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One of the architects of that plan for a Trump second term said as much in a video last year for the Heritage Foundation. Reissuing Schedule F is part of a roadmap, known as Project 2025, drafted for a second Trump term by scores of conservative groups and published by the Heritage Foundation. The new rules would not fully block reclassifying workers in a second Trump term. Greene said she worries for federal workers who might face the same choice in a second Trump term. The project includes a personnel database for potential hires in a second Trump administration.

Persons: Donald Trump, it’s, —, Trump, Joe Biden, Donald Moynihan, Georgetown University's, ” Donald Moynihan, ” Moynihan, “ It’s, ”, Russell Vought, “, you’re, Doreen Greenwald, Moynihan, Kenneth Baer, Barack Obama, ” Kenneth Baer, Peter Orszag, Pete Souza, Robert Shea, Eva Shea, George W, Bush, Laura Bush, Tina Hager, ” Biden, Baer, George Frey, ” Trump, Max Stier, Verna Daniels, ” Daniels, Catherine Greene, ” Greene, Tom Bewick, NIFA, ” Bewick, we’ll, Greene, Biden, “ We’ve, He’s, Hillary Clinton, he’d, James Comey, Bill Barr, Barr, Jeffrey Clark, Clark, Mark Meadows, Stephen Miller, Peter Navarro, he’ll Organizations: CNN, United, Republican, Democratic, Trump, ”, Georgetown, Georgetown University's McCourt School, Public, Georgetown University, Heritage Foundation, Management, Budget, of Justice, FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, Vought, National Treasury Employees Union, OMB, White, Personnel Management, Land Management, Department of Agriculture, Kansas City, Partnership for Public Service, Government, Office, GAO, Economic Research Service, National Institute of Food, Agriculture, USDA, National Institute for Food, NIFA, Applied Economics Association, BLM, Getty, Department of Justice, Justice Department, Univision, Justice, Department, U.S . Justice, Center, Washington Post, National Security and Intelligence, of Homeland Security, of Education and Commerce, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission Locations: United States, Washington, Georgetown, , Colorado, DC, Kansas, Colorado, Virginia, America, Grand Junction, Washington ,, New York City, New York, Georgia

☆ Don’t get sick from salmonella this holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Lisa Drayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Martin Wiedmann: Salmonella is a microorganism that is very small. You might ingest salmonella 100 times, and 99% of the time you are fine, but then one time you get sick. Wiedmann: Raw cookie dough represents a risk for salmonella, even if you have eaten raw cookie dough in the past without getting sick. Best ways to avoid getting infected with salmonellaTo limit your chances of salmonella infection, cook raw meat and poultry properly. If a spatula touches raw meat on a grill for example, that spatula can also be a source of salmonella.

Persons: Martin Wiedmann, Martin, miodrag ignjatovic, Will, cantaloupe, ” Wiedmann, Lisa Drayer Organizations: CNN, Cornell University, New York, New York State Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence, salmonella, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, “, Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Agriculture Locations: Ithaca , New York, New York State, United States

NAPERVILLE, Illinois, Nov 28 (Reuters) - It is rare that U.S. corn supplies build in a marketing year while soybean supplies slip, but that is exactly what is happening in 2023-24, keeping soybean prices relatively elevated versus corn. The U.S. Department of Agriculture pegs total U.S. corn supplies in 2023-24 to rise 10% on the year, while soybean inventory is seen shrinking 3%. U.S. corn versus soybean supply: Year-on-yearThe 2007-08 rise in corn and fall in soybean supplies was policy-driven, and the only other recent, directionally similar year was 2003-04, when the U.S. soybean crop fell victim to rare, widespread pest issues as well as dry weather. USDA’s long-term projections issued earlier this month suggest just that, pegging 2024 U.S. corn acres at 91 million and soybeans at 87 million versus 83.6 million in 2023. Interestingly, USDA in the couple of years leading up to 2007-08 had also overestimated U.S. soybean acres in March and undershot corn.

