Appointment Hostages The number of presidential nominees being held hostage in the U.S. Senate is notable for several reasons:
Placing a hold on an appointee is typically a tactic used against the White House by the opposing party in the Senate, but now it is being actively exercised by Republicans against their own party’s leader. Many of the holds relate to trade or agriculture such as the following:
- Senator Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) is holding up Chief Agriculture Negotiator-designee Gregg Doud because U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Lighthizer has yet to respond to him on the ill effects of the proposed expedited safeguard for perishables in the NAFTA renegotiation. - Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) is blocking two U...
What You Need to Know Today: USDA reports are delayed until Tuesday due to the federal holiday on Monday. Over the weekend, President Trump announced a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Russia warmly welcomed and confirmed this ceasefire by conducting more strikes against Ukraine. Specific...
On Saturday, 10 October, at a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, President Trump said that the U.S. and Mexico would come to terms on a new trade deal, and he said Canada does not need to be part of the deal. Trump called the coming agreement with Mexico “great” but gave no d...
Key Takeaways: The United States has steadily lost global wheat export market share since the 1970s, falling from the world's leading exporter to a projected fifth place in 2026/27. The rapid expansion of Black Sea wheat exports, driven by improved productivity and export infrastructure, has r...
