Two years later? This is a cover up. I don't know what everyone else is calling it, but, itis as plain as the nose on my face, it is a cover up.

January 5, 2015
By Batya Ungar-Sargon

...With an initiative (click here) that includes a civilian review board and a scholarship program, Knowles hopes to increase the number of black officers and make the police force more reflective of the community (Ferguson is 60 percent black)....

I am impressed, both, by the civil lawyers i
nsistence on finding the truth and the Baton Rouge Police Department for being able to have such strict discipline among their officers, no one spoke about the truth. Amazing.

CLEAN HOUSE. It is time to remove the hierarchy that protects their officers when they should not. Clean House! Get rid of the culture.

His death was brutal. Deepest sympathies to all those involved in raising the truth from the grave. It is one thing to lose a loved one, but, to have lies be told for 2 years afterward is mental cruelty. The family and community had no peace.

Alton should not be dead today, but, he is. What is an African American man supposed to say to police? What are you arresting me, for is a legitimate statement. These men don't know what to do when police arrive. They automatically believe there isn't anything they can do or say that will save their lives. Not prevent arrest. They might be arrested for a legitimate reason, but, they are trying to save their lives.

This is a death sentence by police officer. When is this going to stop?

March 31, 2018

By Nick Valencia

Baton Rouge - Baton Rouge Police Officer Blane Salamoni (click here) has been fired for violating use-of-force policies in the Alton Sterling shooting, Chief Murphy Paul told reporters Friday evening while also releasing four videos, several of which graphically show Sterling as he lay dying.

Paul said Howie Lake II, the other officer involved in the July 2016 incident, will be suspended for three days without pay for losing his temper during the incident.

The four videos that were released include a convenience store surveillance video, two police-worn body camera videos and a video recorded by the dashboard camera in one of the police cars....

It is another cover up. This is the strategy now? Everyone linked to police shootings including the coroner, is covering up the truth. This is another strategy handed down by who? All of a sudden the country is faced with cover-ups regarding the illegal deaths of Americans by police.

Same thing here, it is time to end the culture and clean house. When this level of corruption is exposed there should be automatic investigations of the police themselves with the hierarchy removed. This level of corruption in a police force doesn't happen without high ranking officers knowing it is going on. This is pervasive now in American police cultures.

I can hear it now, "But, but, no one will work as a police officer if we aren't 100 percent on their side." 

March 21, 2018
By Kathryn Palmer

Sacramento - Protests continue in Sacramento (click here) for the fifth day following the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man, Stephon Clark, by two Sacramento police officers.

Former Kings player and Sacramento native Matt Barnes led the rally in downtown Sacramento Saturday afternoon, and was joined by community leaders, Clark family members and Rev. Shane Harris of National Action Network, among others.

The rally began at noon at Cesar Chavez Plaza.

People at the rally renewed calls for justice in the police shooting death of Stephon Clark, and expressed outrage over independent autopsy results that concluded Clark was shot in the back. The results challenge the police department's statement that Clark was approaching officers when he was killed....

Trump is picking on the "Washington Post" and "Amazon" because he does not want to talk about what the country wants to talk about, namely police brutality, the legalization of marijuana, Middle East turmoil, Ms. Clifford, his radical new White House staff of FOX News consultants and staff and the Russia investigation.

So, what is a President left to do when everything is turning into mud. He talks down the media.

This book is available on Amazon.

It's time to revisit Watergate. (click here) In this compelling reexamination, Liebovich draws extensively from newly available sources, including recently released Nixon Oval Office tapes, FBI reports, and personal reminiscences of cover-up leader John Dean. Liebovich sheds new light on the Nixon administration's extensive foul play, zeal to battle and manipulate the press, scandalous miring, and eventual political disgrace. After detailing the nation's news media coverage of the Watergate debacle and the ensuing breakup of American politics, Liebovich recounts the scandal's long-lasting, corrosive effect on presidential and popular politics....

