Longing for banned haggis more than just tripe (USA Today) Free the haggis! Thousands of Americans had to make do without the real thing Friday night when they sat down to what should have been a filling meal of boiled sheep's stomach stuffed with minced sheep lung, heart, liver and oatmeal. Jan. 25 was the 248th anniversary of the birth of Scottish poet Robert Burns. (He wrote Auld Lang Syne, among other things.) [News Source]

Federal animal-tracking system irks farmers. A Bush administration initiative, the National Animal Identification System is meant to provide a modern tool for tracking disease outbreaks within 48 hours, whether natural or the work of a bioterrorist. [News Source]

Customer Service (Brandon Sun) CALGARY - Canadian farmers and ranchers, beset for decades with disasters from drought to mad cow disease, appear to be suffering more than just financially. [News Source]

Alzheimers Research Target May Be a Dead End (Health Scout) Amyloid inhibitors cant prevent brain plaque build-up, study suggests. [News Source]

Alzheimers Research Target May Be a Dead End (HealthDay via Yahoo! News) SUNDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A once-promising pathway for research into preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease may have been derailed by a surprise chemical finding, researchers report. [News Source]

Opening border heightens disease risk to U.S. cattle, consumers (AG Weekly) USDA’s mandate is to prevent BSE from entering the United States, but the first thing the agency said (when announcing) this rule is designed to normalize cattle trade with Canada. [News Source]

The Blood Donor (The Sentinel) Prodding Ardis Featherman’s arm with her finger, Megan Bettinger looks for that perfect vein n the one that will yield a pint of blood quickly and with little discomfort to the woman in front of her. [News Source]

Blunt timeline (The Springfield News-Leader) Matt Blunt was born on Nov. 20, 1970, in Springfield, to Republican U.S. Rep. Roy and Roseann Blunt; he attended Strafford schools and graduated from Jefferson City High School. Roy Blunt takes his first public office as Greene County clerk when Matt Blunt is 2 years old. [News Source]

No headline (Journal and Courier) Japanese sushi lovers shrug despite high tuna mercury levels [News Source]

Zeal for veal drives Elba farm to improve standards (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle) Provitello Farms in Elba, Genesee County, is one of those farms that is setting the bar higher for the industry. The farm features natural light, fresh air, open space and a drum-like machine that measures and dispenses milk for each calf. [News Source]