A new animal activist case in Colorado shows how abuse laws may be turning the tables against activists targeting operations that harm animals.

Recently, I read about the life of Phillips Brooks, one of America’s most famous clergymen and the man who built Boston’s historic Trinity Church.

Years ago, while living in another country, I had the chance to break bread with an older couple. As a guest in their land, they offered an afternoon to visit their home to share a discussion about our lives – mine, which was relatively just starting, and theirs, which was coming to an end. I anxiously asked about memories from the monumental days when battles were fought in their villages and towns. Their tales of survival included years when they were isolated from the rest of the world. Likewise, they eagerly inquired about life as a young American. What did I think of their homeland? What was family life like back in the States? What did I study and do for work back home?

Reports from South Dakota this week say blizzards that hit the state over the weekend have led to tens of thousands of dead cattle strewn across the prairie.

Tuesday came the government shutdown, and on Wednesday came the silence from the USDA in its economic reports.

If you're working today, count yourself among the millions of Americans who are exponentially more productive than Uncle Sam and the federal government. As of midnight last evening, the U.S. government is closed for business.

For a few days in the month of August, the story concerning beta-agonist usage in cattle had an almost anxious feel to it. After some packers started dropping cattle finished on certain beta-agonist products, the impression grew quickly that all packers would do the same. Fortunately, that kind of panic never played itself out. Two of the nation’s largest packers have dropped beta-agonist usage in fed cattle; the other two have not.

Former President Clinton is in the news again, and it appears he's may be cheating ... on his diet.

What was seen as a banner year for corn production, is now facing dire threat due to a late spurt of hot weather in the Midwest. And that's just the short-term outlook. The long-term effect of the ongoing drought is looking even more painful – especially for those states using the Ogallala Aquifer of the high plains.

The healthy school lunch push that has consumed the USDA for the past three years is looking like a meal with empty calories.