PM markets: grain prices trim gains as funds take a breather

Ideas of the Brazilian soybean and corn harvest got another boost, while crop reports from the US southern Plains showed little reason to start fretting over drought damage to winter wheat yet, and absent fund buying, grain markets trimmed their recent gains. The latest forecast for Brazilian soybeans from FC Stone came in at a hefty 109.07m tonnes, nearly 5m tonnes up from its February forecast, with favourable weather across most of the country's growing regions.

Trump to roll back fuel-economy requirements

The Trump administration is moving to roll back federal fuel-economy requirements that would have forced automakers to increase significantly the efficiency of new cars and trucks, a key part of former President Barack Obama's strategy to combat global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency is close to an announcement reversing a decision made in the waning days of the Obama administration to lock in strict gas mileage requirements for cars and light trucks through 2025.

Backyard gardening makes comeback –

The Union Times Brussel Sprouts and Collard Greens like these growing in the Piedmont Physic Garden are among the many types of fruit and vegetables that can be grown in a backyard garden. Backyard gardening is making a comeback in South Carolina in response to the expansion of food deserts in communities across the state.

New home for Forestry under consideration; but laid-off foresters still in limbo

While the governor and the Legislature are trading shots over the coming fiscal budget gap, 37 workers from the state Division of Forestry who were laid off during the last budget crisis are still hoping to come back to work. The forestry workers were laid off over a $1.7 shortfall in their own agency's budget that came about largely because of a decrease in timber severance tax money.

DA Food Skyway program offers new market for Zambo Peninsula fisher folks

Fishermen in Zamboanga Peninsula will soon have a larger market for their fish catch, especially during this month's peak season, as the Department of Agriculture will launch the so-called Philippine Food Skyway program later this month, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources . BFAR Regional Director Isidro Velayo Jr. on Thursday said that they are currently preparing the mechanisms to collect the surplus catch that cannot be absorbed by the local market and the fish processing industries in the region.

How Scott Pruitt’s EPA can do its job

Editor's note: John Cruden was a senior manager at the Department of Justice for 23 years, most recently serving from January 2015 to January 2016 as assistant attorney general for DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division. He is president-elect of the American College of Environmental Lawyers.

Trump may cut Great Lakes protection budget by 97 per cent

The Trump administration would slash programs aimed at slowing climate change and improving water safety and air quality, while eliminating thousands of jobs, according to a draft of the Environmental Protection Agency budget proposal obtained by The Associated Press. Under the tentative plan from the Office of Management and Budget, the agency's funding would be reduced by roughly 25 per cent and about 3,000 jobs would be cut, about 19 per cent of the agency's staff.

Vice President Mike Pence defends his use of private email account as governor of Indiana

The matrix is a valuable tool... The season is on the line come Saturday when the Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team hosts Northeastern Junior College in the first round of the Region ... -- A former competitor of Michael Phelps is calling out the gold medalist on social media following Phelps' testimony to Congress.Phelps was one of five panelists t... -- Vice President Mike Pence defended his use of a private email account while governor of Indiana, saying Friday in Wisconsin there is "no comparison" bet... -- It's been a long journey for Oscar winner for Viola Davis.

EPA rule rollback effect unknown

No one knows yet what effect, if any, the rollback of part of the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Rule will have, although some already are celebrating the move. According to an article by Colorado State University researchers Reagan Waskom and David Cooper, posted Tuesday morning on the website theconversation.com , the rollback could mean even more confusion for farmers and ranchers.

What would Teddy Roosevelt have to say about new Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke?

Roosevelt, also a Republican, was no saint , but he was an avid conservationist . So the 26th U.S. president might not like what Zinke has planned for the 500 million acres that the Interior Department manages: opening many of them to coal mining and oil and gas drilling .

Hangry in the school caf: Sharing some food is off the table

School officials in a Connecticut town are criticizing new restrictions on lunchroom "share tables," which encourage students to donate uneaten food for any classmates who may be hungry. The concept has been promoted by the U.S. Agriculture Department as a way to reduce waste, but it is up to local governments to determine what health codes will allow.

China’s coal consumption falls for 3rd year in a row

" China's consumption of coal fell in 2016 for a third year in a row, official data showed Tuesday, as the world's top carbon polluter has emerged as a global leader in addressing global warming. The National Bureau of Statistics said the consumption of coal, a major source of heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions, fell by 4.7 percent last year, according to preliminary calculations.

Records show EPA’s Pruitt used private email, despite denial

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt occasionally used private email to communicate with staff while serving as Oklahoma's attorney general, despite telling Congress that he had always used a state email account for government business. A review of Pruitt emails obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request showed a 2014 exchange where the Republican emailed a member of his staff using a personal Apple email account.

Trump Supporters Starting To Lose Faith?

Tom Godat, a union electrician who has always voted for Democrats, cast his ballot for Donald Trump last year as "the lesser of two evils" compared to Hillary Clinton. There's a lot that Godat likes about President Trump, especially his pledge to make the country great again by ignoring lobbyists, challenging both political parties and increasing the number of good-paying jobs.

South Korea to extend subsidy on some egg imports as bird flu hits local output

A South Korean health official disinfects a vehicle to prevent spread of bird flu in Pohang, South Korea, December 19, 2016. Choi Chang-ho/News1 via South Korea is extending a scheme to subsidize up to half the cost of importing eggs by sea for another two months until the end of April, as it grapples with a shortfall in local supply in the wake of its worst-ever bird flu outbreak.

Two Views: Supreme Court Nomination – Gorsuch could make it harder to address climate change

Judge Neil Gorsuch was not on President Donald Trump's first list of potential Supreme Court nominees. Judge Gorsuch did, however, appear on a revised list just weeks after he wrote a controversial manifesto arguing that it should be easier for corporations and individuals suing federal agencies to have courts strike down regulations and overrule decisions by experts at agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency.