2001 ANNUAL AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK

One word summarizes the current outlook for the U.S. economy. That word is confusion. First, we review the recent behavior of the U.S. economy. Ten years of economic expansion without a recession had led some to believe that we could have continual expansion without a recession. The year 2000 was the fourth year in a row with growth exceeding 4 percent and this was accomplished with relatively stable prices. unemployment was about 4 percent or below what many perceived as a sustainable rate of unemployment without rapid inflation. Stock market prices had increased and some consumers were spending their "new wealth." However, the stock market showed signs of weakness beginning in 1999. That weakness grew, especially for technology stocks and price volatility became much larger. Energy prices also increased in volatility with gasoline, natural gas and electric rates changing frequently except where highly regulated. The economy continued to show strength through much of the year in spite of these problems. Then a series of events led to a major shift in consumer attitudes which began in the final quarter of the year.Farm Management,

Reducing Dietary Sodium The Case for Caution

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Sources of income inequality in rural Pakistan : a decomposition analysis

Using panel data from a three-year study of 727 households, the authors identify the sources of income inequality in rural Pakistan. First, theydecompose total rural income among five sources: agricultural, livestock, rental, nonfarm, and transfer income. This decomposition shows that agricultural income contributes most to inequality in total rural income. Next, they decompose the sources of inequality in agricultural income. This leads to the surprising finding that inequitable ownership of land is not the main source of inequality in agricultural income. Income from returns to labor and crop profits contribute most to this area of inequality. One way to reduce rural income inequality might be to find more ways to narrow the disparities between abilities, perhaps by teaching more managerial and technical skills to agriculturists. According to the authors, policy makers concerned about inequality in rural Pakistan would also be well advised to pay more attention to livestock. Income from livestock apparently decreases the inequalities in income.Rural Poverty Reduction,Services&Transfers to Poor,Safety Nets and Transfers,Inequality,Poverty Impact Evaluation

Crying Wolf: The Unlawful Delisting of Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolves from Endangered Species Act Protections

Although settlers hunted gray wolves to near extinction more than a century ago, the animal remains one of the most enduring symbols of the West. In 1994, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service authorized reintroduction of gray wolves into Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming under recovery provisions of the Endangered Species Act. Fourteen years later, the Service delisted wolves in these states, contending that the reintroduced population met the numeric and distributional criteria established for recovery in 1994. Months after a district judge enjoined the Service\u27s 2008 delisting rule, the Service again delisted gray wolves. This Note asserts that both the 2008 and 2009 delisting rules violate provisions of the Endangered Species Act guaranteeing adequacy of state regulatory mechanisms prior to delistirig, and fidelity to the best available scientific data. The Note also contends that the Service unlawfully deployed conservation tools as delisting instruments contrary to congressional intent. Lastly, the Note illuminates administrative defects in the delisting rules, namely the Service\u27s decision to disregard its own requirement of genetic linkage among the entire gray wolf population without providing a reasoned explanation

Debate: Does it matter how you lower blood pressure?

Whether it matters how pressure is lowered has been debated since antihypertensive drugs proved to prevent cardiovascular events. However, in clinical trials, while the stroke benefit predicted by a given difference in blood pressure was achieved, the results for myocardial infarction were roughly half that expected. This suggested that adverse drug effects of diuretics and β-blockers might have detracted from their hypotensive effects. Trials with newer antihypertensive classes have revealed superior effects on outcomes associated with converting enzyme inhibitor use, and that α-blockers are less cardioprotective than diuretics. These studies establish that simple blood pressure reduction is an inadequate guide to therapy. The challenge now will be to determine the optimal therapy for each hypertensive patient