University of Illinois in line for a DOE-funded biofuel center
The University of Illinois wants to further embed itself into the growing fi eld of biofuel and is in line to host a new bioenergy research center as long as Congress agrees later this year, as expected. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced late last month it would award an initial $40 million for the establishment of four biofuel centers throughout the county, with operating funding planned for each of the next four years.
FDA approves heart-healthy claim for soybean oil usage
A recent announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowing soybean oil to be promoted as a heart-healthy alternative has won praise from the soybean industry.
Top USDA state and federal chairs still need candidates
As Congress heads into its August recess and President Trump heads off on vacation, more than 1,000 top positions needing Senate confirmation throughout the government remain vacant, including more than a dozen senior USDA posts.
State officials have imposed an interior quarantine on the movement of hemlock trees because of increasing cases of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), an insect found on the trees. HWA is a tiny insect that forms small white masses on the stems and twigs of hemlock trees and, if left untreated, will kill them. Michigan has 170 million hemlocks.
