China is more than just the 800-pound gorilla in the world cotton market. The Asian giant is both the world's biggest producer and importer. As such, China has tremendous market manipulating power that leaves other producers, including those in America, at its mercy. China provides unstinting support to its cotton farmers with the end result being that cotton prices in China are often found above world market prices, yet actions in China can create extreme fluctuations in world prices that affects everyone else.
For pro-rodeo athletes and their fans, December is the best month of the year, and not just because it's Christmas. December also ushers in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
Texas Tech's International Center for Food Safety Excellence is part of a broad effort to develop detection and surveillance networks to help protect from future outbreaks of salmonella bacteria. Earlier this year Tech, Angelo State University and California State University-Fresno received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture totaling more than $700,000.