May 14 (Reuters) – U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for
overseas lobbying that promotes controversial biotech crops
developed by U.S.-based Monsanto Co and other seed
makers, a report issued on Tuesday said.

A review of 926 diplomatic cables of correspondence to and
from the U.S. State Department and embassies in more than 100
countries found that State Department officials actively
promoted the commercialization of specific biotech seeds,
according to the report issued by Food & Water Watch, a
nonprofit consumer protection group.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for overseas lobbying that promotes controversial biotech crops developed by U.S.-based Monsanto Co and other seed makers, a report issued on Tuesday said.

A review of 926 diplomatic cables of correspondence to and from the U.S. State Department and embassies in more than 100 countries found that State Department officials actively promoted the commercialization of specific biotech seeds, according to the report issued by Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer protection group.

KANSAS CITY, May 10 (Reuters) – A little more light is about
to fall on the murky, sometimes messy market for renewable-fuel
credits, with the launch next week of the CME Group’s first
futures contracts for the government-mandated credits, known as
“RINs.”

Created by a U.S. program aimed at boosting the use of
renewable fuels such as ethanol in domestic motor fuel,
Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) have until recently been
regarded as a somewhat untamed backwater of U.S. energy and
agricultural markets, where trading is unregulated and pricing
is sometimes hard to peg.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – The Department of Agriculture said Friday it will extend its scrutiny of controversial proposed biotech crops developed by Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical, and Monsanto Co. after receiving an onslaught of opposition to the companies’ plans.

The news frustrated Dow officials who had hoped to have secured regulatory approval and have their new herbicide-tolerant corn called “Enlist” on the market by 2013 or 2014 at the latest. But 2015 is now likely the best hope for commercialization, said Dow AgroSciences spokeswoman Kenda Resler Friend. Farmers need the new technology to better manage weeds, she said.

KANSAS CITY, April 30 (Reuters) – Dangerous
antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been found in ground turkey on
U.S. grocery shelves across a variety of brands and stores
located in 21 states, according to a report by a consumer
watchdog organization.

Of the 257 samples of ground turkey tested, more than half
were found to be positive for fecal bacteria and overall, 90
percent were contaminated with one or more types of
disease-causing organisms, many of which proved resistant to one
or more common antibiotics, Consumer Reports found.

KANSAS CITY (Reuters) – Dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been found in ground turkey on U.S. grocery shelves across a variety of brands and stores located in 21 states, according to a report by a consumer watchdog organization.

Of the 257 samples of ground turkey tested, more than half were found to be positive for fecal bacteria and overall, 90 percent were contaminated with one or more types of disease-causing organisms, many of which proved resistant to one or more common antibiotics, Consumer Reports found.

KANSAS CITY, April 30 (Reuters) – Dangerous
antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been found in ground turkey on
U.S. grocery shelves across a variety of brands and stores
located in 21 states, according to a report by a consumer
watchdog organization.

Of the 257 samples of ground turkey tested, more than half
were found to be positive for fecal bacteria and overall, 90
percent were contaminated with one or more types of
disease-causing organisms, many of which proved resistant to one
or more common antibiotics, Consumer Reports found.

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – South Dakota is finding it difficult to change time-worn names of locations that are seen as offensive by African-Americans and Native Americans, such as “Negro” and “squaw” creeks, canyons and mountain ridges.

The state issued a plea this month for public assistance in renaming five geographic features. The five are part of a total of 18 sites that include the word “squaw” or “Negro” in their names and have been designated by the legislature as needing renaming.

CHICAGO (Reuters) – New efforts to force labeling of foods made with genetically modified crops, including a bill introduced by U.S. lawmakers Wednesday, have struck a nerve with biotech crop developers who say they are rushing to roll out a broad strategy to combat consumer concerns about their products.

Executives from Monsanto Co., DuPont, and Dow Chemical, among the world’s largest developers of biotech crops and the chemicals used to help produce them, told Reuters this week they are putting together a campaign aimed at turning the tide on what they acknowledge is a growing public sentiment against genetically modified organisms (GMOs) used as ingredients in the nation’s food supply.

April 25 (Reuters) – Drought conditions across portions of
the central United States continued to moderate as rain and snow
boosted soil moisture in the past week, according to a report
released on Thursday by state and federal climatologists.

The “Drought Monitor” report, which tracks the land area
affected by drought, said the High Plains, the region suffering
the most from drought, was seeing significant relief.