Featured Stories
American Soybean Association Welcomes Withdrawal of Glyphosate Petition
ST. LOUIS, Missouri, July 18 -- The American Soybean Association issued the following news release:
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ASA Welcomes Withdrawal of Glyphosate Petition
The American Soybean Association welcomes Ruveon's decision to withdraw its petitions filed with the International Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Commerce seeking antidumping and countervailing duties on glyphosate imports from China.
"We appreciate Ruveon's decision to withdraw the antidumping and countervailing duty petitions after listening to the concerns about affordability and access raised by ASA, soybean farmers, and other
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ST. LOUIS, Missouri, July 18 -- The American Soybean Association issued the following news release:
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ASA Welcomes Withdrawal of Glyphosate Petition
The American Soybean Association welcomes Ruveon's decision to withdraw its petitions filed with the International Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Commerce seeking antidumping and countervailing duties on glyphosate imports from China.
"We appreciate Ruveon's decision to withdraw the antidumping and countervailing duty petitions after listening to the concerns about affordability and access raised by ASA, soybean farmers, and otheragricultural organizations," said Scott Metzger, ASA President and soybean farmer from Ohio. "ASA provided extensive feedback to Ruveon following the filing of the petitions and again this week during our Board of Directors meeting. Ruveon's decision reflects the value they place on farmer customers who rely on access to affordable crop protection tools to remain productive and globally competitive. We appreciate Ruveon's willingness to engage with growers and respond to their concerns, and ASA looks forward to continuing this important dialogue."
ASA remains committed to working with stakeholders and policymakers to ensure soybean farmers have access to the crop protection tools they need to remain productive, profitable, and sustainable for generations to come.
Ruveon, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer. On June 30, 2026, Monsanto Company and Ruveon, LLC filed antidumping and countervailing petitions on glyphosate imported from China with the International Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Commerce. Ruveon produces about 60% of glyphosate sold in the U.S.
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Original text here: https://soygrowers.com/news-releases/asa-welcomes-withdrawal-of-glyphosate-petition/
[Category: Agriculture]
Advocacy Alert: Hawaii Adopts New E-Bike Law
IRVINE, California, July 18 -- The National Bicycle Dealers Association, a non-profit supported by the membership of participating retailers and industry sponsorship, issued the following news:
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Advocacy Alert: Hawaii Adopts New E-Bike Law
Hawaii has enacted significant new legislation that updates how electric bicycles and e-mobility devices are regulated across the state. The new law adopts the three-class e-bike system, creates a legal definition for "e-motos," and establishes new operating rules for both vehicle categories.
Key Highlights
* Adopts the three-class e-bike system, aligning
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IRVINE, California, July 18 -- The National Bicycle Dealers Association, a non-profit supported by the membership of participating retailers and industry sponsorship, issued the following news:
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Advocacy Alert: Hawaii Adopts New E-Bike Law
Hawaii has enacted significant new legislation that updates how electric bicycles and e-mobility devices are regulated across the state. The new law adopts the three-class e-bike system, creates a legal definition for "e-motos," and establishes new operating rules for both vehicle categories.
Key Highlights
* Adopts the three-class e-bike system, aligningHawaii with the framework used in many other states.
* Creates a legal definition for e-motos, separating them from traditional low-speed electric bicycles.
* Prohibits e-motos from operating on public roads, bike lanes, shared-use paths, and sidewalks intended for bicycles.
* Continues regulation of low-speed e-bikes as bicycles, allowing riders to follow the same rules that apply to traditional bicycles.
* Maintains Hawaii's one-time $30 e-bike registration fee, with funds supporting bicycle infrastructure and education.
* Requires helmets for riders under 18 years of age.
* Adds enforcement for unsafe riding behaviors, including prohibiting wheelies and other dangerous stunts on public roadways.
Why This Matters
This legislation reflects a growing trend across North America to clearly distinguish low-speed electric bicycles from higher-powered electric motorcycles, often marketed as "e-motos." As more states update their laws, retailers should expect continued conversations around vehicle classifications, rider education, registration requirements, and safe operation.
The NBDA will continue monitoring state and federal legislation affecting specialty bicycle retailers and will keep members informed of important regulatory changes.
You can read more about Hawaii's new law here: Hawaii Passes E-Bike Law Defining E-Motos (Bicycle Retailer & Industry News) (https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2026/07/16/hawaii-passes-e-bike-law-defining-e-motos?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
As always, if you have questions about e-bike regulations or advocacy issues affecting your business, please don't hesitate to reach out.
