1. WASDE week again: Friday will see the June World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report from USDA. We'll share expectations in our preview story Wednesday. As for the report itself, our initial report flash posts after 11 a.m. CDT, with updates through the morning.
2. El Nino takes hold: The shift from La Nina to El Nino, something DTN meteorologists have talked about since early winter, appears to be moving along. Already we see winners and losers in terms of timely rainfall, a variability that is common with the "Little Boy" pattern.
3. Debt ceiling next steps: The government default may be averted, but there is much yet to learn about federal spending, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) discussions. All this could affect farm bill negotiations going forward. We'll continue to watch and report what we learn as the details eke out.
4. GOP hopefuls: A smattering of potential Republican presidential candidates gathered in Iowa the last few days and on June 3. DTN Policy Editor Chris Clayton will follow up and what was said and what was heard.
5. Reports to watch: We'll have the weekly USDA Crop Progress Report Monday afternoon. Wednesday sees the U.S. trade deficit numbers and the U.S. Energy Department's weekly inventory reports. Thursday USDA releases its weekly export sales, plus the weekly U.S. jobless claims numbers come out and we'll see an update of U.S. Drought Monitor.