Japan to Agree to Lifting Ban on U.S. Beef Imports, Kyodo Says (Bloomberg.com) June 20 (Bloomberg) -- Japan is likely to agree tonight with the U.S. on a plan to resume beef imports after confirming strengthened U.S. safeguards against mad cow disease, Kyodo News said, citing Japanese officials it didn't name. [News Source]

Japan likely to agree with U.S. on lifting of beef import ban (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News) _ Japan and the United States are expected to agree Tuesday night that Tokyo will lift its ban on American beef after confirming strengthened U.S. safeguard measures against mad cow disease, Japanese sources said. [News Source]

Japan to inspect all beef imported from U.S. after trade resumption (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News) _ Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Jiro Kawasaki said Tuesday that Japan will inspect all beef imported from the United States if Tokyo lifts the ban it imposed on American beef over mad cow disease concerns. [News Source]

Lab workers say bosses threatened them for sharing safety concern (WHO-TV Des Moines) DES MOINES, Iowa Two workers at a national research center say they were threatened with their jobs after raising concerns over how the facility is handling the waste of animals used in Mad Cow disease research. [News Source]

Lab workers say bosses threatened them for sharing safety concern (WHO-TV Des Moines) DES MOINES, Iowa Two workers at a national research center say they were threatened with their jobs after raising concerns over how the facility is handling the waste of animals used in Mad Cow disease research. [News Source]

New strain of mad cow disease not tied to feed. The discovery of a new strain of mad cow disease that may strike spontaneously rather than through contaminated feed could mean that it will be impossible to completely stamp out the brain-destroying illness in cattle. [News Source]

Complaint filed over mine ban. Town officials have about a month to respond to a legal complaint regarding their decision to ban future mining operations. [News Source]

New Strain of Mad Cow Disease Not Tied to Feed (RedNova) By Elizabeth Weise The discovery of a new strain of mad cow disease that may strike spontaneously rather than through contaminated feed could mean that it will be impossible to stamp out the brain-destroying illness in cattle. [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]