Persons: Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department, Agriculture, USDA, Crop Watch, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, U.S, Chicago, North Dakota

USDA pegged U.S. corn yield at 174.9 bushels per acre, up from 173 last month and above nearly all estimates, which on average predicted a slight increase. It was the most bearish corn yield in a November report since 2017. That could negatively impact Brazil’s second corn production, as was the case after the 2015-16 El Nino, rerouting corn demand to the United States. USDA left Brazil’s 2023-24 soy crop unchanged at 163 million metric tons this month, but it raised the prior crop by 2 million tons to 158 million, suggesting exports are outperforming prior crop expectations. However, USDA has flashed 2.85 million tons (105 million bushels) of U.S. soybean sales so far this week, mostly to China and unknown destinations.

Persons: Dane Rhys, El, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Department, USDA, El Nino, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Deerfield , Ohio, U.S, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Brazil, United States, China

☆ A milk carton shortage has the industry scrambling. Here’s what’s going on
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Julia Galliker learned out of the blue that there was a problem with milk carton supplies. For Galliker, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania-based Galliker Dairy Company, that’s a big problem. The little milk cartons go not only to schools, but to other institutions like nursing homes and correctional facilities. “Like other milk carton producers across the industry, Pactiv Evergreen continues to face significantly higher than projected demand,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “So there’s really not been any replacement for school milk cartons.”

Persons: Julia Galliker, there’s, Galliker, ”, she’s, “ There’s, “ It’s, ” Galliker, “, aren’t, —, Matt Herrick, it’s, ” Seth Teply Organizations: New, New York CNN, Galliker Dairy Company, Department, Agriculture, Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, CNN, Industry, International Dairy Foods Association, USDA, Springville, Griffith Institute Central School District, Tetra Pak, Tetra, “, American Dairy Association North Locations: New York, Pennsylvania, United States, Springville , New York, Everett , Washington, Tetra, Canada

The trade’s idea of corn yield lines up with past similar years. Other than 2023, the last three times that soybean yields fell in August, September and October were 2008, 2003 and 1999. Crop Watch results generally support these predictions since the 11-field soybean yield ended up close to the season’s lowest score while corn yields bounced a bit at the end. It has been 15 years since the agency lowered Brazil’s soy crop between October and November. 2024Without severe crop losses in Brazil’s soy or corn this year, U.S. supplies, especially corn, could balloon in 2024-25.

Persons: USDA’s, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department of Agriculture, South, Reuters, SOUTH AMERICA, Consultancy, USDA, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, U.S, USDA, Mato Grosso, Argentina

Looking at export inspection data versus export sales data suggests that the actual shipments, not demand, are the standout factor. USDA predicts U.S. wheat exports at a 52-year low of 19.05 million tons in 2023-24, which began on June 1. As of Oct. 26, export sales totaled 11.4 million tons, some 60% of the full-year target, above the date’s recent average of 58%. USDA’s projections call for 2023-24 U.S. wheat exports to decline 8% on the year, and export sales were down 7% as of Oct. 26. Since June 1, wheat export inspections at the U.S. Gulf are down 40% from a year ago, while the Pacific Northwest volume is down 16%.

Persons: Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Weekly, U.S . Department of Agriculture, USDA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, States, U.S, Mississippi, Gulf, Pacific, Pacific Northwest, China, United States

The tiny, half-pint cartons of milk served with millions of school lunches nationwide may soon be scarce in some cafeterias, with districts across the country scrambling to find alternatives. The problem is not a shortage of milk itself, but the cardboard cartons used to package and serve it, according to dairy industry suppliers and state officials. The shortage is affecting the company’s ability to “fully supply some school milk orders,” according to Matt Herrick, spokesperson for the International Dairy Foods Association. In Clarence, New York, local school district officials told parents they plan to provide “small bottles of water or cups of milk with lids” if the cartons run out. In Everett, Washington, school officials told parents to expect a disruption in cafeteria milk supply that could “range up to several months.”Herrick said U.S. milk processors are working with other package suppliers to resolve the shortage.

Persons: North America ”, “, Matt Herrick, —, Jayme Taylor, ”, ” Herrick Organizations: International Dairy Foods Association . School, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Nutrition Service, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Lake Forest , Illinois, North America, New York , Pennsylvania, California, Washington, U.S, Clarence , New York, Lake Stevens , Washington, Seattle, “, Everett , Washington

Several attendees in the virtual meeting noted that U.S. corn yield has landed below USDA’s trend yield for five consecutive years now, prompting questions as to whether the calculation will be revisited for future seasons. The market’s main grievance with the recent yield pattern is that negative price implications could arise if trend yield starts out too high, since it may cause U.S. corn supplies to be overstated early on. Trend yield is set forth by USDA’s World Board and is based off a publicly documented model written in 2012. They also suggested that consecutive bad weather years can skew the view of true trend yield. In the last five years including 2023, corn yield fell below trend in each year and by an average of 6.1 bpa (3.4%).

