New WOTUS sows confusion (The Intercept): Experts use the example of ephemeral vs. intermittent streams to argue that, despite assurances from the EPA that its new definition of clean-water laws will make it simple to tell if a waterway is regulated by the agency, it won’t be easy to tell what’s covered and what’s not.
More U.S. soybeans to China (USDA): One day after selling 1.13 million tonnes of U.S. soybeans to China — the first significant sale in weeks — exporters reported the sale of an additional 300,000 tonnes of soybeans to China for delivery this marketing year.
Zinke’s out; who’s next? (@realDonaldTrump): President Trump said on Twitter that he will announce a successor to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke this week.
Pack up and move (New York Times): Partly due to technology, economic growth is bypassing rural America, says economics writer Eduardo Porter, who suggests the answer is to help people relocate to urban areas, “where the opportunities are.” The Daily Yonder calls that cruel and shortsighted.
China encourages more farm mechanization (Xinhua): Government leaders said they will support increased agricultural mechanization and consolidation of farmland plots as ways to boost farmer income.