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Original text here: https://nbda.com/advocacy-alert-hawaii-adopts-new-e-bike-law/
[Category: Business]
ASTM International Honors William King With Award of Merit
WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pennsylvania, July 18 -- ASTM International, formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials, which develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for materials, products, systems and services, posted the following news release:
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ASTM International Honors William King with Award of Merit
King was recognized for his thorough and diplomatic leadership style, his attention to detail, and for instilling efficiency as a core value of committee F16.
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William King, recently retired technical sales manager at Brighton Best International, has received
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WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pennsylvania, July 18 -- ASTM International, formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials, which develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for materials, products, systems and services, posted the following news release:
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ASTM International Honors William King with Award of Merit
King was recognized for his thorough and diplomatic leadership style, his attention to detail, and for instilling efficiency as a core value of committee F16.
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William King, recently retired technical sales manager at Brighton Best International, has receivedthe 2026 Award of Merit for his contributions to its fasteners committee (F16).
The prestigious award, which includes the accompanying title of fellow, is ASTM's highest recognition for distinguished service and outstanding participation in ASTM International committee activities. King was recognized for his thorough and diplomatic leadership style, his attention to detail, and for instilling efficiency as a core value of committee F16. An ASTM International member since 1995, King has previously been honored by the committee with the Fred F. Weingruber Award (2007).
King's career focus has been fastener quality, quality management, testing, lab accreditation and management, and applications engineering. Prior to 1994, King served in various roles in quality assurance for aerospace and defense companies. In addition to ASTM, he has contributed to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).
King studied business at Fullerton College.
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Original text here: https://www.astm.org/news/press-releases/william-king-award-of-merit
[Category: Materials Management]
Positive Outlook for Cattle Business as Summer Business Meeting Concludes
CENTENNIAL, Colorado, July 18 -- The National Cattlemen's Beef Association posted the following news release:
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Positive Outlook for Cattle Business as Summer Business Meeting Concludes
With optimism for the cattle business remaining strong, nearly 700 cattle producers from across the country gathered in Aurora, Colorado, this week for the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. This event helps shape the future of the industry through grassroots policy development and discussions that will guide research, education and promotion efforts.
"We conduct a lot of business during this meeting,
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CENTENNIAL, Colorado, July 18 -- The National Cattlemen's Beef Association posted the following news release:
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Positive Outlook for Cattle Business as Summer Business Meeting Concludes
With optimism for the cattle business remaining strong, nearly 700 cattle producers from across the country gathered in Aurora, Colorado, this week for the Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. This event helps shape the future of the industry through grassroots policy development and discussions that will guide research, education and promotion efforts.
"We conduct a lot of business during this meeting,but we also benefit by gathering together and learning from each other," said NCBA President Gene Copenhaver. "I appreciate the time producers take away from their families to make our industry better for future generations and the commitment our state partners have to helping advance the business of the industry."
Producers participated in NCBA policy meetings and Beef Checkoff committee discussions to evaluate emerging issues, advance initiatives launched at CattleCon and establish priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. Regional meetings offered attendees the opportunity to discuss local issues impacting their operations.
"This meeting showcases the strength of NCBA's grassroots policy process," Copenhaver said. "State cattlemen's associations brought forward policy recommendations on a wide range of issues affecting producers, including the Conservation Reserve Program, Livestock Risk Protection, and Theileria orientalis Ikeda, the disease transmitted by Asian longhorned ticks. These discussions and resulting recommendations are where true grassroots policy development comes to fruition, ensuring NCBA's policy priorities are driven by cattle producers and reflect the needs of our industry."
The NCBA Board of Directors approved several policy recommendations that will be submitted to the membership for a mail ballot vote in September. The board meeting also highlighted the work of the Federation of State Beef Councils and its collaborative national efforts to promote beef, support research, expand education and strengthen consumer trust, helping drive beef demand.
Cattle producers and industry stakeholders will again gather for CattleCon 2027, which is returning to downtown Nashville, Tennessee, Feb. 2-4, 2027, with business meetings beginning Feb. 1.
