Veto ag wage bill: Maine Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would require employers to pay the minimum wage to farmworkers in the state, saying she was concerned about the “scope of the language” in the bill. (Associated Press)
Corn, soy drought eases: Although crop-nourishing rainfall in the past week reduced the portion of the U.S. corn crop in drought by 9 percentage points and the soybean crop by 7 points, 55 percent of corn and 50 percent of soybeans are still in drought. (USDA)
Invite Chinese ag official: The United States has invited Tang Renjian, the Chinese agriculture minister, to an Aug. 3 meeting in Seattle of the agriculture ministers of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations. (Politico)
Another urban-rural split: Nearly 15 percent of rural Americans reported having a disability, compared with 12.6 percent of the urban population, according to Census Bureau data. (Daily Yonder)
Fresh food in cities: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small will be in Philadelphia on Friday to announce a USDA plan to increase urban access to fresh foods and expand markets for local food production. (FERN’s Ag Insider)