THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2018  |  IN THIS ISSUE 


By bowing to pressure from farm states by agreeing not to change U.S. biofuel policy, President Donald Trump has antagonized another major constituency: the United Steelworkers, Reuters reports. The union, which represents refinery workers, among others, says Mr. Trump's decision not to tweak the Renewable Fuel Standard to cut refineries' cost puts thousands of blue collar jobs at risk.

Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst slammed EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt for failing to uphold the president's commitment to farmers on ethanol, then praised Mr. Trump for rejecting a plan to let oil companies count renewable fuel compliance credits on exported biofuels, reports the Des Moines Register. ".@realDonaldTrump has said he 'looovves the farmers!' #Iowa is feeling that love today, as the President just assured me he 'won't sign a deal that's bad for farmers!' Thank you, Mr. President!" gushed Ms. Ernst via Twitter.
Text2 State GOP convention to pick ag secretary nominee
 
Mike Naig, Iowa's secretary of agriculture since March, learned in the wee hours Wednesday morning he'll have to convince delegates at the Republican Party's state convention to nominate him for the November ballot, reports Radio Iowa. Unofficial returns from all 99 counties showed Mr. Naig a quarter-of-a-percent short of the 35 percent needed to win the party nomination. Mr. Naig called the 30,616 votes he received out of the 88,140 total "a clear message" that Iowa Republicans are "pleased with the direction we're headed." State Sen. Dan Zumbach placed second with 21.4 percent of the vote. The eventual GOP candidate will face Democrat Tim Gannon, a former USDA associate administrator, in the general election, reports the Register.  
Text3 UIHC needs millions to dissolve health alliance
 
University of Iowa Health Care needs to spend $9.5 million to fully dissolve the UI Health Alliance, a network of four regional providers the university said it would leave earlier this year, the Gazette reports. UIHC on Wednesday told the state's Board of Regents it needs $7.5 million "to meet cash flow requirements to facilitate discontinuance," and another $2 million to cover "residual cash flows of UI Community Connect projects," which worked to bring IT infrastructure to health care providers. UIHC is seeking to transfer that money to a separate nonprofit, UI Health System, which manages the alliance - a move that has some precedent. The regents last approved a $30 million transfer in 2014 to help the alliance develop a "clinically integrated network capable of pooling their collective abilities and knowledge."

Booths at the World Pork Expo, underway this week in Des Moines, reflect the industry's move away from antibiotics, Iowa Public Radio reports. At the National Pork Producers Council space, farmers are encouraged to "pledge to be ready" for the Jan. 1, 2019 deadline when certain medications and uses will be prohibited. Animal nutrition companies are also touting products and expertise to help farmers make the transition. Treating water to eliminate salmonella or E. coli, for example, can eliminate the need to bring antibiotics for those into the feed, said an Alltech representative.

The National Pork Board's Jarrod Sutton told Pork Magazine that consumers and food company buyers are trying to understand more about how antibiotics are used in pork production. " That's a good thing," he noted, because the conversation instills confidence and helps companies understand consumer perspectives.
Tyson Foods is making a push into organics, striking a deal to acquire Nebraska-based Tecumseh Poultry, maker of organic fresh chicken and chicken sausages under the Smart Chicken brand, reports Market Watch. Organic chicken sales increased nearly 12 percent to $333 million in the year ended in April, while conventional chicken sales grew 3 percent to $7.7 billion over that period, according to Nielsen Perishables.
 
The consumer embrace of fresh foods and boutique brands has left the traditional packaged food industry struggling to find its way, reports the Wall Street Journal. Unit volume of packaged products sold in middle supermarket aisles dropped 1.7 percent by unit volume last year, while outer aisle items like fresh meat, produce and baked goods saw growth. Shares of some classic consumer food companies are down by a third or more over the past year.
People of color are far less likely than white men to get a raise after asking for one, according to a new study from PayScale. The Washington Post reports that women of color were 19 percent less likely to receive a raise than a white man, and that men of color were 25 percent less likely. Valerie Wilson, director of the Institute of Women's Policy Research, said the study challenges criticisms that people who don't receive raises aren't aggressive enough in negotiating a pay raise.

Even so, asking for more money is still better than not asking, Bloomberg notes. Some 70 percent of workers who ask for a raise receive some pay increase, even if it's not as much as they proposed. Note to employers: Researchers have also found that nearly 75 percent employees who ask for a raise and are not given a reason for being denied or given a reason they don't believe say they'll quit within six months.
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