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News18
08-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Texas Floods: Christian Summer Camp Mystic That Lost 27 Has Links To Football & Ex-US President
Texas floods: Camp Mystic is a nondenominational Christian summer camp for girls in western Kerr County Texas Floods: Camp Mystic in Texas lost at least '27 campers and counsellors" to the floods in the Guadalupe River. Texas has already seen multiple dangerous flooding events this year, and the United States overall saw a record number of flash flood emergencies last year. WHERE IS CAMP MYSTIC? Camp Mystic is a nondenominational Christian summer camp for girls in western Kerr County. The camp is located at a dangerous confluence of the South Fork Guadalupe River and Cypress Creek, where flood waters converged. Camp Mystic has two sites, both of which overlap with either the floodway or areas the federal government has determined have a 1% or 0.2% annual chance of flooding. Camp Mystic has three sessions each summer, offering classic summer camp activities including archery, canoeing, arts and crafts, horseback riding and a variety of sports, said a Reuters report. Ten minutes north on the South Fork is Camp La Junta, a boys camp. Some of Camp La Junta's property also coincides with areas known to flood, although several of its buildings are located in the lower-risk zone, or outside the flood zones entirely. Everyone at Camp La Junta has been accounted for, the camp announced on Friday. ESTABLISHED IN 1926, FOOTBALL CONNECTION It was established in 1926 by The University of Texas coach 'Doc" Stewart, , who coached the Texas Longhorns football squad from 1923-1926 and, according to a UT historian, is the coach under whom the team first appeared in its iconic burnt orange and white uniforms, said reports. Camp Mystic had one eight-week session from the beginning until 1942. After World War II, Camp Mystic began offering two sessions, and later added a two week third session in 1983. Agnes Stacy, fondly called 'Ag," became familiar with Camp Mystic in 1933 when she sent her daughter Anne to Mystic. The next year, Ag attended Mystic herself as a director. In 1939, she and her husband, 'Pop" Stacy, decided to purchase the camp. They began many of the traditions which are still followed by Mystic's campers. Ag and Pop, with their two children, Anne Stacy Eastland Spears and William Gillespie Stacy Jr., kept Mystic in continuous operation, except for the years 1943-45, when it was leased by the federal government as a rehabilitation and recovery camp for army air corps veterans of World War II. Frank C. Harrison and his wife, affectionately called 'Iney and Frank," were brought to Mystic in December of 1948 by Ag. The current Owners and Executive Directors of Camp Mystic are Dick and Tweety Eastland, who have been at Mystic since 1974. They are the third generation to manage Mystic, which has been in the family since 1939. Both Dick and Tweety attended The University of Texas in Austin. After they married and graduated from college, Dick, who is Ag's grandson, and Tweety decided to make their home at Mystic. For many years, they worked alongside Iney and Frank Harrison, learning the traditions and operations of the camp. In the Mystic spirit, their goals are to boost every camper's self-confidence and to nurture the development of their individual characters. Dick & Tweety continue to keep the Mystic traditions thriving. WHAT DO CAMPERS DO HERE? Devotionals are held on Sunday mornings along the banks of the beautiful Guadalupe River. Campers and counselors join together to sing songs, listen to scripture, discover ways to grow spiritually, and learn to apply these lessons to their daily life at camp and back home. Vespers services are held every Sunday evening on Chapel Hill and are designed to appeal to the spiritual life of every camper. Catholic Mass is also offered on Saturday evenings to those campers who wish to attend. Once a term, Mystic offers a sunrise Holy Communion service on Chapel Hill. Over the years, Camp Mystic became overly popular — it even hosted the daughter of former US President Lyndon B. Johnson. With Agency Inputs Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 07, 2025, 19:42 IST
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Corn Leaking Ahead of USDA Data
