Pork and Chicken Set to Join Luxury List

Pork and chicken will join beef on the menu of expensive meats as drought and US ethanol policy combine in a corn “disaster”, the head of the world’s largest pork producer has said.

Bloomberg | Getty Images Packaged minced pork sold in supermarkets

The cost of the main ingredients in animal feed, corn and soyameal, have set records this month as the worst drought in half a century and extreme heat damages crops in the US, the world’s main surplus producer.

“Beef is simply going to be too expensive to eat. Pork is not going to be too far behind. Chicken is catching up fast,” said Larry Pope, chief executive of Smithfield Foods. “Are we going to really take protein away from Americans?”

Analysts inside Smithfield believe the US corn crop will yield less than 140 bushels an acre and possibly 130 bushels, which would sharply reduce harvest expectations at a time of scarce global supplies, Mr. Pope said. The US government forecasts average yields of 146 bushels.

“I’ll use the word catastrophe – that’s my definition,” Mr. Pope told the Financial Times in an interview. Meat producers feel immediate pressure when feed prices surge. New York-listed Smithfield’s hog production segment, which sold 15.8m head of swine last year, suffered lower gross profit margins as raw materials prices rose in the fiscal year ended in April. Smithfield shares declined 13 per cent in the month to Tuesday.

Mr. Pope said the company has used futures to lock in feed costs “well into” the spring of 2013, He had to defend the position at a board of directors meeting June 18, before corn had jumped to a record $8 per bushel.

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“I thought that $6 corn was end of the world,” said Mr. Pope, who has worked at Smithfield more than three decades. “I never could have realized that I would be thankful to be buying it at $7.”

Most analysts expect the livestock industry will respond to higher feed prices by culling pig herds. Mr. Pope warned US meat prices will rise by “significant double digits,” or more than 10 per cent per year.

Like others in the livestock and poultry industry, Mr. Pope called for the US Environmental Protection Agency to suspend the Renewable Fuel Standard, a congressional mandate requiring more than 13 billion gallons of corn ethanol to be used in transport this year. The US Department of Agriculture estimates almost 40 per cent of the US corn crop is consumed by ethanol refineries.

“It’s almost a government-mandated disaster here, which is distressing,” he said. “The EPA has the administrative authority to waive this mandate. They ought to do it. They ought to do it now,” he said.

US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack has said he opposes waiving the mandate, which is politically popular in corn-growing states. The Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol industry group, said: “We firmly believe any official request of EPA to waive the RFS will be met with a swift rejection. The flexibility already provided under the RFS for obligated parties to be compliant is substantial. Taken with the availability of ethanol supplies and current production, there is no need or cause for EPA to act. The market will and already is rationing supply.”

Adelson funds campaign to turn Jews to GOP

In near future, Republican Jewish Coalition plans to begin multimillion-dollar campaign dubbed “My Buyer’s Remorse.”

PHOTO: REUTERS

A Republican group backed by casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has unleashed a new campaign in battleground states to "convert" Jewish voters who have been life-long Democrats and who it is thought can be convinced to turn their backs on US President Barack Obama in favor of US Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, according to a New York Times report published on Wednesday.

Adelson has vowed to invest as much as $100 million to help Romney win the election.

Related:

• Republicans: Israelis first to see Obama faults

In the near future, the Republican Jewish Coalition plans to begin a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign dubbed “My Buyer’s Remorse,” which will focus on voters in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, aides told the Times.

According to the report, the campaign will use testimonials from voters who supported Obama in his first election, but now say they regret having supported him because of his economic policies and what they characterize as his hostility toward Israel.

The goal of the campaign is to try to cut into the wide lead Democrats have over Republicans among Jewish voters.

Adelson's effort parallel a recent visit by Republican Jewish Coalition executive director Matt Brooks and GOP strategist Ari Fleischer to Israel to support the IVoteIsrael campaign, which aims to register as many as possible of the 150,000 American citizens in Israel who are eligible to vote in the November 6 election.

In their efforts to recruit Jews to the Republican side, Fleischer cited polls in the The Jerusalem Post going back to June2009, which found that only a small percentage of Israelis considered the Obama administration more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian.

