New Dust Bowl?

The Times notes that that acreage of corn planted this year was the highest in 75 years, and warm spring temperatures had allowed earlier planting and had risen farmers' hopes of high returns.

But Illinois farmer Don Duvall told the Times, “It all quickly went from ideal to tragic.”

The ongoing heat and lack of rainfall have left corn crops in some midwestern states far smaller than usual for this time of year, if not clinging to life. And with the pollination time for the crop soon approaching, the viability of much of the corn to survive is chancy, as stressed crops may not pollinate.

The Times ends with an eerie image of a farmer picking up his soil which turns to "a dusty powder."