Corn is trading with losses of ¼ to 4 ¾ cents on Monday morning. Futures closed the Friday session with gains of 6 to 8 cents in the front months. July was down 11 ¼ cents last week, with December losing 14 ¼ cents. Friday's open interest was down 14,177 contracts, with 48,888 exiting July ahead of first notice day today and 0 deliveries issued against the contract. The front month CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price was up 8 cents at $3.94. Ahead of the USDA Grain Stocks report later today, analysts estimate a total of 4.625 billion bushels of corn in stocks on June 1. That would be down 372 mbu from the year prior if realized. The range of estimates is at 4.459 to 4.798 bbu. Monday's Acreage report is expected to show 95.4 million acres for corn according to a Bloomberg survey, up ~200,000 acres from March. Tired of missing midday reversals? The FREE Barchart Brief newsletter keeps you in the know. Sign up now! The weekly CFTC Commitment of Traders report indicated large managed money spec traders in corn futures and options trimmed back 2,506 contracts from their large net short position. As of Tuesday, they held a net short of 182,282 contracts. Export Sales data has total commitments at 67.574 MMT, which is 99% of USDA's full year projection and slightly behind the 100% average sales pace. Statistics Canada data from Friday showed estimated Canadian corn acreage at 3.732 million acres, up 2.2% from a year ago. Brazil's corn crop was estimated at 130.6 MMT by an AgRural update this morning, which was up 1.9 MMT from the previous estimate, all on an increase to the second crop (130.6 MMT). Jul 25 Corn closed at $4.17 1/2, up 8 cents, currently down ¼ cent Nearby Cash was $3.94, up 8 cents, Sep 25 Corn closed at $4.11 1/2, up 7 1/2 cents, currently down 4 3/4 cents Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.27, up 6 cents, currently down 4 cents New Crop Cash was $3.84 3/8, up 6 1/4 cents, On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on


France 24
18-06-2025
- Science
- France 24
Climate change could cut crop yields up to a quarter
As soon as 2050, this "moderate" scenario in which greenhouse gas emissions peak around 2040 and slowly taper off -- a trajectory aligned with current trends -- would see global losses of nearly eight percent. And if carbon pollution worsens, the loss of calories across the same six staples -- corn, wheat, rice, soybeans, sorghum and cassava -- rises to nearly a quarter by century's end, the researchers reported in Nature. More generally, every additional degree Celsius of warming reduces the world's ability to produce food from these crops by 120 calories per person per day, or nearly five percent of current daily consumption, they calculated. "If the climate warms by three degrees, that's basically like everyone on the planet giving up breakfast," said co-author Solomon Hsiang, a professor at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in California. The steepest losses will occur at the extremes of the agricultural economy: in modern, Big Ag breadbaskets that currently enjoy some of the world's best growing conditions, and in subsistence farming communities that typically rely of small cassava harvests. North America would be hit hardest, losing a fifth of yields by 2100 in the moderate carbon pollution scenario, and two-fifths if emissions from burning fossil fuels continue apace. Working with more than a dozen scientists, Hsiang and co-leader Andrew Hultgren, an assistant professor at the University of Urbana-Champaign, sifted through data from more than 12,000 regions in 55 countries. Erratic weather Previous calculations of how a warming world will impact crop yields generally failed to consider the ways in which farmers would adapt, such as switching crop varieties, shifting planting and harvesting dates, and altering fertiliser use. The scientists estimated such adjustments would offset about a third of climate related losses over the next 75 years in the scenario of rising emissions, but that residual impacts would still be devastating. "Any level of warming, even when accounting for adaptation, results in global output losses for agriculture," said Hultgren. With the planet about 1.5C hotter than preindustrial levels in the late 1900s, farmers in many regions are already experiencing longer dry spells, unseasonable heatwaves and erratic weather that undermines yields. The nutritional value of most crops also declines with hotter temperatures, earlier research has shown. The study revealed sharp variations in the impact of global warming on different crops and regions. In the "worst-case" scenario of rising carbon emissions, corn yields would plummet 40 percent by 2100 across the grain belt of the United States, eastern China, central Asia, and the Middle East. For soybeans, yields in the US would decline by half, and increase by a fifth in Brazil. Wheat losses would drop by a fifth in eastern and western Europe, and by 30 to 40 percent in other wheat-growing regions: China, Russia and North America. Cassava would be hit hard everywhere it's grown. "Although cassava does not make up a large portion of global agricultural revenues, it is an important subsistence crop in low- and middle-income countries," the researchers pointed out. Among the six crops examined, rice is the only one that stands to benefit in a warmer climate, mainly due to warmer nights. © 2025 AFP


Politico
02-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
USDA faces billions in cuts
