Senate confirms Haaland: On a mostly party-line 51-40 vote, the Senate confirmed New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as Interior secretary. She is the first Native American to become a cabinet member. (FERN’s Ag Insider)
Hipp to USDA: President Biden nominated Janie Hipp, an expert in agricultural law and food policy and a member of the Chickasaw Nation, to be the USDA’s general counsel. (White House)
Hope in small cities: Democrats continue to lose the vote in the small towns of rural America but they are making gains in counties where a mid-size or small city, such as Mankota, Minnesota, is trending their way. (Los Angeles Times)
Kirkpatrick to retire: Arizona Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democratic member of the House Agriculture Committee, announced she will retire in 2022 after five terms in the House. (Arizona Public Media)
Promoter of computerized trading dies: Jack Sandner, who led the transition to computerized trading that made obsolete the chaotic trading pits of the Chicago futures exchanges, died at age 79 after a stroke. (Chicago Sun-Times)