‘Phase one’ is enduring tie: As Sino-U.S. tensions rise, the six-month-old “phase one” trade agreement “appears to be the most durable part of the U.S.-China relationship,” with neither side talking about canceling of the pact. (New York Times)
Peterson opposes USDA funding: House Agriculture chairman Collin Peterson was one of seven Democrats to vote “no” as the House passed, on a mostly party-line 224-189 roll call, a four-part, $260-billion bill that included operating funds for the USDA, State Department, Interior Department, and the Veterans Affairs Department for fiscal 2021. (U.S. House)
Lobbyist McLeod dies of Covid-19: Mike McLeod, 78, who led one of Washington’s premier agricultural lobbying shops for years before retirement, died of complications of Covid-19 on July 20 at a hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. (Agri-Pulse)
Unsolicited, seed packets from China: Residents of at least three U.S. states have received in the mail small packets of seeds inside packages labeled as jewelry, which appear to come from China; state agriculture officials warn against planting them. (Tacoma News Tribune)
Treated as disposable labor: In California’s San Joaquin County, an agricultural hub, Latinos account for nearly one-third of Covid-19 cases, and advocates say farmworkers are often regarded as disposable labor, last in line for inadequate aid. (Los Angeles Times)
Report opens door for Pebble mine: Pushing ahead on the controversial Pebble copper and gold mine in southwest Alaska, a Trump administration environmental review found the mine would not hurt the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. (Anchorage Daily News)