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Original text here: https://www.ncba.org/news-media/news/details/49545/positive-outlook-for-cattle-business-as-summer-business-meeting-concludes
[Category: Agriculture]
NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 5.4% Decrease in June
WASHINGTON, July 18 -- The National Association of Realtors issued the following news release:
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NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 5.4% Decrease in June
Month-Over-Month
5.4% decrease in pending home sales
Declines in the Northeast, Midwest, South and West
Year-Over-Year
* 0.3% decrease in pending home sales
* Gains in the Northeast and Midwest; Declines in the South and West
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Pending home sales in June decreased by 5.4% month-over-month and 0.3% year-over-year, according to the National Association of REALTORS(R) Pending Home Sales report. The report provides the real estate ecosystem--including
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 18 -- The National Association of Realtors issued the following news release:
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NAR Pending Home Sales Report Shows 5.4% Decrease in June
Month-Over-Month
5.4% decrease in pending home sales
Declines in the Northeast, Midwest, South and West
Year-Over-Year
* 0.3% decrease in pending home sales
* Gains in the Northeast and Midwest; Declines in the South and West
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Pending home sales in June decreased by 5.4% month-over-month and 0.3% year-over-year, according to the National Association of REALTORS(R) Pending Home Sales report. The report provides the real estate ecosystem--includingagents, homebuyers and sellers--with data on the level of home sales under contract.
Month-over-month pending home sales declined in all four major U.S. regions. Year-over-year pending home sales increased in the Northeast and Midwest but declined in the South and West.
"The highest mortgage rates in nearly a year and the record-high national median home price together are contributing to a tepid housing market that is especially difficult for first-time homebuyers," said NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun. "However, job gains can help support housing demand."
"It is worth emphasizing that it is closing activity, not contract signings, that generates economic impact. Pending contracts are only suggestive of upcoming closed deals and do not align perfectly, due to fallout rates and contract contingencies."
June 2026 National Pending Home Sales
* 5.4% decrease month-over-month
* 0.3% decrease year-over-year
June 2026 Regional Pending Home Sales
Northeast
* 3.0% decrease month-over-month
* 2.2% increase year-over-year
Midwest
* 8.9% decrease month-over-month
* 0.3% increase year-over-year
South
* 4.1% decrease month-over-month
* 0.9% decrease year-over-year
West
4.7% decrease month-over-month
1.1% decrease year-over-year
At the local level, several markets posted notable year-over-year gains in pending home sales. Among the 50 largest metro areas, the following 10 markets posted the biggest annual increases in pending home sales, according to data from Realtor.com(R) Economics:
1. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (+15.4%)
2. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA (+15.2%)
3. Kansas City, MO-KS (+14.4%)
4. Richmond, VA (+14.0%)
5. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (+12.1%)
6. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX (+11.1%)
7. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (+10.7%)
8. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (+9.6%)
9. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL (+9.5%)
10. St. Louis, MO-IL (+9.1%)
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About the National Association of REALTORS(R)
The National Association of REALTORS(R) is involved in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate. The term REALTOR(R) is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS(R) and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes--from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation--visit facts.realtor.
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*The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.
Pending contracts are good early indicators of upcoming sales closings. However, the amount of time between pending contracts and completed sales is not identical for all home sales. Variations in the length of the process from pending contract to closed sale can be caused by issues such as buyer difficulties with obtaining mortgage financing, home inspection problems, or appraisal issues.
The index is based on a sample that covers about 40% of multiple listing service data each month. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months.
An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined. By coincidence, the volume of existing-home sales in 2001 fell within the range of 5.0 to 5.5 million, which is considered normal for the current U.S. population.
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Original text here: https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/nar-pending-home-sales-report-shows-5-4-decrease-in-june
[Category: Real Estate]
Entrepreneurs' Organization: From Housekeeper to CEO to Champion of Change
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, July 18 -- Entrepreneurs' Organization issued the following news:
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From Housekeeper to CEO to Champion of Change
By Diana Holquist, EO Global Contributing Writer
Sherry Deutschmann grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, and by the time she was a young woman, she was certain of two things: she could sing, and Nashville was waiting for her. She moved there with her daughter and a head full of ambition, but soon discovered that being recognized in a small town and being recognized in Nashville were two very different things.
When the singing career did not come
... Show Full Article
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, July 18 -- Entrepreneurs' Organization issued the following news:
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From Housekeeper to CEO to Champion of Change
By Diana Holquist, EO Global Contributing Writer
Sherry Deutschmann grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, and by the time she was a young woman, she was certain of two things: she could sing, and Nashville was waiting for her. She moved there with her daughter and a head full of ambition, but soon discovered that being recognized in a small town and being recognized in Nashville were two very different things.
