Venezuelan migrants board boats to Colombia on Panama's Caribbean coastal island of Gardi Sugdub, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, after turning back from southern Mexico where they gave up hopes of

In this Spotlight on Soybeans, Board Member Robert Alpers highlights the value of marketing missions to importing countries and talks about their most recent mission to Mexico and Panama. He emphasizes trust and product interest through face-to-face interactions and personal connections.

President Donald Trump says an executive order will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. He also outlined his desire for the U.S. to take over the Panama Canal. Google on Monday changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in Google Maps.

In the space of about a month, we’ve heard about: invading Mexico and Panama, and taking over Greenland and Canada; ethnic cleansing and “owning” Gaza; withdrawal from the Paris climate accords; beginning peace negotiations with Russia over Ukraine without Ukraine’s leaders;

Donald Trump and friends have been busy making America (fill in the blank) Again. Untrustworthy again, as we continue to refuse to honor treaties and trade deals negotiated and signed? Disrespectful and punitive toward allies again? Think of his tone toward Canada and Mexico. Imperialists again, threatening others’ sovereignty? Think Canada 51st State, Denmark (get Greenland), Panama and the canal? Make America an oligarchy run by a dictator, his billionaire bros and all-hat-no-cattle people who don’t give a plugged nickel about you and the price of groceries? Make American dysfunctional again? Leadership and career path people with the know-how and experience to keep our ship of state afloat in this world’s troubled waters are being made to walk the plank. They will be replaced by Trump loyalists willing to break their oaths to the Constitution when he says jump. This administration is making America hostage to reckless billionaires, Jan. 6 deniers and Republicans in Congress who won’t stand up. Let’s give them an earful. Let’s start by demanding they do their jobs and call to heel Elon Musk and his Department of Goverment Efficiency minions who are attempting an illegal, hostile takeover of our government. The main switchboard for the U.S. Senate is (202) 224-3121. Regarding the story headlined “Musk tightens grip on agencies” (Feb. 4, Lewiston Tribune): Chris Megerian (White House correspondent for the Associated Press) is the mouthpiece for the local Tribune apparently, so when I was reading his diatribe on another “Donald Trump/MAGA” directive, I was looking for the silver dollar in the pit latrine residue the Tribune sells us as authorized “truth.” And there it was in the final paragraph. To quote the author, “One of the most significant steps was gaining access to the U.S. treasury payment system, which is responsible for 1 billion payments per year totaling $5 trillion.” Wouldn’t that be amazing to see the company checkbook? Wonder if any of that money was part of the failed campaigns of some political elitists around our nation? But wouldn’t the Democrats want us to see how our tax dollars are spent around our world? They are the party of “fact checkers” and hold moral superiority, right? Let’s get the facts out to the nation. We gave a mandate to our politicians on both sides of the aisle last November (Electoral College and popular vote). We want tax dollars spent on what serves the needs of the nation and not dollars thrown at offbeat clown cars that reflect none of the good of our nation. Let private donor dollars feed sacred cows, whoever they belong to, or let them starve to death. That accountability should save taxpayers about $2 trillion this year.

A boat carrying 19 South American migrants blocked from entering the US sank off the coast of Panama as they returned to their home countries.

Could Mexico’s shipping corridor be the future of global trade? With rising costs and congestion at the Panama Canal, Mexico is reviving an old dream—a land-based interoceanic route. But will it succeed,

In this Spotlight on Soybeans, Board Member Robert Alpers highlights the value of marketing missions to importing countries and talks about their most recent mission to Mexico and Panama. He emphasizes trust and product interest through face-to-face interactions and personal connections.

With this series of weekly updates, WOLA seeks to cover the most important developments at the U.S.-Mexico border. See

Iranian Christians were flown to Panama after seeking asylum at the U.S. border. The flights are part of Trump's strategy to expel migrants.

Prior to the origination of the plans for the Panama Canal vessels of trade had few options of getting goods from Europe and Asia to N. America.

Since returning to office, President Trump has made repeated claims that China operates the Panama Canal and threatened to take it back from the Panama Canal Authority, which has controlled it since 1999.