– Fall armyworm caterpillars are getting fat at the expense of farmers and homeowners in Illinois. The pest is found in the Midwest nearly every year, but this year multiple generations came up from the southern states and Central and South America to mate and lay eggs. (The Center Square)

The United States and Mexico on Thursday resumed high-level economic talks for the first time in four years as the two sides signaled they need greater cooperation to combat the challenges of climate change, workers’ rights and immigration. (Reuters)

The USDA Thursday announced that its handing out $464 million to farm operations and other businesses to build or improve renewable energy infrastructure and to help rural communities lower energy costs in 48 states and Puerto Rico. (Successful Farming)

The Illinois House passed energy legislation Thursday night, sending it to the state Senate. Illinois House lawmakers spent most of Thursday piecing together an energy bill that could save two Exelon nuclear plants in Northern Illinois. (WAND)

Workers on farms and in meatpacking plants who toiled through the pandemic stand to get $600 bonuses from the federal government, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday. The USDA is putting $700 million toward a fund for food workers, in recognition of the personal costs many experienced during the pandemic. (CBS News)

The U.S. could get 37% of its electricity from solar power by 2035—and 44% by 2050—if the U.S. pursues an ambitious agenda to cut reliance on fossil fuels, the Energy Department said Wednesday. (Wall Street Journal)