA economists. (USDA)
Trump vows high tariffs: President-elect Donald Trump said he would sign documents immediately after taking office to set a 25 percent tariff on imported goods from Mexico and Canada, and an extra 10 percent on Chinese products; Mexico, Canada, and China account for 48 percent of U.S. food and ag exports. (CNN)
Transition barrier at USDA: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said USDA officials are barred by law from meeting President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, a traditional part of the transfer of power, until the incoming administration signs ethics documents. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
New U.S. Wheat leader: The board of directors of export-promoter U.S. Wheat Associates elected Mike Spier, now the vice president of overseas operations, to become chief executive of the organization when Vince Peterson, the current chief executive, retires in July 2025. (U.S. Wheat)
Private land and the monarch butterfly: Private land conservation may carry outsized importance in the preservation of the Western monarch butterfly, according to an analysis that found the butterfly prefers privately owned fields and river valleys as it migrates across 11 states. (High Country News)