Persons: Daniel Acker, Karen Braun, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Department, USDA’s, Agency, USDA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tiskilwa , Illinois, U.S, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois

During that week, money managers cut their net short in CBOT corn futures and options to 112,691 contracts from 159,433 a week earlier, marking their biggest round of net buying since late July. Managed money net position in CBOT corn futures and optionsDecember corn futures had reached their U.S. harvest lows by mid-September in 2016, 2018 and 2019, and so far, the harvest low for December 2023 corn sits on Sept. 19 at $4.67-3/4 per bushel. Money managers have not held a bearish soy view since April 2020 but have come close a couple times. Managed money net position in CBOT soybean futures and optionsHowever, overall speculators’ soybean net short was preserved through Oct. 10 as other reportable traders were only slight net buyers during the week. That small net short was established in the prior week for the first time since March 2020.

Persons: Gleb Garanich, Wheat, Karen Braun, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S ., U.S . Department, Agriculture’s, USDA, U.S . Renewable, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bilohiria, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Chicago

1 corn exporter to Brazil last year when the South American country harvested a breakthrough crop, just months after China gave the green light to Brazilian corn imports. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday maintained 2023-24 Brazilian corn production at 129 million metric tons, identical to the initial May projection. Conab predicts Brazil’s second corn harvest, which supplies the country's exports, could fall nearly 11% on the year to 91.2 million tons. China, like the United States, is winding down its 2023-24 corn harvest. On an October-September basis, USDA sees 2023-24 Brazilian corn exports at 59 million tons versus 53.7 million in 2022-23, and U.S. shipments are pegged at 52.5 million tons in 2023-24 versus 43 million in 2022-23.

Persons: Farmer Roger Hadley, John Deere, Bing Guan, Conab, Brazil Karen Braun, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United, U.S . Department of Agriculture, El, USDA, U.S, USA, Brazil, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Woodburn , Indiana, U.S, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois, United States, Brazil, China, USDA, Northern, Southern, Mexico, Japan

In the week ended Oct. 3, money managers slashed their net long position in CBOT soybean futures and options to 5,001 contracts from 30,058 a week earlier. New shorts and exiting longs both played a role, and money managers have not held a net short in beans since April 2020. Money managers extended their sizable net short in CBOT wheat futures and options to 98,788 contracts from 96,384 a week earlier. CBOT corn futures added about 1% late last week, touching $4.99 per bushel on Friday, their highest since Aug. 29. Money managers maintain comfortably bearish CBOT corn views, though they trimmed their net short through Oct. 3 by about 9,200 to 159,433 futures and options contracts.

Persons: ’, Soymeal, Karen Braun Organizations: China, Futures, U.S . Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Chicago, U.S

☆ Organic? Free range? What do food labels actually mean?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Navigating the grocery aisle is overwhelming, especially when trying to make sense of food labels. Shoppers who want to know where their food comes from, or how long it will last, have to work even harder. Government agencies have strict guidelines for food safety and nutrition labels on packaged foods. But other information like sell-by dates or animal welfare labels are less regulated — and some are effectively meaningless. Here’s how to know what you’re looking at when you’re reading food labels.

Persons: Scott Olson, “, ”, “ FSIS, Dena Jones, Jones Organizations: New, New York CNN, Nutrition, Shoppers, Government, USDA, ” Companies, Safety, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Animal Welfare Institute, Global Animal Partnership Locations: New York, Chicago

In the week ended Sept. 12, money managers expanded their net short position in CBOT corn futures and options to 134,909 contracts from 93,913 a week earlier. That marked funds’ most bearish corn stance since mid-August 2020, when CBOT corn was trading below $3.50 per bushel. Most-active corn futures have traded below $5 since Aug. 21, and they fell 2% in the week ended Sept. 12. Managed money net position in CBOT corn futures and optionsCorn dropped to $4.73-1/2 per bushel on Sept. 12, tying mid-August for the lowest price since December 2020. Most-active CBOT wheat shed 2% in the week ended Sept. 12, dropping to the lowest price since December 2020.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Corn, Bean, soyoil, Karen Braun, Diane Craft Organizations: Carbon Solutions, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Department, Agriculture, Futures, Funds, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Defiance, Shelby County , Iowa, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Chicago, U.S, soymeal, Ukraine, Russia

