Warnock defeats Walker: Sen. Raphael Warnock, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and the first Black senator from Georgia, won re-election by 1.6 percentage points over Trump-backed Republican Herschel Walker, giving Democrats a 51-seat Senate majority. (Secretary of State)
HPAI strikes 47th state: A backyard flock in Lawrence County in northwestern Alabama was infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza, making Alabama the 47th state to be hit by bird flu outbreaks that have killed 52.8 million birds in domestic flocks this year. (USDA)
‘Alarming shortfall of veterinarians’: Only 3-4 percent of veterinary school graduates go into food-animal practice, one-tenth of the rate of 40 years ago, potentially imperiling meat, dairy and poultry production, said a new report. (Farm Journal Foundation)
New biofuel tax credits: Biofuel groups urged the IRS to use an updated measurement of life-cycle costs when it decides if ethanol, sustainable aviation fuel and biomass diesel qualify for tax credits for clean-burning fuels that are part of the climate, healthcare and tax law. (DTN/Progressive Farmer)
Governor seeks Senate appointment: Nebraska governor-elect Jim Pillen is expected to appoint his predecessor and fellow Republican, Gov. Pete Ricketts, to the Senate in January to fill out the term of Sen. Ben Sasse, who will resign to become a college president. (Lincoln Journal Star)