WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is recalling hundreds of vehicle license plates on the streets containing the “JAP” lettering in the wake of complaints that they are offensive to Japanese Americans.
The Kansas Department of Revenue said there are 731 active registrations containing that random letter combination on standard license plates. Vehicle owners were sent a letter dated Tuesday asking them to return the plate to their county vehicle office within 30 days for replacement at no cost.
The issue arose last year when a motorist spotted a car with the Kansas plate in traffic near his home in Culver City, California, and took a photo of it. A Kansas woman of Japanese heritage contacted the state after seeing the picture and story in the newspaper put out by the Japanese American Citizens League.
Strong demand is helping the pork industry push through high production. An outlook published by the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service shows that though fourth-quarter pork production is on track to reach a record high of more than seven billion pounds, up 3.5 percent from a year ago, the ending stocks-to-production ratio is projected to drop to its lowest level since 1990. Meat industry publication Meatingplace says that means domestic demand is outpacing production because U.S. consumers are likely responding to lower prices by buying more pork at a time when disposable personal incomes are rising. Fourth-quarter hog price forecasts reflect heavy supplies, almost nine percent lower than prices during the same period last year. For the full year, commercial pork production is projected at a record 26 billion pounds.
Leadership of Mexico and Canada have confirmed the two nations will sign the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement Friday that replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement. Politico reports that Canada’s Justin Trudeau and the outgoing Mexican President will sign the pact on the Mexican official’s last day in office at the G20 Summit, where President Trump is also expected to talk trade with China. The confirmation comes as there is no steel and aluminum tariff resolution for Mexico and Canada, once thought to be a contingent by the two nations. Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau last week said Canada was “not going to make one set of negotiations contingent on the other.” Mexico and Canada both had previously threatened to hold off on signing the USMCA until President Trump removed the steel and aluminum tariffs. The tariffs are also thought to limit any gains in the new agreement once in place.
Lawmakers return to Washington, D.C., this week with a need to still find a path forward on the farm bill. However, multiple measures, including 2019 appropriation bills, must also be passed in the lame-duck session. The House is scheduled to leave on Thursday, December 13th, while the Senate is scheduled to adjourn on Friday, December 14th. But, Congress could stay in session longer if the necessary end-of-the-year business is not completed by the target dates, according to the Hagstrom Report. Leaders of the House and Senate agriculture committees say they still hope to finish a farm bill this session, but they have not shown signs of reaching a final agreement. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has hinted that the farm bill might be added to the appropriations bill so that House leadership would not have to bring it up as a separate piece of legislation. Meanwhile, Representative Collin Peterson of Minnesota, who will chair the House Ag Committee next year, says that if the bill does not pass, he wants to organize his committee quickly in January and bring up the farm bill in short order.
