Roughly five million Americans have lost access to federal food assistance since the Republican-backed budget bill became law, and a looming October 1 cost shift threatens to push states into even deeper cuts just as Congress returns from recess. The scale of the drop caught even Washington's budget forecasters off guard. The Center on Budget […] The post Five million Americans lost SNAP benefits after H.R. 1 — and states face a new cost cliff in weeks appeared first on American Almanac .
Roughly five million Americans have lost access to federal food assistance since the Republican-backed budget bill became law, and a looming October 1 cost shift threatens to push states into even deeper cuts just as Congress returns from recess. The scale of the drop caught even Washington's budget forecasters off guard. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that SNAP participation has fallen far faster and far deeper than the Congressional Budget Office projected when H.R. 1, the sprawling legislation known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill", was enacted. More than 1.5 million of those who lost access are children, ABC News reported . Starting October 1, states must cover 75 percent of SNAP administrative costs, expenses the…Open
President Trump signed two executive orders empowering cattle ranchers to bypass the handful of corporations that dominate American meat processing, a move aimed at lowering beef prices and giving producers direct access to consumers nationwide. Standing alongside ranchers and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Trump announced the orders on Friday, calling them "historic action" to break […] The post Trump signs executive orders letting ranchers process and sell their own meat across state lines appeared first on American Almanac .
President Trump signed two executive orders empowering cattle ranchers to bypass the handful of corporations that dominate American meat processing, a move aimed at lowering beef prices and giving producers direct access to consumers nationwide. Standing alongside ranchers and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Trump announced the orders on Friday, calling them "historic action" to break the grip of four major meatpacking companies that together control roughly 85% of U.S. processing capacity . The president framed the signing as a direct answer to record retail beef prices and years of razor-thin margins that have squeezed family ranching operations toward extinction. The first order directs the USDA to let ranchers slaughter and…Open
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took questions from reporters outside the White House Thursday on a range of topics including the New World Screw Worm outbreak and the U.S. national debt.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins joins 'Mornings with Maria' to discuss how a historic cattle shortage is driving beef prices higher. Rollins also reacts to the latest jobless claims and details the rising energy demands of AI data centers.
Changes to truck emissions regulations aim to reduce costs for the trucking industry, ease supply chain burdens, and address the effects of punitive Biden-era green policies.
PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration has proposed a rollback of Biden -era heavy-duty truck emissions regulations, projecting $12 billion in savings for the trucking industry. The changes aim to reduce costs for truckers, including up to $6,000 per new truck, while maintaining nearly 90 percent of the planned NOx emissions reductions. DETAIL: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the proposal would reduce the cost of new trucks by as much as $6,000 and eliminate diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)-related engine deratements and speed restrictions, replacing them with warning alerts that allow operators to continue working until repairs can be made safely. EPA air chief Aaron Szabo said the current rules can…Open
Tensions over pesticide use erupted in an Oval Office meeting last week, as a top agriculture lobbyist warned President Trump that an executive order calling for pest-killing alternatives would cost Trump support from farming interests. Why it matters: The confrontation, which one attendee called "shocking," exposed a sharp fault line in Trump's coalition — the push by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA movement to reduce conventional pesticides vs. farming interests determined to preserve them. - Both sides see the debate as existential: MAHA argues pesticides are making Americans sick, while the agricultural industry says restricting their use would raise food prices and cost farmers billions of dollars . Zoom in: The long-running fight…
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that year-round dairy workers are now eligible for H-2A seasonal work visas.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s decision to include year-round dairy workers in the seasonal H-2A visa program has drawn criticism over its potential impact on American workers. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: - DETAIL: The H-2A visa allows agricultural employers to hire foreign nationals for temporary or seasonal farm work. It is designed to fill labor shortages and requires employers to prove that domestic workers are unavailable. The visas are limited to agricultural labor or services a temporary or seasonal nature, usually lasting for a period of up to one year. “The guidance clarifies that dairying is an agricultural activity eligible for consideration under the H-2A program and recognizes that dairy operations may…Open
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins on will testify Wednesday morning before the Senate Agriculture Committee on oversight of the agency and President Trump’s fiscal 2027 budget request. The hearing comes as the Trump administration is facing a resurgence of the screwworm, a parasitic fly that had been eliminated in the U.S. since the 1960s. Rollins has placed much of the blame for its comeback on lax immigration policies during former President Biden's administration. She is also likely to face questions around the rising cost of fertilizer and energy prices amid the conflict in Iran. President Trump earlier this month sought to ease affordability concerns tied to the war during remarks to farmers in…
