USDA's weekly crop progress report shows harvest progress slightly behind average for corn and soybeans.

The House and Senate return to work today, which means lawmakers have just five days left to avoid a shutdown that would impact several USDA services, including key reports.

The country's most rural citizens are slowly gaining access to decent broadband speeds, and small towns are adding fiber optic lines. However, the decline of the rural population and the viability of municipalities with fewer than 10,000 people are not improving much.

Eight beef packing projects in various stages of completion could add 10% to the total industry capacity. Is it needed? What potential headwinds might these ventures face?