U.S. ambassador to Canada says passport rule is not economic suicide (CP via Yahoo! Canada News) SAINT JOHN, N.B. (CP) - The United States ambassador to Canada says the two countries can't have prosperity without security. [News Source]

Double rethink on prion diseases. Evidence has emerged that infectious prions could be spread when animals lick each other during grooming sessions [News Source]

Mad cows and metals. Exposure to high levels of metals can coax proteins called prions, those that when mangled cause "Mad Cow" and similar diseases, to adopt an abnormal disease-causing conformation. [News Source]

Russia Partially Lifts Ban On Swiss Cattle Imports (CattleNetwork.com) MOSCOW (Dow Jones)--Russia's food quality watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor partially lifted Thursday a ban on the import of cattle from Switzerland, including stud cattle, which was imposed in May 2004 after reports of mad cow disease in that country, the agency said Thursday. [News Source]

Study: Animal Vet Shortage May Affect Food (Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune) KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Food safety and America's ability to handle outbreaks of catastrophic animal diseases are being threatened by a projected shortage in food animal veterinarians, a new study shows. The study, commissioned in 2004 by a coalition of veterinary organizations and conducted by Kansas State University's College of Business Administration, projects a major shortfall in the vets, [News Source]

Study: Animal vet shortage may affect food (AP via Yahoo! News) Food safety and America's ability to handle outbreaks of catastrophic animal diseases are being threatened by a projected shortage in food animal veterinarians, a new study shows. [News Source]

Letter to the editor (AG Weekly) What impact will the National Animal Identification System (www.NoNAIS.rog) have on every American? [News Source]

Some ranchers shy on first day since mad cow announcement (AG Weekly) TULIA, Texas -- West Texas rancher Kevin Crooks lost about $1 million in the year following the country's first case of mad cow 18 months ago. If he'd had cattle big enough to sell at the Tulia Livestock Auction on Monday, he wouldn't have brought a one. [News Source]