Christmas Tree Time & Circus Settlement

Christmas Tree Time & Circus Settlement plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Now that Thanksgiving is past thoughts turn to Christmas and the tree. Will it be a fresh cut or artificial and if it’s fresh, how do you know you are getting a good one? One sure way consumers can find out if a potential Christmas tree for their home is fresh is to use your nose according to Mike Bondi of Oregon State University Extension.

BONDI: The smell of the tree will tell me something about freshness. If it has that real good evergreen, fresh out of the forest kind of smell then that usually indicates that it’s a very fresh tree. If I put my nose down near the branches of the tree and I give them a gentle squeeze between the palm of my hand and fingers and just gently crush the foliage, that will give me that forest like smell.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and the USDA have reached a settlement agreement in which the circus has paid a civil penalty of $270,000 for alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act dating from June 2007 to August 2011. Feld Entertainment, Inc. which does business as Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in addition to paying the $270,000 civil penalty, the largest assessed against an exhibitor under the AWA, waived the opportunity for a hearing and agreed to develop and implement annual AWA compliance training for all employees who work with and handle animals, including trainers, handlers, attendants and veterinarians

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

Was the Super Committee’s inability to come to an agreement by Thanksgiving truly an honest attempt ending in failure, or was it a well orchestrated end-around maneuver; with the ball now handed back to Obama and whomever his presidential challenger will be. They will have to introduce and debate their own alternatives for reducing the nation’s debt. When the Super Committee couldn’t come to terms it triggered automatic spending cuts that will start in January 2013 affecting defense spending, education,agriculture, and environmental programs. It’s definitely gearing up to be a very interesting, and intense election year. The public is frustrated with both political parties and wants something done sooner rather than later. Political candidates generally don’t take a controversial stance that could cost them votes but it will be practically unavoidable in 2012. Eventually Congress must work together with a President in order to put plans in place that will tackle America’s growing financial crisis. Enough with the political party discord; do what you were elected to do and work together to help mend our country.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.