Federal Response & Vacating COOL

Federal Response & Vacating COOL

Federal Response & Vacating COOL plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

The heads of both FEMA and Homeland Security visited the site of the Oso, Washington mudslide that so far has claimed 33 victims. FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson were joined by Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene to access the damage. FEMA officials are urging anyone affected by the landslide to register for relief. Call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit has decided to vacate the March 28th appeal ruling and re-hear the case en banc - which means it goes before all the circuit judges.  R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard says COOL will stay intact while the case is being heard.

BULLARD: Now they're going to have to hold a hearing to determine if the government has to show that there was deception in its request or demand that the meat packers label beef. So a very narrow issue that will be decided but the effect of vacating their order is that the rule still remains in effect.

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

One of the things I was taught as a youngster was "just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should". It's the basis for a moral compass. Most people have one, a small portion of people don't - sadly, they're the ones we always hear about. Last week the Associated Press ran a story about the future of genetically modified food animals and the tough road that group of biotechnology experts have to travel. At the same time the House Appropriation Committee was ardently questioning regulators on how and when the USDA will deregulate GM plant traits so that enhanced crop varieties that withstand pests, disease and drought can be made more readily available to our nation's farmers. The country seems to be stuck encouraging the advancement of biotechnology one moment, and adamantly condemning it in the next instant. There is the fear that we will go off the deep end if, as a country, we allow the development of GM food animals - that it will not stop there and that we will be cloning humans next. Over the years there are many things that we could have done as a nation that we chose not to do because of a strong sense of moral ethics and standards. Just because we can do something, doesn't mean we would.

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

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