“The polls in The Jerusalem Post reverberated around the Jewish community in America,” Fleischer said. “They were an early warning signal in the US that there were cracks in Obama’s armor. In 2009 American Jews were so pro-Obama. Israelis saw the cracks first, and now the American Jewish community is going through a significant case of buyer’s remorse.”

Despite Fleischer's comments and the various above efforts to recruit Jewish voters, Sheldon Schorer, spokesman for Democrats Abroad-Israel, said the polls described don't provide an accurate picture of Jewish voting patterns since the poll "apparently questioned mostly Republican voters, and does not accurately describe true voting preferences. In 2008, the voters polled [now] said that they voted for McCain 2 to 1 over Obama, although the actual vote was 78%-21% in favor of President Obama."

Schorer added that, “I believe that the upcoming election will show a similar strong showing for the president. Only those people who are irrevocably prejudiced against him will fail to recognize that President Obama has proven himself to be a strong friend of Israel and that Israel would benefit from his reelection.”

‘Yogurt bars’ open in NYC amid Greek yogurt craze

The country's top Greek yogurt maker, Chobani, is opening its first yogurt bar in New York City on Wednesday as it looks to strengthen its position in a rapidly growing market.

Dannon, a long-time industry giant, opened a shop in New York earlier this month called The Yogurt Culture Company, serving both fresh Greek and traditional varieties.

The two companies say there are no plans yet for additional locations. But such flagship stores can add luster to a brand and help build loyal fan bases, which will be critical at a time when tastes are shifting and competition is intensifying.

Sales of Greek yogurt have more than doubled the past five years to $1.6 billion, now accounting for about 21% of yogurt sales, according to Euromonitor International. That's up from 1.5% in 2006.

Unlike thinner, more sugary yogurts that dominated U.S.sales for years, Greek yogurt has a thicker consistency because of the way it's strained. For many, a big part of the attraction is that it's also low in fat and high in protein. Given its versatility in sweet and savory dishes, companies also see plenty of room for growth.

"We want to open up the horizon for the way people look at yogurt in the U.S.," says Hamdi Ulukaya, Chobani's founder and CEO. "When it comes to yogurt, America is underdeveloped."

At the Chobani store in Manhattan's trendy Soho neighborhood, there are no make-it-yourself options, as with many frozen yogurt shops, where customers can pile on their own toppings. The menu instead will offer a set list of creations developed by Ulukaya, such as one with chopped figs and walnuts, with honey drizzled on top. Savory options — yogurt with cucumbers or olive oil — are also available.

Orders are served in glass bowls, in single (6 ounces) or double (12 ounces) sizes for $3.75 or $4.75. Customers are given recipe cards with their orders, and can buy the ingredients at the store. By encouraging customers to make yogurt dishes on their own, the idea is to make the Chobani sold in supermarkets more of a household staple.

Over at the Yogurt Culture Company near Grand Central, the philosophy is that allowing for customization will lead to growth.

"Today, you can order myriad types of coffee at a cafe," said Michael Neuwirth, a spokesman for Dannon. "We believe the same concept can apply to yogurt."

Customers can pick from traditional or Greek yogurt (more pick the latter) and add any amount of toppings for a set price of $5.49 for a 5-ounce cup.

"What we sell is unlike anything we sell in a supermarket," Neuwirth said, noting the yogurt is fresh and made with just milk and cultures, and no preservatives.

At Chobani, Ulukaya says his carefully choreographed dishes reflect the various ways he ate yogurt while growing up in Turkey. But there is one distinctly American option that stands out: a yogurt generously topped with peanut butter and jelly.

Ulukaya says that one wasn't his idea — but he thinks it can reach kids or those not accustomed to the tart taste of Greek yogurt. As with the other creations, it's artfully served in a glass bowl and topped with sliced grapes and peanut halves for crunch.

"Maybe we can get Turkish people to like this one," Ulukaya said.

