Juana Summers

We wanted to know more about the relationship between farmers and the federal government. So this week we called on Ann Veneman. She was President George W. Bush's Secretary of Agriculture. My co-host Ari Shapiro takes it from here.

That's Anne Veneman, who was Secretary of Agriculture under President George W. Bush, speaking with our co-host Ari Shapiro. We heard Secretary Veneman describe farming as an uncertain business. Uncertainty is also on the minds of economists at the Federal Reserve System, the country's central bank.

That's Anne Veneman, who was Secretary of Agriculture under President George W. Bush, speaking with our co-host Ari Shapiro. We heard Secretary Veneman describe farming as an uncertain business. Uncertainty is also on the minds of economists at the Federal Reserve System, the country's central bank.

That's Anne Veneman, who was Secretary of Agriculture under President George W. Bush, speaking with our co-host Ari Shapiro. We heard Secretary Veneman describe farming as an uncertain business. Uncertainty is also on the minds of economists at the Federal Reserve System, the country's central bank.

The 12 regional banks that make up the Fed regularly study their local economies, very much including agricultural industries, and they publish their findings in a document called the Beige Book. And throughout the latest edition, there's that word again, uncertainty. Robert Smith and Waylon Wong of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money have our Beige Book report.

The 12 regional banks that make up the Fed regularly study their local economies, very much including agricultural industries, and they publish their findings in a document called the Beige Book. And throughout the latest edition, there's that word again, uncertainty. Robert Smith and Waylon Wong of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money have our Beige Book report.

The 12 regional banks that make up the Fed regularly study their local economies, very much including agricultural industries, and they publish their findings in a document called the Beige Book. And throughout the latest edition, there's that word again, uncertainty. Robert Smith and Waylon Wong of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money have our Beige Book report.

This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam, Connor Donovan, and Mia Venkat. It was edited by Patrick Jaron Watanonan and Nadia Lancey, with help from NPR's Kirk Sigler and Eric Whitney. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Juana Summers.

This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam, Connor Donovan, and Mia Venkat. It was edited by Patrick Jaron Watanonan and Nadia Lancey, with help from NPR's Kirk Sigler and Eric Whitney. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Juana Summers.

This episode was produced by Michelle Aslam, Connor Donovan, and Mia Venkat. It was edited by Patrick Jaron Watanonan and Nadia Lancey, with help from NPR's Kirk Sigler and Eric Whitney. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Juana Summers.

Like a lot of economists, Mark Zandi with Moody's Analytics thinks President Trump's across-the-board tariffs are a bad idea.

Like a lot of economists, Mark Zandi with Moody's Analytics thinks President Trump's across-the-board tariffs are a bad idea.

Like a lot of economists, Mark Zandi with Moody's Analytics thinks President Trump's across-the-board tariffs are a bad idea.

He told NPR that if all of Trump's tariffs stay in effect...

He told NPR that if all of Trump's tariffs stay in effect...

He told NPR that if all of Trump's tariffs stay in effect...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bassett said on CBS News' Face the Nation that those fears were alarmist.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bassett said on CBS News' Face the Nation that those fears were alarmist.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bassett said on CBS News' Face the Nation that those fears were alarmist.

But Zandi says it's not just the tariffs themselves that are the problem, it's the uncertainty created by Trump's rollout. So just to recap, Trump threatened 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico would start in February. They were paused at the 11th hour only to eventually go into effect this week.