Kennedy for HHS and October Consumer Price Index Mixed

**As you may have heard, President-elect Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal critic of U.S. food systems and federal nutrition scientists, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and take on the "industrial food complex."

While Kennedy’s outspoken criticism of vaccinations has sparked opposition, his ideas on nutrition, pesticides, and other issues have drawn widespread, and sometimes unexpected, appeal.

**The October Consumer Price Index numbers for food-at-home show that prices increased just 0.1% for the month and fell to 1.1% year over year.

Heading into the holiday season, some prices have moderated.

Turkey prices are down 11% from last year, ham prices are expected to drop 2.5% and apples, fresh cranberries and frozen pies are all expected to be more affordable.

**Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA is funding new projects in nearly every state to lower costs, expand access to clean energy and strengthen American farms and small businesses.

USDA is making the investments through the Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP.

Vilsack says the investments will help rural communities lead our country toward an economy that benefits working people everywhere with lower costs and jobs.

This new round invests more than $256 million in loans and grants that will support more than 1,100 clean energy projects.