The warning I wrote in my @newsweek.com op-ed last year is now playing out. China, historically the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, hasn’t purchased a single bushel from this year’s harvest. Washington is once again talking about sending 💵 to farmers. www.newsweek.com/american-agr...

The warning I wrote in my @newsweek.com op-ed last year is now playing out. China, historically the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, hasn’t purchased a single bushel from this year’s harvest. Washington is once again talking about sending 💵 to farmers. www.newsweek.com/american-agr...

Trump said he was going to make things cheeper, he did not

Grocery prices are jumping up. I explain why in my @usatoday.com story with insights from @michiganstateu.bsky.social professor David Ortega and a Wells Fargo economist. www.usatoday.com/story/grocer...

This is, by other means, version 2.0 of the move of ERS to KC during trump1, which effectively set the agency back and reduced its portfolio particularly on env'l issues. Now they are gutting ERS because of its good work in showing evidence of structural inequities and poverty. A real disgrace.

🚨Update: Acting USDA ERS administrator among those placed on indefinite leave over the termination of the food insecurity/hunger survey. This was reported by Agri-Pulse and has since been confirmed to me by an internal source. www.agri-pulse.com/articles/234...

This morning, the @chicagofed introduced new labor market indicators that combine private sector data with official labor statistics to provide a real-time view of hiring, layoffs and other job separations, and an early forecast of the unemployment rate. www.chicagofed.org/research/dat....

Wait, it gets worse. The team of economists and researchers responsible for the USDA survey that measures food insecurity and hunger were put on indefinite paid leave today. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

I’m not that type of doctor, but just pointing out that Autism was recognized as an independent condition in 1943, and Tylenol was introduced (by prescription only) in 1955.

I’m not that type of doctor, but just pointing out that Autism was recognized as an independent condition in 1943, and Tylenol was introduced (by prescription only) in 1955.

Wait, it gets worse. The team of economists and researchers responsible for the USDA survey that measures food insecurity and hunger were put on indefinite paid leave today. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Hunger is too scary to measure?

USDA just terminated the food insecurity survey. Read their press release and tell me this isn’t politically motivated. www.usda.gov/about-usda/n...

Serious scholars have examined what happens when we change the number of H1-B visas issued. Cities that get more H1-B immigrants subsequently see the wages of natives *rise* substantially. Skilled immigrants bring new ideas, fill labor shortages and make us all more productive.

The federal government is canceling the leading national survey of household food insecurity and hunger in the United States, @wsj.com reported today. The Dec 2025 survey will be canceled, while the Oct 2025 report based on Dec 2024 data will be released as usual. (1/4)

The U.S. food security data to be cancelled by Trump's USDA has been of huge value but is often misunderstood -- and the WSJ piece breaking the news is exceptionally clear about what's at stake

In August grocery prices registered their largest monthly increase in 3 years. I spoke to my friends over at @cnn.com about how the tariffs, immigration crackdowns, and climate change are driving the cost of food higher 📈 #inflation

"Grocery prices have become a hot-button political flash point over the past couple of years."

Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.

Taxing a morning drink without giving folks a say has been unpopular since 1773. www.wsj.com/opinion/a-ta...

It’s been a tough year for Heath Donner’s family farm. The challenge for corn and soybean producers like Donner is tied to recent years’ abundant harvests, which have driven down commodity prices. Meanwhile reports say that production costs remain near record highs. Read more at: bit.ly/3JXdmNl

(Reuters) - The property tax authority in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook hasn’t broken rules for tax breaks on a home there that Cook declared her primary residence. @reuters.com www.reuters.com/world/us/no-...

The mortgage fraud claim against Lisa Cook is false, per documents obtained by Reuters. Bill Pulte's accusation, the sole pretext Trump used to fire her from the Fed, was that she claimed two homes as primary residence. These docs show she did not. www.reuters.com/world/us/fed...

Foreign investors may bring tariff-related claims to arbitration, arguing U.S. tariffs may be in violation of some international investment treaties, experts tell Fortune. trib.al/6RAUHSW

Honored to receive the 2025 Borlaug Communication Award from CAST- the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. This recognition underscores the importance of sharing research to inform policymakers, stakeholders, and the public. cast-science.org/cast-announc...

