GOP lawmakers set goal of summer vote for trade deal [Associated Press]
President Donald Trump and House Republicans moved to build congressional support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade accord on Tuesday with lawmakers selling the plan as offering big benefits for American workers. But prospects remain uncertain as Democrats are in no hurry to secure a political victory for the president. GOP lawmakers emerged from a White House meeting knowing they likely have a narrow window to push it through both chambers of Congress, given that lawmakers tend to avoid tough trade votes during election season.
https://www.apnews.com/69bd07dd034b4308a65d7ff722409ab2
Trump team and China seek elusive deal as latest talks near [Associated Press]
The Trump administration and Chinese officials are about to hold their eighth round of trade talks in Beijing with several tough issues unresolved, including a timetable for lifting tariffs and a way to enforce any agreement. Many analysts say they expect some limited agreement to be reached in the coming weeks or months, likely including a pledge by China to buy more U.S. exports….The backdrop to the talks is a trade war that has exacted a toll on both economies and intensified pressure to reach an accord.
https://www.apnews.com/2439cb3975c3475daf588f97e16cf631
Interior sends thousands of documents to House committee ahead of acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s Senate confirmation hearing [ABC News]
The Interior Department has responded to requests from the House to provide more detail about acting Secretary David Bernhardt’s schedules, just days before he testifies in his Senate confirmation hearing to become the secretary permanently….The details of his schedule have been under scrutiny as Democrats on the Hill and advocacy groups seek to determine if Bernhardt has violated any ethics recusals by meeting with or working to benefit groups he has lobbied or worked for before being appointed to Interior in 2017….Bernhardt previously worked as a lawyer and lobbyist for multiple groups that could benefit from decisions made by the Interior Department.
Warren proposes breaking up Big Ag [Associated Press]
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is calling for the breakup of what she says are unfair farming monopolies….If elected president, the Democratic lawmaker says she’d appoint regulators to review and reverse some mergers among farming corporations. She singled out Bayer-Monsanto as a merger that “should never have been approved.” Warren also proposes breaking up “vertically-integrated” agribusinesses — those, like Tyson, that control multiple levels of production and processing of a product.
https://www.apnews.com/5a2168b8231545bb87459779c453a57c
Should California’s richest residents pay more taxes? You could soon get to vote on it [Sacramento Bee]
A new bill could send Californians to the polls to decide whether to authorize an estate tax for the Golden State’s wealthiest residents….If the bill passes, it would go on the ballot in 2020, where voters would decide whether to amend the constitution to allow the tax to be collected and distributed into a newly created “Children’s Wealth and Opportunity Building Fund.”…Wiener’s bill keeps intact the federal exemptions for surviving spouses and family farms, according to a statement from the senator’s office.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article228433589.html
Elementary students learn importance of agriculture industry at Farm Day in the City [Bakersfield Californian]
…Hundreds of eager elementary school students throughout the county gathered Tuesday at the Kern County Fairgrounds for the 35th annual Farm Day in the City hosted by the Kern County Farm Bureau….Ariana Joven, executive director of the Kern County Farm Bureau, sees Farm Day in the City as a chance for students to understand how Kern County “plays such a critical role in their lives.”…More than 40 exhibitors had booths set up to talk to students about their products and industry.
