economic

Wheat prices plunged after Russia agreed to resume the deal allowing safe passage of Ukrainian crop exports. Congress overhauls the farm program.

**A growing concern among U.S. lawmakers and food manufacturers that they’ll see the price of sugar go up if the sugar refining industry gets what it’s demanding from Mexico. A group of 51 House members has signed onto a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross not to go through with some proposals like raising the floor price for raw and refined sugar and funneling some raw sugar imports directly

**Grocery prices declined to a 50-year low last year. The USDA says retail food prices dropped 1.3 percent, the first ANNUAL decline since 1967. Increased production of many commodities, lower transportation costs and a strong dollar were some of the reasons for the declines...

SEATTLE (AP) — State officials, environmental advocates and others are warning of dire environmental and economic consequences if President Donald Trump's cuts to Puget Sound and other environmental programs go through as proposed. The Environmental Protection Agency's funding for Puget Sound — about $28 million last year — would be gutted under Trump's budget blueprint released Thursday... Read M

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew says the U.S. will hold China accountable for exchange rate fluctuations that recently sent global finical markets into turmoil. Lew told CNBC China has to understand “there’s an economic and a political reality to things like exchange rates...

The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on the potential to increase U.S. ag and food sales to Cuba by lifting the trade embargo on Tuesday. Senate Ag Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow says ag sales to Cuba are a way to rebuild trust between the U...

Daniel Garza, Executive Director for The LIBRE Initiative (LIBRE) and former White House staffer, will visit Toppenish and Yakima, Washington to meet with students, business, faith and community leaders. He will deliver remarks on the importance of promoting greater personal and economic freedom as the only path to building stronger communities and increasing prosperity for all Americans...