NAPERVILLE, Illinois, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Chicago wheat futures this week hit their lowest levels in almost three years, yet relative to demand, exportable global wheat supplies are expected to approach historic minimums by mid-2024. Russia’s early 2022 invasion of Ukraine sent wheat prices to new highs as the two countries account for nearly 30% of global exports. Wheat stocks-to-use in major global exportersThe distinction between global stocks and stocks among exporting countries is important because top wheat grower China carries about half the world’s supply but trades a relatively small amount. A 13.5% stocks-to-use is the second lowest on record behind 13.1% in 2007-08, another extremely volatile time for wheat prices. A year ago, exportable wheat stocks-to-use were predicted to reach 15-year lows by mid-2023, and two years ago, mid-2022 was expected to feature all-time lows.

Persons: Karen Braun Organizations: U.S . Department of Agriculture, European Union, USDA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Chicago, Ukraine, China, Argentina, Australia, Canada, UKRAINE, Russia, Black

Versus the June survey, a corn harvested area increase of 774,000 acres in the fall is the largest ever back to at least the mid-1990s. Only 2012's increase of 890,000 acres (0.9%) was larger, though final corn acres usually come in lower than in June (15 of last 20 years). USDA was not the only entity too low on U.S. corn acres this year. The March planting survey came in more than a million acres above the trade estimate, then June corn acres blew out the highest trade guess by more than a million acres, topping the average guess by more than 2 million acres. That is the opposite of what happened in 2021, the last time USDA’s fall area review substantially boosted corn acres.

Persons: NASS, Karen Braun, Sam Holmes Organizations: U.S . Department of Agriculture, USDA's Farm Service Agency, Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA, Analysts, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, U.S

☆ Here’s why farmers aren’t included in the US monthly jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Los Angeles CNN —On what is usually the first Friday of every month, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its Employment Situation Summary, or monthly jobs report, formally known as the “nonfarm payroll” report. Many farm workers are seasonalBut why does this key employment report only tally “nonfarm” workers? However, despite the “nonfarm” nomenclature, a growing share of farm workers does make it into the BLS job report tally. Historically, the job of counting farm workers falls to the US Department of Agriculture due to its relationships with farms across the country. But farmers aren’t the only workers the jobs report excludes: Elected officials, domestic workers, some members of the clergy and people in many other nontraditional professions are also left behind in the official jobs report data.

Persons: nonfarm, won’t, Erica Groshen, Groshen, “, ” Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, Unemployment Insurance, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Agriculture, USDA

The Pro Farmer Crop Tour has been following the same routes in seven major U.S. corn and soybean producing states for more than three decades. Pro Farmer on Friday pegged U.S. corn yield at 172 bushels per acre, below USDA’s 175.1 bpa and the year-ago 173.3. The advisory firm placed soybean yield at 49.7 bpa, below USDA’s 50.9 but above the 2022 yield of 49.5. For the past four years, Pro Farmer’s corn yield has correctly informed on the direction of USDA’s corn yield from August to September, but it had the wrong lean in the two prior years (2017 and 2018). For example, Pro Farmer’s 2022 corn yield suggested USDA’s September 2022 forecast should come in below that of August, and it did.

Persons: Lucas Jackson, Farmer, Pro Farmer, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Carbon Solutions, REUTERS, Rights, Farmer, U.S . Department, Scouts, Iowa, USDA, Versus, Pro, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Defiance, Shelby County , Iowa, Rights NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, U.S

USDA’s August corn and soy yields were the season’s highest in three of the last 10 years, most recently in 2022 for both. Looking toward final yields, the August corn yield has a slight tendency to be too high. Final corn yield was lower than in August in six of the last 10 years and in 10 of the last 15 years. The last two times final corn yield was above the August figure were in 2021 and 2017. USDA’s July corn and soy yields were 177.5 and 52 bpa, respectively, and both would be new records.