Presented by Bayer With help from Jordan Wolman QUICK FIX — The Trump administration is looking to cut nearly $7 billion from agriculture funding for fiscal 2026. — The Senate is back in Washington and gearing up for a fight over reconciliation cuts to SNAP spending. — The Energy Department has expanded the range of companies that can claim federal clean fuel production tax credits, a win for biofuels proponents and producers. IT'S MONDAY, JUNE 2. Welcome to Morning Agriculture. I'm your host Grace Yarrow, missing my local Joanns. Send tips and your preferred craft suppliers to gyarrow@ And don't forget to follow us at @Morning_Ag. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. ICYMI: The Conversation kicked off with Dr. Oz In the premiere episode of The Conversation, Dasha Burns sat down with Dr. Mehmet Oz — now leading the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — for a candid talk on drug prices, potential Medicaid cuts and why he's getting early morning calls from President Donald Trump. Plus, POLITICO's Jonathan Martin dished on the Ohio governor's race (featuring Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel), and Kyle Cheney unpacked Trump's legal battle over 'Liberation Day' tariffs. Watch the full episode on YouTube. And don't miss a moment — subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get new episodes when they drop. Driving the day FACING DOWN USDA CUTS: The Trump administration is requesting $23 billion for USDA for fiscal 2026, a cut of nearly $7 billion from the current year, according to budget documents released late Friday. The proposal follows President Donald Trump's release earlier this month of his 'skinny budget,' which outlined proposals for billions of dollars in cuts to food, forest and conservation programs and increased funding for the 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative. This more detailed release signals the spending priorities of the White House, which may not be fully embraced by Congress. The details: If Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and the Trump administration get their way, USDA would deeply reduce nearly all of the department's major initiatives, from the Risk Management Agency to Rural Development to the Forest Service to the Office of Civil Rights. The budget request seeks to eliminate programs like the Source Water Protection Program, Dairy Business Innovation initiatives, direct loans for rural single-family housing, conservation technical assistance and the Rural Business-Cooperative Service. The request aims to reduce the Farm Service Agency, which supports farm loans, conservation and disaster assistance, by $372 million. It would shrink the Natural Resources Conservation Service from $916 million to $112 million. The Forest Service would decrease from $16.8 billion last year to $4 billion, as Rollins looks to transfer wildland fire management appropriations to Interior to create a new U.S. Wildland Fire Service. USDA's research arm would also take a budget hit. And more: The sweeping cuts would extend to other key areas. The budget request calls for cutting its SNAP funding allocation by more than half, along with child nutrition programs, as GOP lawmakers are looking to slash SNAP spending by up to $300 billion. And the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children would receive nearly $300 million less than it did last year. Read more on the budget plans from our Jordan Wolman here. Happening next: The House Appropriations Ag subcommittee will meet on Thursday morning to mark up its Ag-FDA funding bill. The full House Appropriations committee will then consider the bill the following week. On The Hill SENATE'S SNAP FIGHT LOOMS: Congress is back this week, and the Senate is gearing up for a tough fight on agriculture and nutrition policy. Senate Republicans are already looking at a 'do-over' of the bill, or taking out some provisions of the reconciliation package House Republicans passed before last week's recess, to ensure it can pass the chamber's parliamentary guidelines. Some conflicts: Controversial comments that Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) made in defense of the GOP bill during a town hall on Friday continued to reverberate on Sunday talk shows. One audience member, during a discussion of Medicaid and SNAP spending cuts, shouted at the senator: 'People are going to die.' 'Well, we all are going to die,' Ernst responded. (She's since posted a sarcastic apology video.) Sunday best: OMB Director Russ Vought defended Ernst's comments and Republicans' megabill during an interview on CNN's 'State of the Union' Sunday. He called worries like those from Ernst's constituents 'totally ridiculous,' arguing that it's 'very important to institute' work requirements for programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Meanwhile, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), a member of the Senate AG Committee, bashed the plans on NBC's 'Meet The Press.' 