LOS BANOS — The parade of plaid-shirted gentlemen sat politely in the octagonal Germino Building at the Merced County Fairground. About 200 farmers participated in a town hall meeting Friday with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and four California congressmen. Perdue answered hot-button ag issues about tariffs and labor with...
Biden Attacks Trump on Trade as Both Come to Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa — Democrat Joe Biden is assailing President Donald Trump on trade and broadly branding him as "existential threat to America" in a preview of what the country might expect if he prevails in his party's primary contest. The president, also coming to Iowa on Tuesday, was likely...
Feds Raise Water Allocations for Farmers. Westlands Isn’t Impressed.
Citing the latest storms sweeping through California, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation approved a slight increase in water allocation to westside farmers. The agency that provides water to those farmers says it's still not enough. Allocations for Central Valley Project South-of-Delta agricultural use were increased from 65% to 70%, the...
AP NewsBreak: US Plans to Lift Protections for Gray Wolves
BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S. wildlife officials plan to lift protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states, a move certain to re-ignite the legal battle over a predator that's rebounding in some regions and running into conflicts with farmers and ranchers, an official told The Associated Press. Acting Interior...
Judge Upholds Protection for Gray Wolves in California
LOS ANGELES — A California judge on Monday upheld protection for gray wolves under the state's Endangered Species Act, rejecting a legal challenge from ranchers and farmers who fear the predators will threaten their livestock. The judge in San Diego ruled that California was right to list the wolves as...
State OKs More Water for Salmon, Less for Farmers and Cities
SACRAMENTO — A state board on Wednesday approved a contentious proposal to boost water flows through the San Joaquin River, a move that would increase habitat for salmon but deliver less water to farmers and cities such as San Francisco. The plan under consideration by the Water Resources Control Board...
AP Interview: Jones Says Farmers Scared by Trump’s Tariffs
WASHINGTON — Sen. Doug Jones said Alabama's soybean farmers and automobile manufacturers are "scared to death" over President Donald Trump's tariff wars, but he cautioned Democrats from spending too much time attacking the president as the party tries to win back heartland voters ahead of the 2020 presidential election. In...
Nearly 85 Percent of UN Nations Back Migration Deal; Not US
MARRAKECH, Morocco — Defying fierce opposition from the United States and a few other nations, nearly 85 percent of the countries at the U.N. agreed Monday on a sweeping yet non-binding accord to ensure safe, orderly and humane migration. The debate over the Global Compact for Migration, the first of...
As Aid Checks Go Out, Farmers Worry Bailout Won't Be Enough
WASHINGTON — Farmers across the United States will soon begin receiving government checks as part of a billion-dollar bailout to buoy growers experiencing financial strain from President Donald Trump's trade disputes with China. But even those poised for big payouts worry it won't be enough. And while support for Trump...
Trump's Tariffs Could Sow Trouble for GOP in Farm Districts
SPANGLE, Wash. — In the aptly named Harvester Restaurant, wheat farmer Roy Dube makes clear he's no fan of President Donald Trump's trade policy. "We get him elected into office and he pulls us out of trade agreements," Dube said last week as local farmers gathered to hear Democratic House...