Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked President Joe Biden’s administration for its views on whether the justices should hear Bayer’s bid to dismiss claims by customers who contend its Roundup herbicide causes cancer, as the company seeks to avoid potentially billions of dollars in damages. Bayer in August filed a […] Read more
Supreme Court asks U.S. government for views on Roundup case
U.S. EPA proposes biofuel mandate cuts
Proposal seen as boost to pandemic-hit refiners
Reading Time: 3 minutes New York | Reuters — The Biden administration proposed on Tuesday a reduction in the amount of biofuels that U.S. oil refiners were required to blend into their fuel mix since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The long-awaited decision offers some relief to the U.S. refining industry after the health crisis slammed domestic demand […] Read more
U.S. EPA to propose expanding credit eligibility under biofuel program
Reading Time: < 1 minute New York | Reuters — The Biden administration is expected to propose expanding the kinds of renewable fuel production processes that are eligible to receive credits under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard program, three sources familiar with the matter said. The move could help increase production of advanced biofuels, which include lower-carbon products such as […] Read more
Mexico won’t limit GMO corn imports from U.S., ag minister says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ankeny, Iowa | Reuters — Mexico’s agriculture minister said the country would not limit imports of genetically modified (GMO) corn from the United States during a meeting with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in Iowa on Wednesday. Mexico published an executive order late last year that sought to ban in three years the use of […] Read more
White House not ruling out a U.S. carbon tax
Option 'not off the table' despite Manchin comment
Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington | Reuters –– The White House on Tuesday said it has not ruled out a carbon tax as a possible option for fighting climate change, even though U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a critical holdout in the closely divided Senate, said he was not discussing the topic in talks about U.S. spending and infrastructure bills. […] Read more
U.S. to lift restrictions Nov. 8 for vaccinated foreign travelers
Reading Time: 4 minutes Washington | Reuters — The White House on Friday will lift COVID-19 travel restrictions for fully vaccinated international visitors starting Nov. 8, ending historic restrictions that had barred much of the world from entering the U.S. for as long as 21 months. The unprecedented travel restrictions kept millions of visitors out of the U.S. from […] Read more
U.S. considers faster hog slaughter paces based on staffing
Faster speeds seen as increasing injuries
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — The Biden administration is considering a proposal that could allow some pork plants to slaughter pigs more quickly if they boost staffing, a union official said, after a U.S. court struck down a Trump-era rule that removed line speed limits. The proposal put forward by Quality Pork Processors, operator of a […] Read more
U.S. confirms will boost food stamps by record amount
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters –– The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) on Monday will announce revised nutrition standards dramatically boosting average food stamp benefits, the agency confirmed Sunday. The New York Times first reported the plan to unveil the largest permanent benefits increase in the history of the government’s primary anti-hunger program, saying the change would result […] Read more
U.S. FTC votes to make ‘right to repair’ a priority
Commission also drops 1995 merger policy
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — The U.S Federal Trade Commission voted Wednesday to make it a priority to address the issue of manufacturers pushing consumers to use licensed dealers to repair items ranging from smartphones to farm equipment, a practice that critics call anti-competitive. The five commissioners, three Democrats and two Republicans, voted unanimously to approve […] Read more
U.S. Senate Democrats roll out draft bill to legalize weed
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Three top U.S. Democratic senators on Wednesday unveiled a discussion draft of a bill that aims to legalize cannabis, a move that would allow adult Americans to buy and possess up to 10 ounces of marijuana without facing criminal penalties. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act floated by Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
