AGRICULTURE/GOVERNMENT/TRADE WARS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Like most Iowa farmers, Kate Edwards loves the rhythm of the seasons: planting in the spring, harvesting in the fall, planning it all over again each winter. But thanks to an ongoing trade war and a partial government shutdown, Edwards and her farming neighbors are stuck. Instead of planning, this winter has become a season of worry…A shuttered Department of Agriculture has made it much harder to apply for loans, receive subsidy checks or analyze the vital crop and market reports that help farmers strategize their next harvest. Decisions made today could mean the difference between solvency and survival. On Tuesday [1-22-19], Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue ordered more than 9,700 federal employees back to work to reopen Farm Service Agency offices to help farmers and ranchers, even though those workers won’t be paid until the shutdown is over. But not all loans and programs will be in effect, a news release said.”
–Bill Weir, “First came the trade war, then the shutdown, but Iowa farmers still back Trump,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, January 22, 2019 9:40 pm