In early April, producers are eagerly awaiting or have already started their spring planting. Though other considerations like soil moisture, air temperature, and the weather forecast play important roles, the adage of waiting for morning 4-inch soil temperatures to hit the 50-degree-Fahrenheit mark is important, too. That line is currently crossing into the southern Corn Belt, and the coming forecast should bring that northward throughout the next week.
First, the good news: A ceasefire has been agreed upon in a war threatening a level of devastation unimaginable when President Donald Trump ordered five weeks of bombing and missile strikes in an effort to collapse the Islamic regime in Iran. But while critical questions remain ahead of talks set for Saturday on a longer-term deal -- not least, whether the truce fully takes hold -- the war has left Mr. Trump facing a sobering paradox.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Department launched a campaign Friday targeting video gamers for the job, which is crucial for keeping the U.S. skies safe. read more
The rate is down about 1% from 2024 and nearly 20% lower than it was two decades ago. read more
Consumer confidence plunged to a record low in April as fears mounted over rising energy prices and the broader impact of the Iran war, according to a University of Michigan survey. read more
Then there's this ...
No agreement between U.S. and Iran after 21 hours of talks, Vance says
www.nbcnews.com
... NO AGREEMENT IN PAKISTAN: Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. leaves Islamabad, where a delegation was meeting for face-to-face negotiations with Iran, without reaching an agreement. The sides held talks for 21 hours, he said. ...
... The unannounced oversight visit ...
The Trump admin tried desperately to stop such unannounced visits, apparently wanting only pre-arranged visits.
Reps. Joe Neguse, Jason Crow sue Trump admin. for policy limiting congressional visits to detention centers (January 2026)
www.denver7.com
... Two Colorado congressmen have joined 10 other Democratic lawmakers in suing the Trump administration, claiming the federal government "secretly" reimposed a policy that blocks unannounced congressional visits to immigration detention centers.
The motion filed Monday by 12 Democrats, including Reps. Joe Neguse and Jason Crow of Colorado, asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to order the administration to explain "how this new policy is not a violation of federal law guaranteeing Members of Congress the ability to conduct oversight of ICE facilities."
The lawsuit comes nearly a month after a federal judge sided with the group of Democratic lawmakers who sued the administration last summer for blocking them from conducting unannounced visits. In her ruling, the judge said members of Congress could resume unannounced visits and tours of detention centers and field offices run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including the ICE facility in Aurora. ...
Tangentially related ...
Report: US demands Reddit unmask ICE critic, summons firm to grand jury
arstechnica.com
... The Trump administration has stepped up an effort to unmask a Reddit user who criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). After failing to obtain information through a summons issued to Reddit, the government reportedly issued a subpoena demanding that Reddit provide the information and appear before a grand jury in Washington, DC.
The Intercept described the subpoena today. "According to a subpoena obtained by The Intercept, Reddit has until April 14 to provide a wide range of personal data on one of its users, whom US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been trying unsuccessfully to identify for more than a month," the article said.
The legal saga began in US District Court for the Northern District of California. On March 12, the anonymous Reddit user whose information is being sought filed a motion to quash a summons seeking a host of information from Reddit. The summons was issued by the Department of Homeland Security and directed Reddit to turn information over to an ICE senior special agent.
The summons cited authority under 19 U.S. Code 1509, which is part of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930. The motion to quash said the summons is not authorized by the law, which deals with imports of boats, alcoholic drinks, and animals, among other things.
"J. Doe is a US citizen who has not traveled out of the country, is not engaged in any international commerce, has no business concerns outside the United States, and primarily uses their Reddit account to engage in political speech relevant to their local community," said the filing by the Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC), which represents the Reddit user. "Yet the government claims the right to obtain Doe's name, telephone number, home address, banking and credit card information, IP addresses, telephone model number(s), and the names of any other accounts associated with their Reddit account.
The information sought by the government in no way pertains to customs or importing or exporting merchandise, and is clearly intended to chill free speech." ...
Related ...
Still eyeing mass deportations, hard-liners push White House to expand targets
www.csmonitor.com
... The Trump administration is signaling a shift in immigration enforcement to more workplace arrests as hard-liners in the president's base push him to begin a second, broader phase of his promised mass deportations.[emphasis mine]
Some inside the White House have reportedly urged less talk of mass deportations ahead of the congressional midterms, as Americans express dissatisfaction with the high-profile immigration arrest tactics in the heartland. But a network of Trump allies says the administration will not achieve its deportation goals without pursuing a much larger pool of targets.
Following the confirmation of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin last month, the coalition is pitching a reset away from a stated goal of deporting the "worst of the worst" to "populations that are easier to remove," such as immigrants with final orders of removal and those who have overstayed their visas. Policies such as worksite enforcement will be key, the group's plan says, raising the risk of the pushback seen after earlier workplace raids. ...
So, no "unconditional surrender" by Iran?