Romney’s MUST Give Speech

It’s time for Mitt Romney to start telling it like it is. Like it really is. It’s high time he took off the nice guy gloves and started laying it on the line with respect to our economy.

What follows is the speech he needs to start delivering.

Hello.

My name is Mitt Romney and I’m running for President.

Next month, our party will hold a convention and, I expect to receive the Republican nomination at that convention but, there are some things you need to know and waiting until after the convention might be too late.

My opponent, Obama, is running about telling stories. He’s on the attack. Okay. We, my staff and I, expected that. I would hazard to guess that some of you expected it too.

His plan is to attack…ME. Early in our republican primary race, his campaign issued the order…”Kill Romney.”

Now, I’m not just speaking to those in my own party when I ask this question: Is that what a president, immersed in the worst economy we’ve seen in many, many decades and a skyrocketing debt should be doing? To those who voted FOR Obama in 2008…Is that what you elected him to do?

Please, correct me if I’m wrong but…Didn’t you elect Obama to change things? Change them for the better? Didn’t you elect him to fix the economy? Didn’t you elect him to cut the debt in half? Didn’t you elect Obama to bring transparency to the government? To mend the divide between parties?

How’s that working out for you?

I’ll tell you how it’s working…Obama hasn’t followed through on one single promise he made to you.

Not one.

Cut the debt in half? It’s laughable. He’s actually INCREASED our national debt more than all presidents before him put together.

Transparency? Really? An administration which engineered Obamacare behind closed doors by hijacking an already passed bill from the House and completely rewriting it in the Senate to turn it into the largest tax increase in American History and then they wouldn’t even allow it to be read before it was passed? That’s transparency??

An administration that walked guns over our southern border until they were in the hands of Mexican drug cartels and now, more than 200 people are dead including at least 1 U.S. Border Agent after which, they have done everything possible including enacting Executive Privilege to cover up the facts? That’s transparency???

You know, Obama and his party’s pundits and, yes, some republicans too, have been calling on ME to release more of my tax records. They say I’M the least transparent candidate since Nixon and they have eluded to me being a felon.

Well, I’ll you, and them, what. I’ll release more of MY tax records right after Obama releases HIS records…His college transcripts, his college thesis, verifiable information on who got him into and paid for his college career…Verifiable information regarding his Social Security Number, his Selective Service registration and yes, his birth records.

The key word is…VERIFIABLE.

Because Obama likes to talk about being “fair” and “transparent” let’s do just that. In the name of “fairness” and “transparency” I’ll show mine as soon as he shows his.

That’s fair and transparent.

Now then, about those bank accounts I have with Swiss banks and in the Cayman Islands.

I’ve been taken to task about this by liberals and some conservatives too.

In fact, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has been very aggressive on this issue or, at least she was, up until it came out that, she TOO had such accounts. Let me ask a simple question. Is it legal to have such accounts?

Of course it is and lots of people do it. In fact, there are lots of liberals with substantial wealth who do the same thing but the difference is…like Schultz…what’s good for them is viewed as unethical when, and only when, a republican does it.

If you elect me as your president, I’ll work with congress to rewrite the tax code for a couple of very important reasons. First, we’ll work to make it attractive for people like me, and yes, Wasserman-Schultz, to keep our money HERE rather than legally shelter it elsewhere. Second, rewriting the tax code will make it so that we can all understand it. Right now, I can’t even understand it and I assure you that if YOU or I have a question and WE contact the IRS…WE will get as many different answers to the question as the number of people we ask.

The IRS doesn’t even understand the tax code but we can do better. Much better. We can close loopholes and straighten it out so that everybody is on even ground and everybody pays in. In that way, we can lower everybody’s individual tax burden AND raise more revenue at the same time.

Speaking of the IRS…As your president…I will NOT appoint a tax cheat to run it.

Now, the economy.

It’s in deep trouble and one of the biggest reasons it’s in deep trouble is because of liberal agenda and programs.

4 years of Obama didn’t get us to this point. 4 decades of liberal entitlements certainly played a big part in it though.

From the time of president Johnson’s liberal/social programs to today, the liberals in this country have been cultivating a permanent voting bloc based on permanent dependence on government handouts and programs.

