Daily News Lesson

SHOW ALL

Oct. 8, 2025, 9:02 p.m.

Trump considers $10 billion bailout for farmers as tariffs disrupt the market

NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?

Teacher's note: For the sake of time, you may want to watch just the first 2m:50s of the video.

SUMMARY

President Donald Trump is said to be preparing a bailout package of at least $10 billion that could provide relief to farmers facing the financial pain of tariffs on China. To discuss what this means for farmers and for the heartland, Liz Landers spoke with Aaron Lehman. He is the President of the Iowa Farmers Union, representing growers in the second-largest soybean-producing state in the country.

View the transcript of the story.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

  1. How much is the potential farm bailout bill?
  2. What has been the economic impact of tariffs on farmers, according to farmers Chris Gibbs and Tyler Stafslien?
  3. Where do American farmers ship 50% of their soybeans?
  4. Who are different groups of people affected by the tariffs, in addition to farmers, according to Aaron Lehman?
  5. Why do farmers need a bailout from the federal government, according to Lehman?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

  • Do you think it is a good idea for the federal government to bailout farmers? Explain.
  • Do you think it is fair that the government bail out farmers when other groups of Americans are not receiving support during difficult economic times? Explain.

Media literacy: Besides the two farmers and the president of the Iowa Farmers Union, who else would you like to hear from in this story?

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter with Daily News Lessons and community events.

To provide feedback on News Hour Classroom's resources, including this lesson, click here.

SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

Copyright © 2025 NewsHour Production LLC. All Rights Reserved

Illustrations by Annamaria Ward