As President Trump's tariffs kick in, American companies that rely on imports are worried about rising costs and passing them onto consumers. But some U.S. exporters are worried too.

Every business day, big capitalist institutions depend on having access to unbiased economic statistics. It's time for them to step up and help protect the B.L.S. and other statistical agencies from Trump's encroachments. My latest column: www.newyorker.com/news/the-fin...

The Trump admin has scrapped the 2025 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. They are not only going after the data itself, but also silencing the voices of those who keep the government running. federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/20...

As American as apple pie 🍎🥧, but the spices that make it possible aren’t grown here. The U.S. imports most cinnamon, vanilla & other spices, now facing steep tariffs. I spoke with @theguardian.com on how this trade fight is hitting spice businesses. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

As ABC News @max-zahn.bsky.social reports, producer prices for vegetables jumped nearly 40% in one month. Tariffs? Supply hiccups due to immigration crackdown on farm laborers? Weather? Or random noise? Let's monitor vegetable prices in the next two months to see. abcnews.go.com/Business/tar...

Wholesale prices came in hot in today’s PPI report, but veggies stole the show 🥦📈 Vegetable prices at the wholesale level surged nearly 39% in July. @willmasters.bsky.social & I unpack what’s behind this spike in today's @marketplace.org 🎙️ www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

Today's U.S. CPI shows grocery price inflation rising and above 2% year-on-year since March 2025, after the period of low grocery price rises in 2023-24. This FRED chart shows rise in grocery inflation (green) vs restaurant meals (red) and the overall CPI (blue): fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/?g=1LgBF

Grocery prices have continued to tick higher after the election, and Americans are starting to change their shopping behavior as they grow more concerned about the economy.

What to make of POTUS's attempt to fire the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)? Let's run down what knowledgable people are saying...

The Trump tariff roller coaster

The plan to split #USDA into 5 regional hubs, risks decades of progress, institutional knowledge, and global leadership. If the goal is to be “closer to the people”, this map tells a different story.

Twenty states and Washington, DC are suing USDA after the agency demanded states turn over sensitive data on applicants for food assistance by July 30.

The plan to split #USDA into 5 regional hubs, risks decades of progress, institutional knowledge, and global leadership. If the goal is to be “closer to the people”, this map tells a different story.

This book by @parkewilde.bsky.social is an excellent resource for anyone looking to better understand the forces shaping our food system. I’ve used it for years in my grad Food Policy course, and the new edition has timely and thoughtful updates. Highly recommend it. Get yourself a copy!

Prof. David Ortega at Michigan State University calls the new third edition of Food Policy in the United States "an indispensable resource for my graduate food policy course and anyone looking to engage with and influence the food policy landscape." www.routledge.com/Food-Policy-...

The quality of U.S. economic data is eroding ⚠️ A recent @reuters.com survey found that 89 of 100 top policy experts are worried about decreasing data quality. To illustrate, response rates in key goverment surveys used to measure inflation, wages, jobs, etc have decreases over the past decade.

100% Kona coffee

Extreme weather is driving up food prices. I spoke with TIME about how climate extremes are disrupting agriculture and supply chains, feeding into higher prices. I highlight how cuts to funding and climate change science will only make things worse. time.com/7304646/clim...

Last night’s sunset in Kona

Extreme weather is driving up food prices. I spoke with TIME about how climate extremes are disrupting agriculture and supply chains, feeding into higher prices. I highlight how cuts to funding and climate change science will only make things worse. time.com/7304646/clim...

While out in the field for coffee research, I witnessed Kīlauea erupt this weekend. Humbled and amazed.

Recent data from the Labor Department has shown that the price of foreign exports to the U.S. — before tariffs — has held steady over the last few months. That means U.S. importers are absorbing most of the tariff burden. Which also means that U.S. businesses and consumers will too.

I wrote a short piece about the negative US ag trade balance. www.aei.org/research-pro...

One of the most surprising details in the latest CPI: an increasing share of price data was estimated, not observed. In June, over 1/3 of #CPI imputations came from other items or locations likely due to budget cuts and staffing shortages at BLS. We can’t fight #inflation without reliable data.