Our nation’s poverty rate is about to reach its highest point since 1965 and it’s projected to continue on that trend.

What was that program Johnson put in place back in 1965? Oh yes, that’s right…The war on poverty?

From that day to this, the poverty rate has continued to climb. Do you think all those programs, all that welfare, all the Medicaid  and affirmative action has won the war on poverty?

The numbers are facts and the numbers don’t lie. We’re losing the war on poverty and the only tactics we’ve employes in nearly 5 decades have been liberal tactics. How’s THAT working for ya?

Administration after administration has robbed from one social program to fund another and sometimes, too many times, to fund programs or initiatives that have absolutely nothing to do with those from whom the money was stolen. It’s absurd and it’s shameful.

Meanwhile, people have come to rely on those programs and more and more are doing so today.

Well, enough is enough.

As Republicans and conservatives, kneeling to the pressure of liberals must end. We have been shamed into acceptance of things we knew wouldn’t work and afraid to be labeled as cruel, uncaring, or inhumane if we speak up or vote against such things.

No more.

Americans are the most caring and helpful of other people of all the people on earth. It’s impossible to believe that such programs, operated currently by the federal government, wouldn’t be in better hands either at the state level or amongst faith based organizations.

I believe, if we place those in need, into the hands of state and local entities and yes, faith based entities, they would be better served and strengthened than they could EVER be in the hands of the federal government.

To quote directly from faith…”Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll never go hungry.”

Right now, the federal government is handing out fish and guess what, the government is out of fish.

Obama wants to take MORE fish from YOU and give those fish to others. Guess what? YOU’RE running out of fish too.

Let’s talk about businesses.

My opponent says that if you have a business, you didn’t build that. He thinks you couldn’t POSSIBLY build a business without government help.

I think he’s lost his last marble.

Did government build the roads and bridges that allow your business to move goods from place to place or your customers to get to your door? My opponent says yes and YOUR business couldn’t succeed without them.

I’m going to let you all in on something liberals and my opponent don’t want you to know.

The government never built anything they didn’t get the money from YOU to build.

EVERYTHING the GOVERNMENT builds, gets built off the sweat, perseverance, innovation and  exceptionalism of those who reach for and obtain the American Dream.

Success.

If it wasn’t for individuals and businesses who build their own success…Let me say that again…If it wasn’t for individuals and businesses…THAT BUILD THEIR OWN SUCCESS…the government wouldn’t be able to build squat.

My opponent, Obama, has never had a job in the private sector and he’s never created a job. He came to his current position with no experience in economics, no experience in job creation, no experience in foreign affairs and no experience in working with or creating a budget.

It shows. Oh yes…It most certainly shows.

This nation saw its most impressive period of growth during the industrial revolution and, we can and will do it again. In fact, we do more.

By getting government out of the way, we’ll create an atmosphere in which entrepreneurs will BULD successful NEW industries and businesses and we’ll bring other industries HOME. One of those NEW industries will be ENERGY. PROVEN energy.

We should NOT have a president who goes to OTHER countries and tells them that WE want to be THEIR best energy customers and, we should NOT be sending OUR Veterans to CANADA to assist THEM in building a pipeline to deliver energy to China.

That’s not only absurd…It’s just plain stupid and that is exactly what my opponent has done by refusing to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

If we can’t convince our friends in Canada to change the direction of that pipeline now, or when I’m the president…We’ll make up the difference by tapping even MORE of our OWN energy right here in THIS country!

Am I turning MY back on green energy options? No. I’m turning GOVERNMENT’S back on it and putting it into the hands of PRIVATE enterprise where it will succeed or fail without the GOVERNMENT’S hand in YOUR pocket either way!

Now, let me tell you something about this economy.

When you hire me as president, I’ll “inherit” a stagnant GDP, an economy that’s struggling, an obscene amount of debt and an unemployment rate that is far too high. That will be November 6^th.

Come January 20^th, all of that is mine. It will NOT belong to MY predecessor or his predecessor. It will belong to ME.

