If you listen closely you may notice how each month, the federal government releases more jobs data than most people know what to do with. Other groups and organizations contribute to this flood by putting out even more information. As these numbers come out, everyone from think-tank analysts to business reporters study them for signs of subtle trends in our economy.
The recent announcement by the Canadian government that they are requesting a WTO dispute settlement panel on U.S. trade-distorting domestic agricultural subsidies sounds like a broken record, but may be good if the case finally puts to rest the never ending argument about U.S. farm policy and WTO compliance. Brazil made a similar announcement, and it is assumed that both cases will be handled by the same panel. This is a fight about the past and has little connection to the likely farm policy and trade policy conditions of the next few years.
The drought now choking the Southeastern United States is a slow-motion natural disaster. Officials in Atlanta say they could run out of water by January. The governor of Georgia is asking for prayers. “The only solution is rain,” says his spokesman. “And the only place we get that is from a higher power.”
The release on November 6 of three working documents on agricultural export competition by Crawford Falconer, Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture of the Doha Round of WTO trade negotiations, has brought attention to issues that have had a low profile while member countries have argued about market access and domestic subsidies. The three documents provide specific language on export credit programs, exporting state trading enterprises and food aid. If agreements on market access and domestic subsidy language are not achieved, the export competition language could become part of a limited agreement.
It’s been a good harvest on my farm, and my neighbors have also done well. Across the Midwest, mountains of corn surround grain elevators. American farmers will produce a record corn crop this year--billions of bushels more than last year.
News 
If you listen closely you may notice how each month, the federal government releases more jobs data than most people know what to do with. Other groups and organizations contribute to this flood by putting out even more information. As these numbers come out, everyone from think-tank analysts to business reporters study them for signs of subtle trends in our economy.
The drought now choking the Southeastern United States is a slow-motion natural disaster. Officials in Atlanta say they could run out of water by January. The governor of Georgia is asking for prayers. “The only solution is rain,” says his spokesman. “And the only place we get that is from a higher power.”
It’s been a good harvest on my farm, and my neighbors have also done well. Across the Midwest, mountains of corn surround grain elevators. American farmers will produce a record corn crop this year--billions of bushels more than last year. 
