CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) – Russia has raised
“further issues” with a trade agreement that was supposed to
have restarted U.S. poultry exports to that country after a
six-month ban, U.S. chicken industry sources said on Tuesday.

Industry and government sources did not specify the issues
raised. The matter has reached Washington where U.S.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he was “concerned” and
monitoring the situation.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The financial regulatory act signed into law this month gives the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission significantly more regulatory muscle to crack down on misconduct in futures and other derivatives markets.

The nation’s futures regulator may quickly seek to test its new powers under the Dodd-Frank Act to prevent market manipulation and disruptive trading practices, which could end decades of frustration for the agency caused by confusion over the law and a failure to prosecute traders.

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. Commodity
Futures Trading Commission said on Thursday it will provide
more information on positions held by large traders in
financial futures markets, part of its push to boost
transparency.

The new data, to be released weekly starting on Friday,
“will provide the public with a better view into the financial
futures marketplace,” said CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – With time running out on the congressional calendar, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Tuesday he was still grappling for consensus among Democrats to forge a new climate and energy bill.

“We’re really not at the point where I can determine what is best for the caucus,” Reid told reporters when asked whether he would have a bill ready next week for the full Senate to debate.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. regulators on Monday narrowly approved a request by Cantor Fitzgerald LP that would allow the firm to offer futures contracts tied to box office receipts.

It was the second contract approved by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, but looming over the contracts is the financial regulatory reform bill that Congress will vote on this week.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. regulators said on Tuesday they have made “significant progress” investigating the May 6 market free fall but offered no sign they are getting close to pinpointing what caused the unprecedented slump.

Despite a lack of answers, regulators have already rolled out trial trading curbs to prevent a recurrence. Exchange executives told the regulators at a public meeting the curbs are likely ineffective because they are not yet market-wide.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers accused BP Plc Chief Executive Tony Hayward of evasion and ducking responsibility for the worst oil spill in U.S. history at a hearing on Thursday that was rocked by a Republican member of the panel apologizing to the company.

In his first appearance before Congress since the start of the 59-day-old crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, a tired-looking Hayward sat alone at the witness table, repeatedly declining to go into details of the spill pending the results of investigations.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lawmakers accused BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward of evasion and ducking responsibility for the worst oil spill in U.S. history when he appeared before them on Thursday to answer charges his company cut corners on its blown-out Gulf of Mexico well.

In his first appearance before Congress since the start of the 59-day-old crisis, a tired-looking Hayward sat alone at the witness table as lawmakers took turns during more than three hours of questioning to lambaste the British energy giant.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Angry U.S. lawmakers hammered BP(BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research)(BP.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Chief Executive Tony Hayward at a congressional hearing on Thursday, accusing his company of taking “extreme risks” that triggered the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

In his first appearance before Congress since the start of the 59-day-old crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, a tired-looking Hayward sat alone and hunched over the witness table as lawmakers took turns to lambaste the energy giant.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Angry lawmakers hammered BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward at a congressional hearing on Thursday, accusing his company of taking “extreme risks” that triggered the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

In his first appearance before Congress since the start of the 59-day-old crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, a tired-looking Hayward sat alone and hunched over the witness table as lawmakers took turns to lambaste the energy giant.