We will construct a budget to cut spending and we will PASS that budget.

As president, I will form a jobs council…NOT to look for ways that GOVERNMENT can create jobs but to identify ways we can get government OUT OF THE WAY so that YOU can create jobs and businesses and, I WILL meet with that jobs council on a REGULAR basis.

By cutting wasteful programs and eliminating wasteful and oppressive agencies, we will begin to lower the national debt without cutting our military in ways that would leave us vulnerable to our enemies.

We will eliminate the largest tax increase in American history when we repeal Obamacare and we will work to find ways to lower the cost of healthcare without putting the government in charge OF your healthcare.

We will find a way to streamline the immigration process so that those who wish to become Americans CAN without the long and tedious process that takes, in some cases, much more than a decade but, we won’t do that until after we secure our borders.

We will stand with our friends around the world and keep a wary eye on our enemies and should trouble or threats arise against us OR our friends, we will work in concert with those friends to deal with it but, we will NOT ask permission of ANY world body or organization to do so and when we lead, we will lead from the FRONT.

It’s time we had a president who believes in the exceptionalism of this nation and the exceptionalism of its people. A president and an administration that takes the oath of office and believes in that oath because they believe in the constitution. It’s time for a president who believes in the American Dream and embraces the vision of the framers that smaller government is better government and the power belongs to the states and ultimately to the people.

4 years ago, my opponent was talking about “Fundamental transformation” of America and “Spreading the Wealth.” Well…

As your president, I want to RESTORE the principles that made America GREAT and spread the OPPORTUNITIES that will lead to individual success.

May God Bless the People of the United States and the United States of America!

Apple's New iPhone Port Could Cause A Storm

Apple fans could be left fuming if the continuing rumours about the new iPhone are true - that the wide dock connector is being dropped for a smaller one.

Two sources familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency the wide port - which has been a standard on Apple gadgets for nearly a decade - would be discontinued.

The aim is apparently to make room on the bottom of the device so the earphone jack can be relocated from its current position on the top of the phone.

But it also means the new phone would not connect with standard docking stations without an adapter.

According to the unofficial Apple news site iMore, Apple will be making an adapter available - although it is unclear if this will be bundled with the iPhone 5 or just sold as an accessory.

The Reuters sources said the iPhone 5, Apple's next generation iPhone, which is expected to go on sale around October, would come with a 19-pin connector port at the bottom instead of the usual 30-pin port.

Some analysts queried why Apple had not switched to something like microUSB earlier, but the company has always taken a very individual approach to its technology and operating systems.

And while microUSB would make sense, the new connector is likely to be unique to Apple.

According to sources on another independent Apple news site, iLounge, the new connector is said to be "closer to a pill shape".

"It represents an opportunity for accessory vendors," said Pete Cunningham, a London-based analyst at technology research firm Canalys.

"The iPhone connector has been a standard for a long time now and I would expect the same to be true for a new connector, should Apple change it as expected."

The standard port will supposedly be replaced by a pill-shaped alternative

Tech blogs have long speculated on the demise of the 30-pin connector, which at 21mm wide takes up a relatively large amount of space.

The latest technologies, such as microUSB, offer more power in less space.

A smaller connector would give Apple more scope for new product designs or a bigger battery - or just to make ever smaller products.

Logitech, which is one of the biggest makers of Apple speakers, declined to comment on the claims.

But some enterprising vendors in China have already begun offering cases for the new phone, complete with an earphone socket on the bottom and a supposed "guarantee" that the dimensions are correct.

"Apple needs to find a solution not to disappoint their current clients who want to upgrade to the new iPhone but are tied to an expensive accessory they have bought," said Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst at technology research firm IDC.

"I believe Apple will come up with some sort of adapter so the new iPhone can be used with previous connectors."

But some iPhone owners questioned whether even an adapter would help.

"With a smaller connector, what am I going to do with my loudspeaker at home and the fitness pack that I use when I go to the gym? That's the question," said 24-year old Travis Tam, who owns an iPhone 4.

"I feel that the premium gap between the next iPhone 5 and newest Android models is getting much smaller these days.

