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Minnesota farmer Dan Glessing isnt ready to get too upset over President Donald Trumps trade wars. Farm country voted heavily for Trump last November. Now Glessing and many other farmers are taking a wait-and-see attitude toward the Republican president’s disputes with China and other international markets. China normally would buy about one row out of every four of the Minnesota soybean crop and took in nearly $13 billion worth of soybeans from the U.S. as a whole last year. More than half of U.S. soybeans are exported internationally, with roughly half of those going to China, so it’s a critical market. Trump last month raised U.S. tariffs on products from China to 145%, and China retaliated with 125%. But Monday’s announcement of a 90-day truce between the two countries backed up the reluctance of many farmers to hit the panic button. More good news came in an updated forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday that projected higher corn exports and only slightly lower corn prices. The report also predicted somewhat lower soybean exports but higher domestic consumption, resulting in higher prices. Soybean futures surged. After he finished planting his soybean crop on Monday, Glessing said he was excited by the news and hopes to see more progress. But he said he wasn’t really surprised. Tariffs, weather, and other uncertainty On a bright, sunny day last week, as he began planting soybeans, Glessing said tariffs were only one of the things he’s worried aboutand not necessarily the biggest. Farming, after all, is an enterprise built on loose soil, the whims of weather, and other uncontrollable factors. Am I concerned about tariffs? Yeah. I mean, theres uncertainty that comes with that,” Glessing said. “Is that the number one driving factor in these poor commodity prices the last two years? No. As he steered his 25-year-old Case IH tractor over a gently rolling field near the town of Waverly, he towed a planter that inserted his seeds through the stubble of last years corn crop. As he laid down the long rows, he rumbled past a pond where wild swans paddled about. Riding shotgun was Georgie the corgi, who alternated between roaming around his cab and half-dozing at his feet. Perhaps more skeptical than Glessing is Matt Griggs, one of many soybean farmers in Tennessee paying close attention to the trade war. On Monday, he said the ripple effects on farmers might still be coming. Were only on a 90-day pause, Griggs said. Who knows what is going to come after that? Joe Janzen, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois, said the commodity markets have largely shaken off the initial shock of the trade war, including Trumps declaration of April 2 as Liberation Day, when he announced stiff worldwide tariffs. Our markets have largely rebounded and are back where we were around April 2, Janzen said. Tariffs have not had a major impact on prices yet. Even something that might seem like good newsideal planting conditions across much of the Midwesthas its downside. The potential for bigger crops sent prices downward, Glessing noted. High interest rates, and seed and fertilizer costs pose additional challenges. Theres so many other factors besides just tariffs and my market price, Glessing said. Looking for signs of progress But Glessing said he was encouraged by that mornings news of a trade deal with the United Kingdom, and said he hopes the current uncertainty in talks with China and other countries ultimately leads to better trade deals going forward. Glessing had finished planting his corn the day before on the other half of a field that he rents from his fathers cousin, split between 45 acres of corn and 45 acres of beans. It’s at the farm where his grandfather grew up, and it’s part of the approximately 700 acres he plants on average. He locked in those planting decisions months earlier as he made deals for seeds, fertilizer, and other supplies. Back on his home farm closer to Waverlywhere his late grandfathers house, made of local brick, still stands and a cacophony of house sparrow songs filled the airGlessing was pleased to spot the first signs of corn he had planted there about 10 days earlier poking above the soil. Waverly is about an hour west of Minneapolis. Its most famous resident was Democratic former Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Its in the congressional district represented by Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. Glessings post as president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau puts him in close touch with other influential politicians, too. He and his wife, Seena, were Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchars guests at the Capitol for Trumps inauguration in January. Glessing declined to say who he voted for. The Glessings have three kids, milk about 75 dairy cows, and grow corn, soybeans, and alfalfa on a combination of parcels they own or rent. He uses the alfalfa and corn primarily to feed his cows. He sells his soybeans to a processing plant in Mankato, where some of them become soybean meal he adds to his animal feed. The milk from his cows goes to a co-op cheese plant in Litchfield that sells internationally. Because Glessing has local buyers locked in and doesnt directly export his crops, he’s partially cushioned from the volatility of world markets. But hes quick to point out that everything in the agricultural economy is interconnected. Lessons learned during Trump’s first trade war On his farm near Humboldt, Tennessee, roughly midway between Memphis and Nashville, Griggs weathered the 2018 trade war during Trumps first term and said he feels more prepared this time around. Back in 2018, prices were about the same as what they are now, and due to the trade war with China, prices dropped around 15%, he said. They dropped significantly lower, and they dropped in a hurry, and due to that, we lost a lot of demand from China. p>Griggs said exports to China never fully rebounded. But he doesn’t think the impact of the current dispute will be nearly as drastic. Griggswho raises approximately 1,600 acres of cotton, corn, soybeans, and wheatsaid tariffs were just one consideration as he planned out this years crops. Growing a variety of crops helps him minimize the risk that comes with weather, volatile prices, and now the prospect of a trade war. Griggs said hes going to be watching for opportunities to sell when market volatility causes upticks in prices. The main thing I learned in 2018 was that if you do have a price period where prices have risen some, go ahead and take advantage of it instead of waiting for it to go higher, he said. Because when it comes to the tariffs and everything, the markets can be very unpredictable. So my lesson learned was, Dont hold out for a home run, be satisfied with a double. Griggs said a temporary subsidy called the Market Facilitation Program that helped soybean farmers withstand some of the losses last time could help if something similar is revived this year. But he said no farmer wants to make a living off government subsidies. We just want fair access to markets, Griggs said. And a fair price for the products we produce. Steve Karnowski and Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press AP videographer Mark Vancleave also contributed to this report.