Persons: maximums, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Agriculture, USDA, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Chicago, Midwest, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa

In the week ended Aug. 8, money managers established a net short position in CBOT corn futures and options of 26,656 contracts compared with the previous week’s net long of 16,741 contracts. Money managers’ net long in CBOT soybean futures and options in late July was at a seven-year high for the date, but funds have sold aggressively in the last couple weeks. Most-active CBOT wheat drifted fractionally higher in the week ended Aug. 8. Wheat futures tumbled 4.5% in the last three sessions and finished at $6.26-3/4 per bushel, their lowest settle in two months. Funds reduced their net long in Minneapolis wheat to 4,497 contracts from 7,592 a week earlier, and they slashed their K.C.

Persons: Dane Rhys, Karen Braun, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Department of Agriculture, USDA, Funds, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ravenna , Ohio, U.S, NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Chicago, Minneapolis, Kansas City

Debates over U.S. corn and soybean yield potential have persisted all summer following one of the driest Junes on record. Soy yield’s range of 1.5 bpa is a six-year low, well below the 2.9-bpa average, raising the risk of surprise. The trade nailed corn yield last August, coming within 0.3% of USDA’s figure, analysts’ best performance since 2001. I posted a Twitter poll midday on Thursday asking which yield surprise could be most likely on Friday: corn high, corn low, soybeans high or soybeans low. After about two hours and 555 votes, corn yield surprising high was the clear leader with 40% of the vote.

Persons: Karl Plume, Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Spiritwood , North Dakota, U.S, Karl Plume NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Chicago

But new-crop export demand has started to pick up and, despite expectations for supportive weather, U.S. soybean production is far from settled given this season’s hardships. Grains have performed significantly worse over that period with December corn and CBOT September wheat down 13% and 17%, respectively. That has lifted soybeans’ price advantage versus corn to the highest August levels in three years. CBOT November soybeans to December corn ratioIn the last decade, November soybeans strengthened throughout August only twice - in 2020 and 2013. U.S. soybean export demand for 2023-24 has recently been lackluster, but U.S. beans are now cheaper than Brazilian ones for shipment to China in the later months of 2023, which should support further U.S. sales.

Persons: Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, U.S, Chicago, Midwest, Iowa, Illinois, China

The pace of new-crop U.S. corn and soybean export sales usually starts to increase in July and especially into August. That covers only 8% of USDA’s 2023-24 U.S. corn export forecast of 53.3 million tonnes (2.1 billion bushels), below the five-year average of 13%. New U.S. corn export sales, July 13New-crop soybean sales account for 10% of USDA’s 2023-24 export target of 50.35 million tonnes (1.85 billion bushels). New U.S. soybean export sales, July 13Both of those export outlooks, especially the one for corn, are considered too optimistic by some analysts since cheaper Brazilian supplies are seen increasingly eating in to U.S. export shares. China has purchased 1.87 million tonnes of new-crop U.S. soybeans, the lowest mid-July, non-trade-war-year volume in at least 16 years.

Persons: Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department of Agriculture, USDA, Japan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, United States, U.S, China, New U.S, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, South Korea, Canada

NAPERVILLE, Illinois, July 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Corn Belt has experienced much more forgiving weather this month after an unusually dry June crashed both corn crop conditions and yield ideas. Three weeks ago, corn was just 50% GE, the week’s worst since 1988. Although long ago, most years with similar gains around this time frame featured corn yields within a couple percent of trend, if not better. Keep in mind that the concept of “trend yield” is subjective and often varies by analyst. USDA’s 2023 corn trend of 181.5 bushels per acre, which some considered too high, was reduced to 177.5 last week after the dry June.

Persons: Karen Braun, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Department of, GE, Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, U.S

Those factors caused a historic 21% plunge in CBOT December corn in the final seven trading days of June, though price steadied immediately after. But money managers in that week expanded their net short in CBOT corn futures and options to 63,052 contracts from 18,209 in the prior week, against expectations for mild net buying. Managed money net position in CBOT corn futures and optionsUSDA lowered U.S. corn yield on July 12 due to dry June weather, but it would still be a new record. U.S. soybean plantings came in far below market predictions on June 30, but money managers have been net sellers of CBOT soybean futures and options in the last two weeks. That was on a 0.5% rise in November soybean futures for the week, and beans rose another 0.8% in the last three sessions.

Persons: steadied, Wheat, Karen Braun, Diane Craft Organizations: U.S . Department of Agriculture, soyoil, U.S ., Reuters, Thomson Locations: NAPERVILLE , Illinois, Chicago, U.S

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