The federal government is open this morning due to some unexpected and quick moving maneuvers on Saturday, the last day of FY 2023. A 45-day short-term continuing resolution (CR) was passed by the House and the Senate; that gives both chambers more time to work out a full year funding plan for FY 2024. The CR originated in the House on Saturday 30 September, and passed 335-91; it passed in the Senate about three hours before the fiscal year expired, by a vote of 88-9. A few observations:
The CR provides funding for the next 45 days, which ends the Friday before Thanksgiving. By then, Congress will have to pass the full appropriations for FY 2024, or another short-term extension. Recall that the 2018-2019, a government shutdown o...
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
Key Takeaways: The agricultural trade surplus has become a sizable deficit: the balance swung from a $40.1 billion surplus in 2011 to a $40.7 billion deficit in 2025. Imports kept growing while exports lost momentum: between 2020 and 2025, agricultural imports increased 45 percent, compa...
USDA released its October Cattle on Feed report Friday, showing 11.4 million cattle in feedlots with capacity for 1,000 head or more, slightly below last year. September placements were the lowest for the month since records began in 1996, marking the third consecutive month of placements sett...
Total Red Meat & Poultry September 2026 total red meat and poultry stocks totaled 1.97 billion pounds, down 1.4 percent from August despite typically increasing 0.8 percent during the month, and were 1.5 percent below September 2025 levels. The decline pushed total inventories to a new five...
