As the 2008 race takes shape, these conservatives are no longer the unassailable force they once were, although they remain a powerhouse in Iowa's GOP. There was a time when any Republican candidate who did not meet the approval of Iowa's religious conservatives was all but doomed to failure in the state's presidential caucus. At this point, however, there is little sign that activists are uniting behind a candidate or trying to channel the race in a particular direction. The splintering...

Lane earns his money from a flat fee Smithfield pays to help cover the costs of his land, buildings and labor; he can also earn production bonuses. Smithfield's pending buyout of Premium Standard Farms, the nation's second-largest pork producer, could change that amicable relationship. If the deal is approved, Smithfield, with $11 billion in annual revenue, would raise nearly a quarter of the nation's hogs and own about 28 percent of the processing. In addition to contract farmers, small,...

This can lead to the second stage, agricultural drought, when the soil begins to hold less water for crops and forage for livestock. Several of these sites are located in the mountains surrounding Uinta County and recorded precipitation from recent storms. Recent snowstorms brought much needed water to Wyoming, but much more is needed to ease drought conditions. Automated Weather stations called SNOTEL sites measure snowfall and then calculate the amount of equivalent water. Gray said that...

The tradition began in 1940, when a former manager from the Memphis, Tennessee-based hotel chain released live decoy ducks in the fountain, in a drunken, late-night prank after an unsuccessful hunting trip. Each morning he dons a ceremonial blazer and tie and leads them from their rooftop roost to bathe in the lobby fountain. I get my keys, change into my uniform of a red blazer, duck patterned tie and pick up my cane, which has a drake's head on the handle. Then I set up the ducks'...

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