News that Tom Vilsack former governor of Iowa has been confirmed by the Senate as the US's new agriculture secretary is good and bad news. Good that he is hot on improving nutrition for children and renewable energy. But bad because not much is known about his stomach fior a fight over agriculture subsidies beyond support fot the new President's desire to impose a "hard" cap on farm subsidies at $250,000, a proposal that will be a boom time for lawyers working out ways to get around it.
Meanwhile there is no sign at all of an end to the current trade talks despite high hopes for a deal at the end of last year.
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