USDA Looking for Options in Lawsuit; Trans-Pacific Partnership Maybe a Way to Stop Currency Manipulation

USDA is looking into its options after a federal appeals court cleared the way for a 2012 lawsuit that was filed by an Iowa hog farmer, the Humane Society of the United States and the group Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. A District Court had originally ruled that the legal challenge against USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack's annual support of the Pork Checkoff's "Pork: The Other White Meat" campaign from the National Pork Producers Council crossed the line in terms of potential legislative influence did not have legal standing, but that was overturned on Monday.

The AFL-CIO has called on the Obama Administration to use the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks as a way to crackdown on currency manipulation. The AFL-CIO has sent a letter to the White House calling on the administration to include enforceable rules that can halt the practice. The AFL-CIO argues that currency manipulation costs U.S. jobs. AFL-CIO noted in the letter that Japan, Malaysia and Singapore three of the 12 nations negotiating the TPP all have histories of currency manipulation.