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As the 2026 election cycle comes into sharper focus, Congress is entering a period of unusual transition. A growing number of Republican lawmakers as well as some Democrats have announced retirements, resignations, or decisions not to seek re-election. This reflects internal strain within the party and broader dissatisfaction with the pace and structure of congressional governance. While political realignments are not new, the current trend raises important questions about how sustained turnover...

As 2025 draws to a close, one of the most consequential, but least publicly discussed, shifts in federal environmental governance has been the quiet expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) behind the scenes across multiple federal agencies. AI tools are not new in federal science programs, but 2025 marked a turning point: agencies began integrating machine-learning models into routine workflows in exposure modeling, surveillance, enforcement targeting, and environmental monitoring. The White...

It appears increasingly likely that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies will face yet another shutdown at the end of January 2026. When Congress failed to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year (FY) by September 30, 2025, what ensued was a record-setting 43-day closure of the U.S. government. November 12, 2025’s, Hail Mary Senate agreement funds the government at existing spending levels -- but only until January 30, 2026. The bill that...

The U.S. soybean industry remains a focal point in the intersection of American agriculture, global trade policy, and federal regulatory action. Ongoing trade tensions -- particularly between the United States and China -- have reshaped the global soybean value chain, while rising input costs, labor constraints, and regulatory uncertainty create additional pressures for farmers. In recent months, attention has turned toward how the reopening of the federal government -- after extended funding...

In recent weeks, the Trump Administration has taken a series of actions to curtail federal support for offshore wind development. The most visible step was the U.S. Department of Transportation’s cancellation of roughly $679 million in funding for 12 offshore wind projects across 11 states. In addition, the Administration halted construction of the nearly complete $4 billion Revolution Wind project serving Rhode Island and Connecticut, citing national security concerns. An earlier executive...

On September 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy (MAHA Strategy) issued by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. This Strategy was required to be submitted to the President by August 12, 2025, based on the findings of the Commission in its Making Our Children Healthy Again report (MAHA Assessment), which was released on May 22, 2025, and is discussed in our blog. In its press release...

On July 18, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled out the “reorganization plan” for its Office of Research and Development (ORD). The stated goal of the plan is to reduce budget expenditures, improve “science,” and have EPA’s research activities better support the work of the media offices, including the Office of Water (OW), Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), and Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP). The EPA press release refers to the...

On July 17, 2025, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation that would establish a private right of action for injuries caused by pesticides (S.2324). The introduction of S.2324, the Pesticide Injury Accountability Act of 2025, if enacted, is intended to allow cases against pesticide manufacturers for alleged harm caused by their pesticide products. In his press release, Booker states: “Rather than providing a liability shield so that foreign corporations are allowed to poison the...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been around for more than 150 years, stressing the importance of American agriculture to a bountiful food production system since Abraham Lincoln first signed it into being in 1862. Lincoln himself, in fact, in his 1864 final annual message to Congress, christened USDA “the people’s Department,” just before commending it “to the continued attention and fostering care of Congress.” From industrialization to the mechanization of farming,...

On June 5, 2025, the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) of the U.S. Congress convened a hearing titled “Barriers to Supply Chain Modernization and Factor Productivity Enhancements.” Throughout the hearing, members and witnesses alike underscored the role of “regulatory friction” -- especially in the form of fragmented and unpredictable requirements -- as a key factor slowing investment in domestic manufacturing and threatening supply chain resilience. While the U.S. Environmental Protection...