House Passes Bill Blocking Malheur County Monument In Oregon

The Interior Department funding bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives includes a provision that blocks the establishment of a national monument in Malheur County, Ore., that has been opposed by ranchers. The bill passed July 14, and is headed to the Senate. The Oregon Natural Desert Association, a Bend, Ore.-based environmental group, hopes to create the national monument on 2.5 million acres in an area of the county known as the Owyhee Canyonlands.

Bloomberg is reporting that Dow-DuPont shareholders have approved a $59 billion merger of equals, clearing a hurdle for the deal to close this year and for a later split into three entities.

And finally, ribs are the cheapest they’ve been since 2012. Bloomberg reports that In Chicago, cattle prices reached a five-year low on Wednesday, while hogs fell for a 12th straight session -- a record in data going back three decades. “As the meat piles up, retail prices have already been falling and more supplies means that grilling staples including burgers, ribs and pork chops could get even cheaper,” according to the news site.