China reached into the U.S. heartland in its escalating trade war over President Donald Trump's tariffs, using an advertising supplement to highlight the impact on the state's soybean farmers as "the fruit of a president's folly." The four-page section in Sunday’s Des Moines Register, which carried the label “paid for and prepared solely by China Daily, an official publication of the People’s Republic of China,” featured such articles as one outlining how the trade dispute is forcing Chinese importers to turn to South America instead of the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Beijing has accused Washington of bullying tactics and economic intimidation, while restating its own stance that only cooperation on trade issues will produce results, in the government’s most comprehensive statement of its trade war stance to date. The white paper released by the official Xinhua New Agency came after Beijing declined on Saturday the US invitation to hold talks to try to resolve the ongoing trade dispute and only an hour after the latest round of US tariffs on US$200 billion of Chinese imports kicked in. [node:read-more:link]

It is evident that the initiative of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin supported by U. S. financial and business leaders to reach an accord with China over trade issues is impeded by implacable opposition by elements in the Administration favoring escalation in tariffs. The President has proposed placing tariffs on an addition $200 billion in Chinese products exported to the U.S. with anticipated retaliatory action by China. Unilateral imposition of tariffs on exports to the U.S. will clearly serve as a barrier to continued negotiations. [node:read-more:link]

In theory, and in compliance with state law, Hampshire's four medical marijuana dispensaries are owned and run by nonprofit organizations.
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A split is growing between cities that want to require private companies to give workers paid sick days and states that are determined to stop them. In the last three years, a dozen states have banned localities from passing paid leave requirements, more than doubling to 22 the states that now outlaw such local ordinances. The state moves come in response to the increasing number of cities and counties passing paid sick days ordinances. Since 2015, more than 20 cities, as well as eight states, have approved measures mandating that companies provide local workers with paid sick leave. [node:read-more:link]

December 10-11, 2018 · Atlanta, Georgia.Rural America faces many challenges: struggling economies, rising suicide rates and the growing opioid epidemic. Land-grant institutions are uniquely positioned to impact community wellness in rural America at the local level. The University of Georgia invites you to join representatives from across rural America to have a conversation, explore best practices, and learn from industry and academic experts. [node:read-more:link]

My quart of fat free King Supers milk says right on the front label: “Our farmers promise not to use rbST. FDA has determined there is no significant difference between milk from rbST-treated cows and non-rbST-treated cows.” Good for FDA. But the label still implies something must be bad in milk from rbST-treated cows.Now Perdue Farms has come out with a new label that is FSIS approved and that they are hoping will appeal to the millennials. I assure you it does not appeal to an old baby boomer who looks for truth in advertising. [node:read-more:link]

Oregon’s environmental regulators have asked a state judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that controls over dairy pollution in the Tillamook basin are insufficiently strict. The complaint was filed by oysterman Jesse Hayes, who claims that excessive fecal coliform bacteria has curtailed or shut down harvest from his oyster beds in the Tillamook Bay. [node:read-more:link]

August and September fertilizer prices confirm expectations of rising fertilizer costs for 2019.  So far, anhydrous ammonia prices are close to $80 per ton higher for 2019 production as compared to 2018 production.  DAP prices are close to $70 per ton higher and potash prices are near $35 per ton higher.  Higher fertilizer prices then lead to higher fertilizer costs.  Current price increases suggest $15 per acre higher costs for corn and $5 per acre higher costs for soybeans.  Cost increases will end a string of yearly declines in fertilizer costs that began in 2012. [node:read-more:link]

As the rivers trapped them inside their blacked-out town, the dwindling families of Ivanhoe collected rain to drink in plastic pitchers and flushed the toilets with buckets of rust-colored hurricane floodwater. They salvaged thawing chicken from their broken freezers and cooked it over wood fires. They handed out headlamps at bedtime so their family members could find the bathroom in the bottomless dark. [node:read-more:link]