Agriculture
John Deere, farm group reach deal on fixing equipment
The agreement formalizes farmers’ access to diagnostic and repair codes and to manuals and product guides. It also ensures farmers will be able to purchase diagnostic tools directly from John Deere and receive assistance from the manufacturer when ordering parts and products.

US asks farmers: Can you plant 2 crops instead of 1?
Illinois and midwestern farmers are being asked to do more by the federal government to meet international demand.

EPA to give $60M to 12 states to help curb water pollution
The federal government said Friday that it will distribute $60 million among 12 states that have waterways that flow into the Mississippi River to help them control farm runoff and other pollution that contribute to a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Chicago-area man gets 3 years for threat at Biden inaugural
The man had previously been visited by the FBI for threatening members of Congress but the messages and threats persisted, culminating in a threat to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris at the 2021 inauguration.

Illinois to expand farmer mental health resources, services
The money will be used to build out a six-county pilot program that has connected farmers to mental health providers and resources through a telephone hotline.
