Skinny Bill, Heavy Lift

With Congress back in session, the clock is ticking on passing a farm bill. With the current law set to expire and agricultural pressures mounting, House lawmakers are scrambling to piece together a slimmed-down “skinny” version before year’s end. If lawmakers fail to reach a deal, the lapse could leave farmers, rural communities and nutrition programs in a state of uncertainty heading into an election year.

Here’s what you need to know: 

• Deadline pressure is rising. House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (R-PA) hopes to advance a draft bill this month, though negotiations have been sluggish.

• Persistent divisions remain within the traditionally bipartisan farm bill coalition, with some House Democrats expressing skepticism following the reconciliation process that excluded certain nutrition provisions. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) said the experience was “bruising” and left her caucus “completely shut out.”

• Budget score is a key obstacle. The committee is awaiting a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office—a routine but often time-consuming step that will shape the scope of the bill.

• Hot-button policies are in play. Lawmakers remain divided over California’s Proposition 12 animal welfare law, hemp regulation gaps and pesticide rules, all of which could complicate negotiations.

• Farmers are feeling the squeeze. Record-high yields are driving down commodity prices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is reportedly considering temporary “bridge” payments to support producers through 2026.

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The U.S. federal government is taking a decisive step toward AI-powered modernization. OpenAI has announced a partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration to provide ChatGPT to federal employees for just $1 per agency over the next year – part of a broader effort to modernize government operations and deliver on President Trump’s AI Action Plan.

Here’s what you need to know: 

• Expanded AI Access: The GSA’s federal purchasing list now includes OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini models, giving agencies a range of generative AI tools as they explore new digital workflows.

• Privacy Safeguards: OpenAI has committed that interactions with federal employees will not be used to train its models, addressing a key concern around the use of sensitive government data.

• Strategic Engagement: The partnership follows months of lobbying and relationship-building by OpenAI with agencies such as the GSA and FDA, reflecting the increasingly competitive race among AI vendors for public-sector adoption.

• Modernization Push: The deal directly advances the AI Action Plan’s goal of integrating AI into government operations, with leading vendors offering steeply discounted rates to demonstrate their value and secure long-term relationships.

• Lingering Questions: Despite assurances on privacy, the partnership raises ongoing questions about data security, ethical use and the implications of embedding commercial AI models in federal workflows.

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Netflix’s animated musical “K-Pop Demon Hunters” has become a global sensation, quickly becoming the platform’s most-watched movie of all time. That includes Nedra here and my two teens for multiple views, including the one-night only sing-along in U.S. theaters. 

The film’s success underscores the importance of blending authenticity with creative innovation to stand out in oversaturated markets. 

The movie follows Huntr/x, a fictional K-Pop girl group whose members secretly battle demons disguised as a rival boy band, the Saja Boys. The story covers familiar ground, offering a hero’s journey of a young girl with innate talents making peace with her imperfections and defending the world unapologetically. 

Yet despite its seemingly cliché premise, the film has racked up 236 million views since its June debut. Its soundtrack has also broken records, placing four tracks simultaneously in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10.

What has transformed this formulaic premise into a global phenomenon is its cultural synthesis and genre innovation. K-Pop Demon Hunters blends K-pop aesthetics, superhero action and musical theater into a cohesive vision that feels genuine and authentic. For an industry obsessed with franchise-building, "K-pop Demon Hunters" offers a blueprint for success: cultural authenticity plus genre innovation can still cut through the noise, even in 2025's oversaturated content landscape. 

And I’m personally looking forward to all the Huntr/x and Saja Halloween costumes this year.

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