Unless there is peace breaking out all over the world, NATO needs to update it's military fleets.

Ya got that? There is no such thing as a secure internet. The fact the German Tornado is not computer friendly may be a very good thing. I think Germany needs to think about the age of their jets and their ability to carry out missions, but, the computer friendly issues really is something that NATO should think long and hard about given the fact Russia is able to penetrate any computer link that exists.

If a German Tornado at this age of service can still prove to be an important aircraft then it is worth its weigh in gold BECAUSE IT IS NOT COMPUTER FRIENDLY.

A German Tornado jet is pictured in a hangar before a statement of the German and Turkish defence ministers at the air base in Incirlik, Turkey, January 21, 2016.

March 31, 2018

Berlin - The German (click here) armed forces may not be able to use the Tornado fighter jet for NATO missions, according to a defense ministry report seen by Reuters.

The report says that so far, it has not been possible to build an encryption device for secure data transfer into the jet, which entered service in the 1970s.

The communication devices of the Tornado also do not meet current standards, the report said, meaning there’s a risk that information could be intercepted.

“This could in the worst case mean that the demand for an encrypted communication system for the Tornado weapons system can’t be achieved. That means the Tornado weapons system may not take part in NATO missions,” the report states....

Satellite intrusion and loss of 'time sync' between different views of same satellite

March 31, 2018
0630.18z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of north and west hemisphere

How much of this is commercial for the purpose of eventual profit by those that own the image when privatized takes place and how much of this is related to the US military and it's missiles and satellites?

The 0630.18z satellite above and the 0530.38z are time synced to the (negative) -10 hour in the loop. (click here for 12 hour loop), yet there times are different while using the same "time scale" to mark their image. There is something very wrong here.

The satellite at the bottom 0430.38z has an image stamp at (negative) -11 in the 12 hour loop.

z after the time is the time scale chosen to record these satellite images.

Coordinated Universal Time (abbreviated to UTC)

Greenwich Mean Time (abbreviated to GMT)

NATO phonetic alphabet word for Z is "Zulu", UTC is sometimes known as "Zulu time" (Russia would be most interested in this alteration in time record).

March 31, 2018
0530.38z
UNISYS water vapor GOES East Satellite

I can hear the greed merchants now, "Ah, shut up your complaining. You are just jealous you didn't think of it first." Thinking of increasing the national debt due to the privatization of satellites is the reason it hasn't been thought of before.


When is Congress going to do something about this White House? I am astounded I have to state this on a blog exhibited on the internet. What the heck is Congress doing about this?


March 31, 2018
0430.38z
UNISYS water vapor satellite of west and north hemisphere

If the VA were privatized, there would be a lot of property for sale that could then accommodate private practice or hotels with casinos.

It would be interesting how much property would be bought by Trump, Inc.

Is no one prosecuting the corruption in this case?

Complaint (click here)

...Virginia Tech professor Marc Edwards confirmed (click here) Thursday he’s filed a complaint with Michigan regulators against Wayne State University professor Shawn McElmurry, who leads a research team that was awarded a $3.1 million grant to investigate Genesee County’s 2014-2015 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak.

Edwards is accusing McElmurry of appropriating another researcher’s ideas for a proposal submitted to the National Institutes of Health and making false claims that he had worked on Flint water problems since 2010.

He “leveraged those falsifications” to obtain state grant funding, Edwards said in the March 1 complaint, alleging McElmurry’s “lack of competence and expertise” contributed to ongoing prosecution of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon and state Chief Medical Executive Dr. Eden Wells....       

Israel showed little to no restraint with protesters in an area Israel labeled a "a closed military zone."

"No military zone" is the same as a military exclusion zone or DMZ (demilitarized zone). So, how is it there are so many wounded when they were unarmed?

There were some with firebombs and two were armed with intentions to cause harm, but, of 30 thousand Palestinian protesters that is a very small number of radicals. The radicals were seeking to disrupt the protests and they were allowed to with so many wounded. How did this happen?

