House Republicans returned from their winter break last Tuesday with a message for President Barack Obama: Stop delaying the Keystone XL pipeline. But by Wednesday, Obama had made his decision, 34 days before his final deadline, to reject the pipeline.

Dozens of Yavapai County ranch families filed a lawsuit in the Arizona Tax Court seeking relief for illegallycollected property taxes and flawed property valuations that were made by the Yavapai County Assessor’s Office on their respective agricultural properties.

Sustainability is the big buzz word in the industry and was one of the main topics at last week’s International Livestock Congress. According to Jude Capper, Ph. D.

USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand (WASDE) estimates show a downward trend in cattle supplies from last year, with higher fed-steer price ranges. USDA increased 2011 corn and soybean yields and production, despite most analysts’ predictions leaning towards a decline.

As the prospective lessor, a landowner who is approached for a mineral rights lease should not sign on the dotted line unless absolutely sure the deal is in his best interest. Once that lease is signed, there’s potential of being stuck in it for years if oil or gas is found.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments last week in an Idaho couple’s challenge against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Act (CWA) and wetlands enforcement actions. The case could have far reaching impacts for agriculture, according to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to ban on April 5 the agricultural use of cephalosporin, a popular antibiotic used primarily in swine, chickens and turkeys, but also cattle, to prevent the rise of drug-resistant bacteria that infect humans.

New farm bill—Since the super committee could not reach an agreement on cutting $1.2 trillion in federal spending, the House and Senate Agriculture committees will begin the new year working on the new farm bill. It is estimated that at least $15 billion could be cut over 10 years.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a revised hours-of-service (HOS) rule for commercial truck drivers, planning to improve safety in the industry, but the restrictions have many trucking organizations and companies less than happy.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waited until the 5th hour to release their reduced 2012 biofuel requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).