Not so sunny for Perdue (Washington Post): Ever-cheerful Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is a relentless promoter of the Trump agenda. But he has run afoul of congressional Democrats, anti-hunger advocates, science groups, and by some accounts, farmers, as the sour farm economy eats into his and the president’s popularity.
‘Phase one’ of China deal could be next year (White House): President Trump said he has not agreed to roll back tariffs as part of a “phase one” trade agreement with China, and the deal might not be signed until next year.
Five generations on the land (New York Times): The Sino-U.S. trade war is the latest challenge to the African-American Bridgeforth family farm in northern Alabama. It has endured since the 1870s and now with covers thousands of acres, while the vast majority of black farmers lost their land.
Did EPA chief destroy sensitive documents? (Politico): The inspector general of the EPA is investigating whether chief of staff Ryan Jackson, who is accused of refusing to cooperate with other ongoing reviews, routinely destroyed politically sensitive documents, according to two unnamed sources.
Wasps as pest control in corn and sugarcane (Phys.org): A field trial in Brazil showed that common species of wasps can control insect pests in corn and sugarcane, suggesting a local alternative to pesticides, said University College London researchers.