March 30, 2018

By Jack Khoury, Yaniv Kubovich and Almog Ben Zikri

Around 30,000 Palestinians rallied (click here) throughout the Gaza Strip on Friday during the "March of Return," a series of mass protests along the Israel-Gaza border. At least 15 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded during clashes with Israeli soldiers over several hours, after a number of protesters threw stones and firebombs toward soldiers stationed along the fence.

In a separate incident, the Israeli military exchanged fire with two armed Palestinians who approached the border fence and opened fire toward Israeli soldiers. The IDF targeted three Hamas positions with tank fire and Israel Air Force fighter jets in response....

These people are not armed.

Tear gas fired at Palestinians east of Gaza City, March 30, 2018.

...According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 1,416 people were wounded: 758 from live fire, 148 from rubber-tipped bullets, 422 from inhaling tear gas and 88 from other causes. Palestinian officials said that one was killed and 237 wounded in Rafah; four were killed and 345 wounded in southern Gaza; five were killed and 286 wounded in northern Gaza; two were killed and 197 wounded in central Gaza; and three were killed and 351 wounded in Khan Yunis....      

Putin also forgets he has many enemies. His victory for this new term as President is riddled with errors to full acceptance by the people. He cannot enjoy the knowledge of being a consensus victor.

St. Petersburg as a choice in closing any US consulate, is a strategic issue.

I am really curious as to the opinion Ambassador Huntsman has regarding many topics concerning Russia.

March 29, 2018
By Matthew Bodner

Moscow - Russia will close the American consulate in St. Petersburg (click here) and kick out 60 U.S. diplomats in response to Monday’s coordinated expulsion of Russian diplomats from the United States and a number of other countries, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

The move continues an ongoing escalation of tit-for-tat between Moscow and the West that began in early March with the alleged poisoning of a former Russian double agent on British soil with a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman was summoned to the Foreign Ministry Thursday night where Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov informed him of Russia’s response.

According to a Foreign Ministry statement, 58 American diplomats from the Moscow embassy and two from the consulate in Yekaterinburg have been declared persona non grata. The United States expelled 60 Russians on Monday....

St. Petersburg is very near Europe. It is also exposure for any strategic position. By closing St. Petersburg consulate, Russia is ready to create a front should a war break out without worrying about diplomats or spies.

Those are train routes from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Moscow is not that far from Europe either.

Russia has ports on those waterways. Should there be a war they would fall vulnerable to attack by The West.

I doubt the Polish airport is still considered to be a Russian territory. But, the northern border of Russia is vast and hardest to defend. See, Russia has a innate vulnerability and that is it's size compared to it's military. It is one of the reasons Russia has a nuclear arsenal. It is difficult for Russia to deploy forces throughout it's mainland and still protect Moscow. It much rather fight battles at sea where missiles are unable to reach into it's interior. It is why Russia enjoys reminding the USA it has an ally in Cuba when it's spy ships make port there.

It used to be that Russia had to worry about ice breakers in order to reach it's northern ports, but, what makes the Russian venture into the north passage across the Arctic Ocean so interesting is the anxious need to believe it has far easier access to those northern ports.

Russia has vulnerabilities to exploit and I would not think the USA's first focus would be NATO so much as the vulnerable areas of Russia to express the danger it is entering if it truly desires war. If I were a US General I would not hesitate to kick Putin in the ass, so to speak, to let him know there is more to war than nuclear brinkmanship. NATO might even sleep through what I would consider the real diplomatic relations of the USA military.

Governor Snyder is playing games with Michigan's economy.

March 26, 2018 

State officials have given Enbridge Inc. (click here) permission to install 22 more 
anchor supports along twin pipelines at the bottom of the waterway linking 
Lakes Michigan and Huron.

The disgraced and derelict Michigan Department of Environmental Quality issued
a permit last week allowing the supports of Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac....

After Flint and the unwillingnes to stand up to the Governor's regulation czar,
there aren't many in Michigan that believe the MDEQ is actually worth the salaires
they are paid.