"That will mean that details such as having a smaller connector will mean more in whether I will continue to use an iPhone and switch to other Android phones."

Actors freak out on “candid camera” show when told they’re being interviewed by Israelis

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/07/23/fun-egyptian-style-actors-freak-out-on-candid-camera-show-when-told-theyre-being-interviewed-by-israelis/

Via MEMRI TV, not so much a palate cleanser as a palate soiler. I think Jonathan Tobin’s read this exactly right: The behavior of the guests is less alarming, and less revealing, than the behavior of the hosts.

Viewing the invective about Jews and Israel being spewed on the show by three apparently prominent members of the Egyptian arts community is damning by itself. It says a lot that the show’s producers thought one of the most outrageous things they could do to Egyptians was to trick them into sitting down with Jews. Nor is it surprising that the response generated hate speech about the character of the Jewish people and the authenticity of the Holocaust.

But the punch lines of each segment in which the subjects are informed they are on a candid camera show, which was required in two cases to avert more violence if not bloodshed, is also illustrative. There were no reproaches from the hosts for the violent behavior that followed when the guests were told they were on Israeli TV. It was only when they were pretending to be Israelis that they tried to push back against the slanders. Once they were back in their own identities, all was forgiven. The host only had praise for her dupes — even the one who slugged her — for demonstrating what she described as “patriotism” by their anger about being set up to talk with Jews.

If this really had been an Israeli show, it would have been a dynamite expose of how nasty Egyptian anti-semitism can get even in a “professional” setting. Both of the male guests turn violent; one of them, as Tobin notes, gets physical with the female host, which comes at around 4:50. But the point of the program isn’t to call them out, it’s to reward them for their “righteous” rage. This is the cultural backdrop against which the Muslim Brotherhood is taking power, despite more than 30 years of formal peace between Egypt and Israel. If you don’t watch the whole thing, at least watch the big hug at 9:15 and the immediate aftermath when “Mahmoud” finds out it’s all a prank. Quote: “I hate the Jews to death.”

New facts about Obamacare and Medicare – fiscal savings from rationed care

The simple fact is that Obamacare takes control of the entire health care industry and will fund services by deeply rationing care for Medicare recipients.

Obamacare Panel Rations Medicare Benefits

In his 2013 budget, President Obama gives even greater power to the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a panel created by Obamacare to contain Medicare spending. Forbes reports;

“The IPAB is one of the most egregious parts of ObamaCare because it puts rationing of [Medi]care on auto pilot.”

The sole job of the IPAB is to cut payments for Medicare. This can only be done by rationing care or reducing what Medicare pays to service providers. IPAB panelists will be appointed bureaucrats with no oversight by Congress and no authority to improve Medicare – just a requirement to cut Medicare spending.

Obama pulled $500,000,000 out of Medicare to help fund Obamacare.

“Between 2013 and 2020, the health law directs the IPAB to achieve its targets through payment reductions primarily in the Part D prescription drug program, Medicare Advantage, and skilled nursing facility services. Since the board is forced to reduce overall Medicare spending by focusing only on these relatively smaller segments of Medicare spending, the cuts would have to be very deep to achieve overall per capita spending reductions. Access to care inevitably will be impacted.” – Forbes

What to expect from Obamacare and Medicare in the years ahead

• The cost of possible health care options will continue to increase with each new drug, test, and procedure introduced. The CBO assumes that access to possible health care options will be rationed, especially for the elderly.
• The cost of providing coverage to non-elderly citizens will be borne in large measure by limiting care provided through Medicare.
• Medical records will be centralized in Washington DC. – This passed in the Stimulus Bill.
• Medical research will be controlled by Washington DC. – In Obamacare.
• Medical schools will be under the ultimate control of Washington DC. – In Obamacare.
• Care may be approved at different levels depending on who you are and where you live so it is more “equitable” for under-served populations.
• Total health care costs will exceed total federal spending in the next ten years.

In other words, you will get the health care someone in Washington DC decides you need. Your doctor may not be prevented from ordering a test, but unless approved you will have to pay the cost yourself.