Senate defies Bush on allowing Canadian cattle into the U.S.
Washington The Senate voted Thursday to overturn the Bush administration’s decision to allow Canadian cattle into the country again nearly two years after they were banned because of mad cow disease.
The White House said Bush would veto the measure if it ever reaches his desk, warning that continuing to refuse Canadian beef would damage efforts to persuade other countries to buy U.S. beef.
The Senate’s 52-46 vote was to reject the Agriculture Department’s decision to begin resuming imports of Canadian cows under 30 months of age beginning next week. A similar measure has been introduced in the House, but leaders there have scheduled no vote on it.
“They’ve got mad cow disease,” said Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. “Now the question is, should we run the risk of opening our border to livestock imports from Canada, when the evidence demonstrates clearly they’re not enforcing their regulations to reduce the risk to them and to us?”
Agriculture officials had planned to reopen the border next Monday. However, a federal judge on Wednesday granted a temporary injunction sought by Western ranchers seeking to keep the ban in place.
Western ranchers saw near-record cattle prices last year and want to protect those prices by refusing Canadian cattle.
U.S. meatpackers, however, say their inability to buy Canadian cattle has cost their industry more than $1.7 billion, forcing layoffs and idling production.
Bowl For Kids’ Sake this weekend
Spokane car dealers and credit unions will face off against others in their industries Sunday in the annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake event to raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest.
They’re among more than 100 companies fielding teams in this year’s Bowl for Kids’ Sake, which takes place at various locations from March 4 to March 12. Bowl for Kids’ Sake raises more than 25 percent of Big Brothers Big Sisters’ annual budget, according to the nonprofit organization.
Car dealers involved in that industry’s “challenge” series at Players & Spectators Sunday will include Barton Jeep, Camp Chevrolet, Dealers Auto Auction Northwest, Downtown Toyota, Empire Ford, Gus Johnson Ford, Hallmark Automotive Group and Wendle Motors. Financial institutions involved in the credit union challenge series at Lilac Lanes include Spokane Teacher’s Credit Union, Global Credit Union, Horizon Credit Union, Spokane Federal Credit Union and Numerica Credit Union.
All together, about 300 teams and 1,500 bowlers will take part in the 2005 Bowl for Kids’ Sake event.
Boeing stock rises above 9/11 level
Chicago
Boeing Co.’s stock rose nearly 4 percent Thursday to a 3 1/2 -year high, climbing back to a level not reached since the 2001 terror attacks sent the plane manufacturer’s commercial airline customers into a deep slump.
The increase was attributed to general optimism about the industry’s recovery and a bullish report from a Wall Street brokerage.
Shares in the Chicago-based company increased $2.12 to $57.42 on more than double the usual daily trading volume on the New York Stock Exchange. They are now up 10.9 percent this year following a 23 percent jump in 2004.
Analyst Paul Nisbet of JSA Research said the stock’s latest surge reflected a mixture of news and market phenomenon.
“When a stock breaks through a long-holding level, it’s not uncommon that you see it pop another few percent higher like this,” Nisbet said. “But there’s also been a lot of good news for Boeing lately,” he added, citing recent contracts for its 737 and 787 planes along with increased passenger traffic for airlines which bodes well for future orders.
NBC in talks to buy MSNBC from Microsoft
New York
NBC Universal is in talks to buy out Microsoft Corp.’s stake in MSNBC, the struggling news cable channel, according to a news report Thursday.
The New York Post, quoting unnamed sources, reported that the two companies are in advanced talks to close a deal that would put NBC Universal in full control of MSNBC, while Microsoft would still have access to some of NBC’s content for online use.
A spokesman for NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co., declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Microsoft.
Microsoft and NBC founded MSNBC and its companion online news site in 1995 with a joint investment of $400 million.
GE shares fell 5 cents to close at $35.55 in Thursday trading on the New York Stock Exchange, while Microsoft shares fell 9 cents to close at $25.17 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.