The supports Enbridge is using add pressure to the pipeline which is old and 
deteriorated.  Pipeline 5 needs to be shut down. A spill will cause a great deal of 
damage to the state's and Canada's economies, not different than the damage 
along the Gulf Coast as seen with the Deepwater Horizon spill.

The real tragedy in a Great Lakes spill is the loss of service of fresh water lakes. It'
has taken decades of dedicated investment to clean up the Great Lakes and even
today much needs to be done. A simple "Oops" by Enbridge and the Great Lakes
will no longer be great, or swimmable or fishable or even photographable.

Line 5 was built in 1953. Questions?

The population of Michigan in 1953 is two-thirds what it is today at 6.8 million 
people and may of those 6.8 million people were working for the auto industry 
and not fishing for a living.

May 9, 1979, there was a ruling against Michigan in allowing fishing rights to
Native Americans in the northwest region of the state.

US v. Michigan (click here)

I sincerely believe the Native Americans of northern Michigan are giving up their hard earned authority to protect the fishing rights of those fresh water lakes. Why?

There is danger for all at the Gaza Border Demonstrations. In the USA, we march and protest, but, are not lethal except politically as an example to the people as to why justice is fleeting.

There should be no naive people at the border. The leadership to the young people should reflect there is inherent dangers at the Gaza-Israel border. This is no faux face of Hamas, these are their young people that have survived long enough for mercy to their lives that want to live in a home they know and value.

There are many young men and women in the IDF. That is not only respectable, but, shows a well trained and ready force. They will be present along the border and there have been two arrests of Palestinians stated to be armed. I expect the soldiers of the IDF to respect freedom of speech and the right to protest to relay a message to Israel, the West Bank and the world.

There is to be no escalation of tensions. I doubt that is possible anyway. There will be no faux accusations and the media should have full view of the protest, protesters and compassion for their message. They are not sending Katusha rockets, they are sending their pleadings to the world and to President Abbas. Their lives are not going well and it is their souls they are interested in as well.

The protesters are to be recognized for their willingness to protest. They should be recognized for their struggle. They should have spokespersons that may be able to speak in all necessary languages or not. The best spokespeson is the one with a message of peace and prosperity and hope for a peaceful Middle East for their children and the generations to follow.

I think the world wants to hear what they have to say.

March 28, 2018
By Nir Gontarz

...Gontarz. (click here) Can you tell me a little bit about Hamas' plans for this holiday season in Israel?

What do you mean, holiday season in Israel?

To the best of my knowledge, there’s supposed to be a march to the fence [on the Gaza-Israel border] during the Passover holiday in Israel, and after that on Independence Day, your Nakba Day.

Aha.

Is Hamas moving from military action to civil action?

Actually, Mr. Nir, it is not Hamas who made the decision, but the youth. The main idea was thought up by the youth. There are people who think there is no hope, no future, and that we have to do something – ya'ani, to remind the whole world that we as Palestinians are still suffering, we are still living in the diaspora or in refugee camps, and there's a certain decision by the United Nations, [Resolution] UN 194, that we are trying to implement, ya'ani, and to send a message to the world community that our problem is not solved and we’re still suffering, and continue to see our land being abused by the occupation, or Israelis trying to squeeze us to the corner, punishing the Palestinians, and this is something that this generation of Palestinians is not going to accept. And so they’re doing their own civil march, they don’t intend to do anything belligerent, and I think this is the message they would like to carry to the whole world, about the situation and the suffering in Gaza....

The only reason to wear a mask is to hide recognition. The youth of Gaza need to be open to peace and hiding only raises suspicion as to why anonymity is necessary. The youth of Gaza need to be welcoming to ideas for peace and not the latest in fear mongering. They should show their faces of peace in their protest.

