Rocky Mountain National Park elk management plan detailed (Summit Daily News) DENVER National Park Service employees and authorized agents will be permitted to kill up to 200 elk every year in Rocky Mountain National Park as part of a program announced Tuesday to control the growing herd of about 3,100 animals. [News Source]

Is Oprah more powerful? (The Scotsman) FOR most hopefuls in the US presidential election, getting to the White House will cost millions in advertising. But could Barack Obama do it thanks to just one woman, asks ALICE WYLLIE [News Source]

Japan Considering Easing US Beef Restrictions (KQCD-TV Dickinson) Japan will consider easing restrictions on U.S. beef imports, an apparent compromise after months of pressure from Washington. [News Source]

(AFX UK Focus) 2007-12-11 10:33 GMT: ROUNDUP US, China make no progress on beef; sign deals on drugs, medical devices (Interactive Investor) BEIJING (Thomson Financial) - The US has failed to make any progress in getting China to accept its longstanding request to accept all US beef exports, although China did agree today to take new steps aimed at cracking down on the production of counterfeit drugs and easing the sale of US medical devices. [News Source]

This holiday, give the gift of experience (Orlando Sentinel) If it seems the people on your holiday-shopping list have it all, there are a host of companies in Central Florida waiting to help you get creative with your giving. A gift doesn't have to come in a box; local service providers offer experiences for all types of people. Here are just a few examples: [News Source]

Auction yards fight Canadian border cattle rule (Rapid City Journal) Five South Dakota auction yards recently hosted fundraisers that generated more than $50,000 to support a legal battle to stop older Canadian cattle from coming into the United States. [News Source]

Premise registration continues on plan (Iowa Farmer) Editor’s note: On Nov.. 22, the Bush administration pledged not to make a planned National Animal Identification System mandatory. However, that has not derailed movement toward a voluntary tracking system. [News Source]

The beastly side of pets: Disease (The Providence Journal) Our pets scratch and bite us. They leave worms, protozoan cysts and ticks in our yards. They expose us to a fearsome range of infections. [News Source]