President Trump’s decision to revoke the Biden administration’s actions against the lower Snake River dams is drawing mixed reactions.
The original memorandum of understanding was signed with Washington state, Oregon, and four tribes to boost tribal clean energy and restore salmon populations.
While conservation groups have criticized the move, one lawmaker has called it welcome news.
Congressman Dan Newhouse says that he has been fighting to keep the dams, but there is work to be done in protecting salmon populations.
“I’m sure there will be continued discussions and conversations with the proponents of dam breaching, but the bottom line is, and I’ve said this all along and I’m glad the administration agrees, that we can have the dams but also continue to work very hard on making sure that salmon can not only survive but thrive. And we have some work to do there, no doubt!”
The Columbia River Basin is roughly the size of Texas and was once the world’s largest salmon-producing river system.
Today, twelve of the sixteen original stocks of salmon remain, seven of which are considered endangered.
U.S. agriculture entered the week with mixed signals as weather, logistics, and markets shaped early-year decisions. Here is a regional breakdown of domestic crop and livestock production for the week of Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
January 19, 2026 11:40 AM
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RFD NEWS Correspondent Frank McCaffrey speaks with Texas’s Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez about USMCA renegotiation and its impact on U.S.–Mexico agriculture trade.
January 17, 2026 05:00 PM
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Rising rural business confidence supports local ag economies, but taxes and labor shortages remain key constraints.
January 17, 2026 02:00 PM
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CoBank Knowledge Exchange’s Jeff Johnston shares the group’s positive perspective on expanding data centers into rural areas and weighs the risks and rewards for those communities.
January 16, 2026 01:44 PM
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Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller joined us to discuss data center expansion, farmland preservation, rural economic impacts, and imminent cattle biosecurity concerns affecting agriculture today.
January 16, 2026 01:28 PM
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The Pennsylvania Farm Show continues through Saturday, wrapping up another successful year of celebrating agriculture in the Commonwealth.
January 16, 2026 01:26 PM
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