March 28, 2018
By Uri Dromi

When Hamas took over Gaza in 2006, (click here) I wrote in The International Herald Tribune that, perhaps, it was a blessing in disguise: “Things might now become much clearer. There will be no whitewashing, no Arafat-style double-talk or endless Abbas impotence. It’s better to deal with a pure enemy: Fight him ruthlessly while he is your enemy, and sit down and talk to him when he is genuinely willing to cut a deal.

“History has seen such things happen.”

Indeed, in the 12 years since, Hamas rotated between being Israel’s enemy and a de facto partner. Three times Israel fought Hamas, trying to stop the harassment of its south with rockets. In 2008-09, it was Operation Cast Lead; in 2012, it was Operation Pillar of Defense; and in 2014 — Operation Defensive Edge.

In between, Israel found itself forced to deal with Hamas, because it was the true ruler of Gaza. Israel and the rest of the world declared Hamas to be a terror organization and therefore didn’t have any formal relations with it. However, huge sums of money poured into Gaza during the years. They were funneled through the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, but eventually landed in the hands of Hamas, which practically governs Gaza. This masked ball helped alleviate the living conditions of the poor Gazans, while officially not recognizing Hamas....

Another political appointee for Trump's populist followers.

"I am pleased to announce that I intend to nominate highly respected Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, MD, as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs...."

Rear Admiral Jackson (click here) may be a very fine physician, but, can he handle administrative duties?

The reason Trump chose Admiral Jackson is that he wants the message to the voting public, "...what is good enough for the President, is good enough for the VA."

This is what populism looks like. All politics, greed and no policies.

March 29, 2018
By Amada Macias

David Shulkin, (click here) whom President Donald Trump fired as Veterans Affairs secretary, offered a parting shot in an op-ed for The New York Times – warning that privatizing the VA Department could hurt veterans.

"Privatization leading to the dismantling of the department's extensive health care system is a terrible idea," Shulkin wrote. "The department's understanding of service-related health problems, its groundbreaking research and its special ability to work with military veterans cannot be easily replicated in the private sector."

Trump fired Shulkin Wednesday, making the announcement over Twitter. The president picked the White House physician, Admiral Ronny Jackson, to run the department....

March 28, 2018
By UN Children Fund

...Botten (click here) is all emotion as he describes the loss and hardship of those living in quake zone....


Port Moresby – One month (click here) after a series of earthquakes of magnitude 5-7.5 hit four Highlands provinces of Papua New Guinea, children are still in shock and suffering significant trauma and stress which could have negative consequences to their long-term well-being, UNICEF said today.

“Children are still being confronted by fear, loss, confusion, family separation, deteriorated living conditions and disruption of social and school activities,” said Karen Allen, UNICEF Representative for PNG. “Psychological damage among children should not be overlooked. It can have a negative impact on children’s brain development, mental health and overall wellbeing in the long-run.”

Children who have suffered from trauma have an increased risk of delayed development, mental health disorders, depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide, she added.

Before the earthquakes, children in PNG were already at high risk of violence and abuse. Available data indicate that girls and boys in PNG experience some of the highest rates of violence in Asia-Pacific region. About 75 per cent of children report experiences of physical abuse and about 80 per cent experience emotional abuse during their lifetime. A recent Médecins Sans Frontières report showed that 12,000 cases of family and sexual violence are treated each year in Tari Family Support Centre located in Hela Province, where the worst earthquake damage occurred....

Continued from link above at picture:

...The first big quake killed at least 145 people and more fatalities are expected as first responders make their way to villages still left isolated by roads cut off by a combination of landslips and rock falls. Subsequent shocks are reported to have killed a further 36 people.

Botten said that nearly 30,000 people continue to rely on emergency aid and that the majority of that will be carried "the last mile" by Oil Search helicopters flying out of the company's Southern Highland's logistics hub at Moro.

Those Oil Search helicopters have so far made 125 supply drops to villages, moving 150 tonnes of food and medical supplies. Those same copters are ferrying the injured back to medical centres....

The "Shake Map" doesn't show the entire picture. The "Felt Map" is widespread impact (click here).

