As US midterms approach, farmers decide what to plant and how to vote

Facing higher fuel and fertiliser costs since the start of the war on Iran, northeast Arkansas farmer Paul McKinney plans to sharply reduce rice planting and focus instead on soybeans, which cost less to produce. Rural voters are being watched closely ahead of the midterms, with Democrats hoping to make gains in Texas and Kansas and in rural House districts in Wisconsin and North Carolina. Arkansas remains a safe Republican stronghold, making the race difficult for Hallie Shoffner, a sixth-generation farmer who left farming to challenge Republican Senator Tom Cotton on rising costs.