President Obama

A federal court earlier this week invalidated the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers’ 2015 expansion of federal jurisdiction over small and isolated waters. After years of litigation in suits filed by dozens of state governments and trade groups, this is the first court to reach a final decision on the lawfulness of the 2015 Waters of the United States rule.  ...

Conservation groups have asked a federal judge to block the Trump administration from easing restrictions on energy companies that were intended to protect the sage grouse.   Attorneys for Western Watersheds Project, Prairie Hills Audubon Society and two other groups made the request Wednesday in U.S. D...

Earlier this week, the Washington Legislature passed a measure designating April 10th as Dolores Huerta Day.  The measure honoring the Mexican-American social activist passed the Senate unanimously Monday as Huerta watched a few feet from the chamber floor.  Th...

Later this week, the Trump Administration plans to propose a new Waters of the U.S. rule to replace the much-criticized WOTUS rule the Obama Administration issued in 2015.  The new EPA-Army Corps WOTUS rule could finally simplify and clear up confusion over what is and isn’t a water the government can require a permit to change under the Clean Water Act.  American...

Earlier this week, a western Washington judge reinstated WOTUS.  The Judge ruled the Trump Administration’s EPA and the Army Corp of Engineers made a “serious procedural error” by rolling back the 2015 legislation.   The agencies took comments earlier this year on delaying the Obama administration’s definition until at least February 2020.  But as Capital Press noted, EPA...

Trade Promotion Authority will auto-renew at the end of this month due to no congressional action.  Originally authorized by Congress during the Obama administration for the advancement of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, TPA will auto-renew for another three years.  The ren...

U.S. agriculture is benefitting from trade with Cuba, according to new figures released by the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council. Exports of food and agricultural products from the U.S. to Cuba in November of 2017 were pegged at $21.2 million, compared to $10...

A recent study says any rollback of Obama-era moves to normalize relations with Cuba will harm U.S. Agriculture.  The study by Engage Cuba, a coalition of private companies seeking an end to the Cuba embargo, says any new regulations on exporting agricultural commodities to Cuba could cost $1.5 bi...

Before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, the Obama Administration is working to issue as many as 98 final regulations.  Politico reports 17 of those actions under review are considered "economically significant," with an estimated economic impact of at least $100 million a year.  ...

Officials from the Obama administration and other Trans-Pacific Partnership countries are ramping up their efforts to build support for ratifying the 12-country pact.  But the International Center for Trade says the election politics surrounding TPP has put the Obama administration in a difficult position.  Vo...