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E-Commerce
Destination weddings are out, and virtual weddings are in. Rather than traveling to the Amalfi Coast or Provence, Wired recently interviewed a couple who chose to host their nuptials in the place they first met and fell in love: Minecraft. Sarah Nguyen, 24, from Portland, Oregon, and Jamie Patel, 25, from Leicester, England, met at 13 years old on a Minecraft role-play server. Its the closest thing we have to a shared home, Nguyen told Wired. Most of their relationship was long-distance, lived out in the virtual world (the couple now resides together in Portland). Even Patels proposal took place atop a scenic mountain in Minecraft, delivered via in-game dialog. Nguyen and Patel arent alone. Wired reported that more couples are choosing digital ceremonies hosted in the virtual spaces where their relationships first blossomed. The pandemic marked a turning point for the wedding-industrial complex. With many weddings postponed or canceled, frustrated couples turned to the only option leftonline. Digital ceremonies became a lifeline for those unable to host in-person gatherings due to restrictions. Others fully embraced the virtual, including a 2020 Animal Crossing wedding and metaverse nuptials in 2021. Now, even without restrictions, the demand for digital nuptials hasnt slowed. In fact, an entire cottage industry has emerged to meet it. Companies like Wedfuly offer virtual wedding services starting at $800, which includes equipment and a remote production team for the day of. Even traditional event planning firms are introducing digital packages. The appeal is clearespecially as the national average cost of a wedding in the U.S. hits $33,000, according to The Knot. The global wedding industry is valued at $899.64 billion, and the average cost for a guest to attend a U.S. wedding is $610, according to Bankrate. Virtual weddings, on the other hand, let friends and family attend from the comfort of their homes. Nguyen and Patels celebration cost just $300 (including custom skins, server hosting, and a designer to script NPCs and quests) and welcomed 50 guests from eight different countries. Wired also spoke with Jessica Hu, an ordained officiant and digital celebrant based in Chicago. Hu specializes in ceremonies across Twitch, Discord, and VRChat, and has officiated more than 40 weddings in online spaces since launching her services in 2020. Its easy to dismiss it as novelty, Hu says. But these weddings are deeply sacred. Ive had couples exchange vows using emoji reactions. Ive had Discord bots cue the processional music. Ive seen Twitch chats cry in real time. Cue the heart-eyes and crying emojis.
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E-Commerce
Apple is partnering with brain-computer interface company Synchron to develop technology that lets users control devices using neural signals. Still in the early stages, the technology could significantly expand accessibility for users who are unable to operate devices with their hands, Synchron said in a press release. The partnership was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. “This marks a defining moment for human-device interaction,” Synchron CEO Tom Oxley said in a statement. “Apple is helping to pioneer a new interface paradigm, where brain signals are formally recognized alongside touch, voice and typing.” Historically, users have interacted with tech devices through keyboards, mice, and more recently, touch and voice. But these interfaces remain limiting for people with certain impairments. Apple and Synchron are now working to translate specific brain signals into actions like selecting icons on a screen. Synchrons implantable device, called the Stentrode, uses electrodes to read brain activity. It integrates with Apples Switch Control feature, which allows users to operate devices via alternative input methods. When we ask our clinical trial participants what they want to do, its always about communication and creativity, Synchron chief commercial officer Kurt Haggstrom said in a statement. And to most people, that means using their Apple devices. For Apple to recognize that need, and respond to it, demonstrates how much they value accessibility for their users.” The technology likely remains years away from FDA approval and widespread use. Synchron said limited trials with patients are expected to begin later this year.
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E-Commerce
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