Chicago | Reuters -- A U.S. judge sentenced futures trader Michael Coscia to three years in prison on Wednesday, a lighter punishment than prosecutors had sought for the first person criminally convicted of the manipulative trading practice of spoofing. Coscia also was sentenced to two years of supervised release from jail, in a case that[...]
U.S. asked to seize Bundy cattle to protect tortoises
Reuters -- Environmental groups have asked the U.S. government to seize hundreds of jailed militant rancher Cliven Bundy's cattle, saying unregulated grazing of his herd on public lands in Nevada threatens habitat for federally protected desert tortoises. The request from nine organizations in a letter sent on Monday to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management[...]
New 'superbug' gene found in animals, people in China
London | Reuters -- A new gene that makes bacteria highly resistant to a last-resort class of antibiotics has been found in people and pigs in China -- including in samples of bacteria with epidemic potential, researchers said Wednesday. The discovery was described as "alarming" by scientists, who called for urgent restrictions on the use[...]
Minnesota declares state of emergency over avian flu
Chicago | Reuters -- Minnesota declared a state of emergency on Thursday over a fast-spreading strain of avian flu that has led to the extermination of more than 7.3 million birds in the country. It followed Wisconsin's action on Monday. The highly pathogenic H5N2 strain of bird flu has been identified on 46 Minnesota farms[...]
Iowa reports biggest single U.S. outbreak of bird flu
Chicago | Reuters -- Iowa, the top U.S. egg-producing state, found a lethal strain of bird flu in millions of hens at an egg-laying facility on Monday, the worst case so far in a national outbreak that prompted Wisconsin to declare a state of emergency. The infected Iowa birds were being raised near the city[...]
U.S. could use vaccines being developed to fight bird flu in poultry
Chicago | Reuters -- Faced with a deadly bird flu outbreak that has infected millions of chickens and turkeys, the U.S. Agriculture Department could turn to what it has always seen as a last resort: readying and deploying a vaccine to fight the disease. Up to now, USDA has said it would prefer not to[...]
Researchers identify new PEDv strain in Minnesota
Chicago | Reuters -- U.S. researchers have identified a new strain of a hog disease that has wiped out millions of baby pigs, a sign the virus will keep mutating as producers work to contain it. A third strain of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) was detected in a Minnesota hog herd and found to[...]
Shake Shack IPO comes amid hunger for premium burgers
New York | Reuters -- Shake Shack Inc.'s filing this week for an initial public offering underscores a question for investors and foodies alike: How hungry are U.S. consumers for another burger chain? A key part of Shake Shack's growth strategy involves expanding its locations beyond its New York base, and investors and analysts are[...]
California plan for water tunnels violates environmental rules: EPA
Reuters -- A California plan to bore two massive water tunnels under the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta hit a barrier this week when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the plan could violate the federal Clean Water Act and further degrade the delta's ecosystem. The decision is the latest in a series of setbacks for[...]
Lawmakers in drought-hit California agree on water plan
Sacramento | Reuters -- California Governor Jerry Brown approved on Wednesday a US$7.6 billion plan to improve water supplies in the drought-stricken state that will be put before voters in November, ending a year of political wrangling over the measure. California is in the throes of a devastating multi-year drought that is expected to cost[...]
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