This part of the world has been having a rough summer season with severe storms. Now this.

"This is a very big deal." Congratulations. China has stated they were interested in peace in the region. It is taking shape.

It took over 50 years to solve a rape crime in New Zealand.

28 March 2018

A 71-year-old man (click here) has been found guilty of historical rape charges from the 60s.

One of his victims said they were able to move on with their lives "at long last" now that Raymond Bradley had been found guilty on a number of rapes and indecent assaults against two Porirua girls 50-60 years ago.

A jury of seven men and four women deliberated for about 13 hours over two days in the Wellington District Court on the charges.

Victims and family members took deep breaths and shed tears in the public gallery as the verdicts were read out just before 8 o'clock tonight....

There is progress made with Mexico by the USA for a more peaceful border.

March 26, 2018
By Kate Schneider

Mexico City - Mexico and the United States (click here) have signed three accords to improve bilateral customs procedures and expedite the flow of agricultural produce across their almost 2,000-mile (3,220-km)border, the two governments said on Monday.

In a joint news conference with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said the first agreement aimed to promote joint cooperation to stop illegal merchandise crossing the border.......

...Border security needs to be ramped up to halt the illicit flow of arms, Mexico’s Interior Minister Alfonso Navarrete said in a subsequent joint news conference with Nielsen.

“There needs to be much more caution taken... to reduce gradually but conclusively the high levels of violence when arms enter Mexico illegally,” Navarrete added.

The neighboring nations also need to share the responsibility of attending to refugee and asylum cases, he said....

It is good to see high level talks with Mexico by the USA. Last year the deaths to crossings ratio was exceptionally high. If the deaths are related to drug cartel crossings which might be consistent year after year, the increase may be understandable. But, if these deaths are due to immigrants crossing, it is alarming.

5 August 2017

At least four people died trying to cross the River Grande in July.

More people have died crossing the border from Mexico to the US (click here) in the first seven months of 2017 compared to the year before, even though significantly fewer people seem to be attempting the journey, according to the United Nation’s migration agency.

The number of migrant deaths tallied at the border jumped 17% from 204 in the first seven months of 2016 to 232 migrant fatalities in 2017, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.

Meanwhile, the US Border Patrol has reported that about half as many migrants were apprehended during border crossings in the first six months of 2016 compared to the first six months of 2017 – down from 267,746 people to 140,024 people.

Adam Isacson, senior associate for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, said the increase was shocking because of the drop in apprehensions, which indicate fewer people migrating overall. “The ratio to people dying to people trying has to be way higher than 17%,” Isacson told the Guardian....

The problems experienced in Mexico have to be solved. Crime rates are up and the tourist industry, which sustained Mexico for decades or more no longer is an attractive answer for many.

Recently, there was an American family of four found dead in their rental vacation home by what authorities believe was a gas leak. (click here)

But, the increased violence in Mexico due to organized crime accompanied by sincere poverty needs to be as much a concern for the USA as the Mexican leaders. If nothing is done to stem violence and the spread of crime, it will visit the US soon.

March 13, 2018
                        
..."We've been told (click here) that local politicians here have put the press under pressure not to report violence in this area, because if the tourists are scared away from here, it will be an economic disaster not only for Cancun, but for Mexico."

Even when a well-known police commander, his wife and baby nephew were shot dead, in a separate incident during Dateline's visit, nobody was arrested.

'THE PROBLEM IS SPREADING'

There are fears that Cancun is on the brink of ruin and could face a similar demise as that of Acapulco, which was once one of the world's most glamorous locations but is now Mexico's murder capital.

Guru-Murthy also visited Acapulco, and just five minutes after landing was notified of a nearby crime scene with four bodies — including children.

Another night during his stay, he heard gunshots; a taxi driver had been murdered on the street outside.

Investigators in Acapulco are totally overwhelmed, often visiting 10 murder scenes a day.

Troops patrol the city's streets and beaches, extortion and murder are rife and many businesses have been forced to close. There are no foreign tourists in sight, it's simply too dangerous here....           

