After backing Trump, US farmers and ranchers say they are being squeezed by his policies

After backing Trump, US farmers and ranchers say they are being squeezed by his policies.

California 9-year-old’s body found after 3 month search; mother charged with murder.

This year, President Trump’s economic and trade policies have had an outsized impact on the livelihoods farmers and ranchers, a group who largely backed him in the 2024 election. Trump’s tariff policies have hit row-crop farmers particularly hard. Under these policies, many farming inputs including seeds, fuel, and fertilizer have gotten more expensive. At the same time, many of the countries these farmers would export their produce to are now purchasing alternatives from elsewhere. This is particularly true for soybean farmers, whose chief export market in China has now turned to Argentina to fulfill their soybean needs.

Adding insult to injury, the Trump administration announced a $20 billion currency swap for Argentina in October to support his ally, right-wing President Javier Milei. Many farmers expressed feelings of betrayal, viewing Trump’s actions as a bailout for their biggest competition. Earlier this month, the White House announced a $12 billion aid package for US farmers, but farmers say this is not nearly enough to cover their losses.

Trump’s favoritism towards Argentina has also hit cattle ranchers. To counter rising beef prices, the administration announced that it would quadruple low-tariff beef imports to the US from Argentina. Trump is also calling on US ranchers to lower the prices of their own cattle when they bring them to market.

The supply of cattle in the US has hit a 75-year low. Ranchers have struggled to maintain their herds as large meatpacking companies demanded ranchers lower prices, even while the cost of beef to consumers has broken records. In November, the Trump administration launched an investigation into meatpackers for price manipulation and collusion.

California 9-year-old’s body found after 3 month search; mother charged with murder

When 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard of Lompoc, CA, went missing in October, authorities quickly discovered she was last seen on a road trip to Nebraska with her mother Ashlee, 40. Ashlee and Melodee were captured on camera at a car rental agency on October 7, and Melodee appeared to be wearing a wig to disguise her appearance. Surveillance footage shows that throughout the trip, which meandered through Utah, Nevada, Nebraska and Kansas, Ashlee and Melodee changed wigs multiple times. During the trip, the license plate on the rental car was changed to avoid detection. Ashlee returned to Lompoc alone on October 10.

School authorities reported Melodee missing on October 14 after a prolonged absence. Since then, Ashlee has been uncooperative and silent on her daughter’s whereabouts.

Santa Barbara County’s Sheriff Bill Brown announced yesterday that Melodee’s remains were found by a sightseeing couple in rural Utah. Investigators concluded that the child had died from a gunshot wound to the head, but identifying the remains took time. This week, DNA results revealed a familial link to Ashlee Buzzard. Investigators also matched bullet cartridges found near Melodee’s body with used cartridge cases found in Ashlee’s home.

Ashlee was arrested yesterday and charged with her daughter’s murder. She is being held without bond.

Sheriff Brown has shared no information on a possible motive, but called the crime “a calculated, deliberate, and ruthless act”. Brown said, “Today, we stand together in grief, but also with resolve. Melodee deserved a far better life than she had”.