12/12/06 Permanent Trade & E. Coli Continues

Permanent Trade and E Coli continues. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The House of Representatives has authorized Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Vietnam. It also extended trade relations with some African and Andean countries  as well as some other developing nations. U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said  "Developing countries on every continent have benefited from selling their product in the United States market and U.S. consumers have benefited from the variety of their exports." She added  "We will work with these countries to strengthen their economies and increase their participation in global trade." Before closing its doors early Saturday morning the Lame Duck 109th congress passed only two of the 11 spending bills. Congress also sent legislation to the President that expands offshore oil drilling and preserves a variety of popular tax breaks for families and businesses. The possibility that California produce may be the source of a second E. coli outbreak in four months has triggered a fresh round of inspections at farms, packaging plants and distribution centers in the state -- seeking to isolate how the strain may be entering the food supply-chain. California health officials discount a connection between the two outbreaks and, citing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, say it is too early to assign blame for the Taco Bell outbreak to green onions grown in their state. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. My first Christmas as a newlywed I eagerly unwrapped my husbands gift & only to find a pair of men's size 7 hunting boots, yes I am still married to the man, and despite what initially was perceived as the most unromantic gesture possible, I have come to realize that it was really quite sweet. It was his way of sharing his love of hunting. 26 years latter we are still hunting together but today I buy my boots in woman's sizes. Thumb through any outdoor magazine, from Cabelas, L. L. Bean, or Orvis and it is obvious we women have become an important part of the hunting industry. A recent study by the National Sporting Goods Association estimates that more than 3 million women now take part in some form of hunting. The number of women that hunt with firearms jumped 72 percent over the last three years and the number of women bow hunters has grown to 786,000. Thankfully the days of being decked in boyfriend's or hubby's camo are in the past but I still would caution you fellows out not to give your gal hunting boots for Christmas& Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.