For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, bars and restaurants throughout Illinois will be permitted to reopen without capacity limits Friday when both the state and city of Chicago enter Phase 5, Illinois’ final reopening phase. (NBC Chicago)

University of Illinois Soybean Breeder Brian Diers creates Illini soybean genetics for Doug Baird of Baird Seed company, but says it takes many years of multiple generations annually to get a new variety. (WCIA

Oil futures nearest delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange and Brent crude traded on the Intercontinental Exchange posted modest losses for the first day of a new trading week, with the U.S. crude benchmark retreating from a 2-1/2 year high after China’s crude oil imports unexpectedly fell to a 2021 low last month, raising concerns over demand growth in the world’s second largest oil consumer, while underlining concerns over rising inflation in the United States and Eurozone capped gains for the broader markets. (DTN)  

Greenfield High School recently purchased a farm a few miles from the school to house its animals and teach students in its agriculture program about farming, animals and agriculture business. (The Pantagraph)  

World Pork Expo returns to Des Moines, Iowa, on June 9-10, so Successful Farming asked Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board, a few questions about the swine industry. (Successful Farming)

The run-up in commodity prices is casting a cloud over the global economic recovery, slamming vulnerable businesses and households and adding to fears that inflation could become more persistent. (Wall Street Journal)