Farmer’s threat prompts USDA to pull staff from crop tour
The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday it had pulled all staff from an annual crop tour after an employee was threatened, and three sources said the threat came over the phone from an angry farmer.
Stocks rise with focus on stimulus; U.S. yield curve briefly inverts
A global equities gauge rose on Wednesday for a third day in four as bets on more economic stimulus overcame, for now, worries over the rising prospect of a global recession.
Nordstrom misses quarterly revenue estimates
Department store chain Nordstrom Inc reported quarterly sales below analysts’ expectations on Wednesday, as the upscale retailer struggled to attract shoppers to both its full-price and off-price stores.
Fannie Mae names former FDIC chair Sheila Bair to board
U.S. mortgage financing agency Fannie Mae said on Wednesday it named former Federal Deposit Insurance Corp chair Sheila Bair to its board.
Fed was divided on rate cut, wanted to avoid appearing on path for more cuts
Federal Reserve policymakers were deeply divided over whether to cut interest rates last month but were united in wanting to signal they were not on a preset path to more cuts, a message not likely to sit well with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Wall Street rises as Target, Lowe’s results point to consumer confidence
Wall Street’s main indexes rose on Wednesday as upbeat earnings from retailers pointed to strength in U.S. consumer demand, and held gains after minutes from last month’s Federal Reserve meeting showed policymakers had debated a more aggressive interes…
San Francisco crowdfunder Kiva sets up Sierra Leone credit database
(This August 21 story corrects to make clear Kiva a nonprofit organisation, not charity, paragraph 1.)
E-cigarette firms probed over health concerns by U.S. House panel
Four dominant e-cigarette manufacturers face a probe into the health impacts of their products, as the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee asked on Wednesday about the firms’ research and marketing practices.
Illinois corn yields seen below average but improve as tour scouts go West
Corn farmers in west-central Illinois are facing potentially smaller corn yields this fall in what has been a challenging growing season after extreme weather and heavy rains delayed plantings across much of the U.S. Midwest, scouts on an annual tour s…
U.S. farmers, lawmakers dial up pressure on Trump over biofuel policy
The agriculture and biofuel industries and their U.S. congressional allies ramped up pressure on the Trump administration on Wednesday over the relief he has given oil refiners from rules requiring use of biofuels.