Even after the predicted heavy rain and floods, the drought areas will continue.

March 27, 2018
By Renee Duff


A slow-moving system (click here) will unleash flooding downpours and locally severe thunderstorms across the southern United States into Thursday.

The system will tap into plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico as it crawls south and east through midweek.

Downpours that will first deliver a thorough soaking from St. Louis to Dallas into Tuesday night will expand into the corridor from Nashville to Houston by Thursday....

The map to the right is December 26, 2017. Below is the latest US Drought map for March 20, 2018. For many the rain will bring much needed water, however, erosion may be an issue.


March 27, 2018

It may be spring, (click here) but the winter weather is lingering on... and if it continues... it could be a real headache for farmers.

This extra–long winter might delay spring planting.  The later a farmer has to wait, the less yield they will get from their crops, especially corn.

Kent Thiesse, a farm analyst, said:  "According to some of the official measurements by the University of Minnesota out by Lamberton, there's still 2 to 3 feet of frost in the ground and bare soil, so until you get that frost out of the ground it takes a while to warm that ground up."

Thiesse thinks the weather is not a major concern yet, but if the snow continues into April, it definitely will have an impact on the growing season.

"We need an extended period of above normal temperatures, at least normal, but above normal and probably a little drier conditions.", he said.

The University of Minnesota recommends planting corn between April 30th and May 5th for the best yield....

It makes no sense to plant ? conventional corn ? vs Non-GMO corn. Why would anyone want treated seeds? At any rate the farmers planting non-GMO corn will receive higher prices for their crop, especially if there is a decrease in production.

March 27, 2018
By Mary Kennedy

As the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) (click here) March 31 Prospective Planting report nears, speculation abounds over what farmers intend to plant this spring.

The annual report is based on a survey the USDA conducts with farmers around the country as to what crops they intend to plant, and how many acres of each crop they will plant. In anticipation of the upcoming report, I reached out to farmers and elevator managers and asked them what their intentions are and what changes would be made compared to 2017 planting.

An elevator manager in eastern North Dakota told me that spring wheat planting will be up 15%, soybeans beans will be up 10% and corn down 8%. Keith Brandt, general manager of Plains Grain and Agronomy, LLC, Enderlin, North Dakota, said he sees a similar pattern in his area.

“There will be a 10% decrease in corn acres, a 3%-to-5% increase in soybeans and an 8%-to-10% increase in spring wheat,” said Brandt. “I don’t see much field work until later in April. If some of that wheat seeding goes into May, we will lose wheat acres and increase bean acres. Also, there will be more dicamba-resistant beans planted this year in order to avoid vapor drift issues.

“We will see more conventional (non-GMO) corn planted this year because of seed cost. The savings on seed cost is about $60-to-$70 per bag, which equates to about $20-to-$25 per acre. Farmers have to be careful, because additional chemical cost for corn borer or some other insect, plus chemical cost for weed control, could push that back up to the same or more as GMO seed. If they have insect issues and field loss of corn, they won’t save anything,” Brandt said....

March 27, 2018

Kiev - UkrAgroConsult (click here) on Tuesday cut its forecast for Ukraine's 2018/19 barley harvest and exports citing a smaller sowing area caused by late spring.

At the same time, the consultancy raised its outlook for Ukraine's maize harvest and exports.

Ukraine is likely to harvest 25.7 million tonnes of maize and 8.2 million tonnes of barley this year, while exports would total 20 million and 4.6 million tonnes, respectively, UkrAgroConsult said.

"The dates of planting early spring crops in Ukraine are going to get shifted, or even narrowed. In case of a sharp temperature rise, farmers may find themselves short of time to sow early spring cereals and pulses in full," the consultancy said in a report.

It said almost the entire country was still covered with up to 25 cm of snow and planting was already delayed by a couple weeks compared to last year....

"World Agricultural Supply and Demand" (click here) - March 8, 2018 edition