'This is an unfunded mandate at a time when Donald Trump's tariff tax is literally raising the cost of groceries,' Warnock said Sunday. MAHA CONFLICT: Agriculture lobbying groups and ag policy leaders on Capitol Hill are continuing to fight a Make America Healthy Again assessment as the White House's MAHA Commission gears up to release a full policy recommendation this summer, especially in light of errors found in the report's citations. One GOP Hill aide, granted anonymity to discuss the fallout from the report, called HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a 'Democrat who profited handsomely off junk science.' 'While his report and his rhetoric are not new, it is astonishing the president and some aides continue to support him,' the aide added. ICYMI: Calley Means, a key architect of the Trump administration's MAHA goals, pushed back on ag groups' complaints that they weren't listened to in the drafting of the MAHA Commission's initial assessment. He also insisted that the commission's policy work will not impact farmers. 'There is ZERO plan - and in fact it would be insane - to do anything rash to hurt the American farmer,' Means wrote on X in response to MA's Monday edition last week. AROUND THE AGENCIES BIOFUELS NEWS: The Energy Department on Friday expanded the range of companies and producers that can claim the clean fuel production tax credit under Democrats' climate law. It's a win for biofuels proponents in the agriculture world on a tax incentive that was the subject of intense debate during the Biden administration, our Kelsey Tamborrino writes for Pros. The Trump administration announced it was updating the modeling tool used to determine eligibility to claim the credit, which it said would account for new feedstocks and methods of production like ethanol from corn wet-milling and natural gas from coal mine methane. Guidance surrounding how to claim the clean fuels tax credit, created under the Inflation Reduction Act, was intensely debated as former President Joe Biden's administration grappled with pressures from environmental and ag advocates. The Biden administration ultimately proposed guidance for the credit in its final weeks, but left key decisions for the next administration. The reconciliation bill passed by House Republicans would dismantle key elements of the climate law's tax incentives, but would update and extend the clean fuel production tax credit that is set to expire at the end of 2027. Row Crops — USDA is sending more than 150 firefighters and support personnel to help with the response to fast-moving wildfires across Canada, the department announced Friday. — The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on the nomination of Michael Boren to be Agriculture undersecretary for natural resources and environment. Boren is facing new scrutiny from the Forest Service, this time for diversion of a geothermal stream to a home on his Idaho ranch, as Marc Heller writes for POLITICO's E&E News. — ICYMI: A group of retired generals and admirals, known as Mission: Readiness, sent a letter to Congress opposing cuts to SNAP, arguing that the proposed House budget would hurt the nation's military readiness. THAT'S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line and send us your agriculture job announcements or events: gyarrow@ marciabrown@ jwolman@ sbenson@ rdugyala@ and gmott@
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ADM Rakes In $85.5 Billion--But Only 2% Sticks
Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM) is still a revenue machinehauling in $85.5 billion last yearbut that headline number hides a much thinner reality. Cost of goods sold ate up a whopping 93% of revenue, and after another $3.7 billion in SG&A, the company was left clinging to a 2.1% net income margin. That's barely any oxygen to breathe. ADM knows it too. Management is now in execution modecutting up to 700 jobs in 2025 with the goal of trimming $750 million in costs. The hope? Streamline operations, widen margins, and shift the company away from low-efficiency bloat. But that's only one side of the pressure cooker. The other? Trade tensionsand they're hitting ADM right where it hurts. Q1 earnings came in at just $0.70 per share, down from $1.46 last year, marking the company's weakest first-quarter performance in five years. Ag Services and Oilseeds, ADM's biggest business line, saw operating profit crater by 52%. Global crop oversupply and weak processing margins continue to squeeze returns. Add a still-simmering accounting scandal and federal probes into the mix, and investors have every reason to stay cautious. Shares have dropped nearly 30% since the scandal broke in early 2024, although the recent 2.65% bounce at 12.20pm today shows Wall Street was bracing for worse. ADM reaffirmed its full-year EPS forecast of $4 to $4.75but flagged that it's more likely to land at the low end. Translation: management is still optimistic, but not overly so. With cost cuts underway and its nutrition segment showing signs of life, there's a path forwardbut it's narrow. Investors should keep a close eye on how fast ADM executes, especially in a volatile trade and regulatory environment. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.