When the singing career did not cometo fruition, she focused on survival. She cleaned gas station bathrooms, worked as a housekeeper for wealthy families, tended bar, and answered phones at a plumbing company. She often had to scrape pennies together just to put gas in the car. There were stretches when she could not pay both the daycare and the electric bills, so she and her daughter went without electricity.
She did have a talent for talking to people. Growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, she had been knocking on strangers' doors since she was eight years old. That turned out to be her way into sales, where she started making real money, bought a house, and began to get her footing. Eventually, she became vice president of sales for a healthcare services company that printed and mailed hospital bills for large healthcare systems nationwide.
Sherry was good at her job, but she kept watching the same painful cycle repeat itself: she would land a major account, and then the company would lose two others because the service was so poor. She felt that she knew why: the people doing the work felt invisible.
She went to her boss with an idea. If they actually took care of the people on the plant floor, those people would care about what they were doing. Her boss listened politely. Then he patted her hand. "You do not know anything about business, Sherry," he told her. "Why do you not just go sell something?"
So she did: For herself.
Becoming "Oprah for a Day"
In 2002, at the age of 42, Sherry left and started LetterLogic, doing exactly what her former employer did: receiving raw data from large healthcare systems, parsing it, and printing and mailing the bills. She had no formal business education and, by her own admission, did not entirely know what she was doing. But she says, "I knew human nature. And knew that we have an innate desire to be seen. And to have a voice. And to be appreciated. And that is what I leaned into."
She decided that at LetterLogic, employees would come first, not as a slogan, but as an operating principle with real dollar signs attached.
She covered 100 percent of employee health, dental, disability, and life insurance. She helped employees buy their first homes by gifting them money for down payments. She opened the books each month, gathering the entire staff and walking them through the previous month's financials. "This is how much we brought in," she told them. "This is our profit. Here is what hurt us, and here is what we did right." Then she took 10 percent of the monthly profit and distributed it equally among all employees, with the receptionist and the CFO receiving the exact same check.
"We were all equally important to the bottom line," she says.
The results were immediate and tangible. Employees stopped wasting time and materials once they understood that every dollar of waste came out of the profit share.
Soon, LetterLogic landed on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America and stayed there for 10 consecutive years. Sherry made no apologies for her company being the most expensive option on the market. She told prospects, "If you are price sensitive, do not waste your time talking to us." Also, she told them, "We believe the customer does not come first. My employees do." Then she would explain why this was all very good news for them. More than 80 percent of LetterLogic's sales, her team estimated, were what they called "culture sales" -- healthcare systems choosing LetterLogic not on price but because they believed in how the company operated.
Meanwhile, Sherry became a member of EO Nashville. Her friend Wade Miller had been after her for years. "I joined just to shut him up, really," she jokes now. The time commitment felt impossible when she was building a company and raising a daughter. But once she was in, she understood what Wade had been talking about. The Forum model -- the small, confidential peer group at the heart of the EO experience -- turned out to be exactly the kind of structure she drew on while building LetterLogic. Her Forum group became lifelong friends. "We will be close until I die," she says.
She decided to sell LetterLogic in 2016, and the timing, she says, was "quintessential." Business had just quadrupled its EBITDA over an 18-month period. "It was the storybook example of when to sell a company," she says. By the time she sold, LetterLogic was processing more than 400,000 hospital bills a day.
True to form, she took 15 percent of the sale price and distributed it among her employees, with the amount for each scaled to their tenure. "It felt like being Oprah for a day," she says. The company sold with revenue of US$40 million.
A Book and a New Venture
After the sale, she wrote her book, "Lunch with Lucy," named for the Wednesday ritual at LetterLogic where she shed her CEO title and became a coworker available for lunch. Any employee could sign up. They picked the restaurant, chose who came along, and set the topic. She just listened. "It was the most important time I spent growing that business," she says. "Because I got to hear about their hopes and dreams. And they had the best ideas for how to improve our company."
She also became an angel investor, eventually making 29 investments -- 27 of them in women-owned businesses. That focus was not accidental. While serving on the National Women's Business Council in Washington, advising the president, Congress, and the SBA on issues affecting women in business, she kept encountering the same statistic: women receive only 2 percent of venture capital, despite data showing they deliver higher returns on investment. It made her furious.
Women started coming to her asking for mentorship. Her answer was always the same: join EO. The peer learning model was exactly what they needed. But then they would come back with the same problem: they did not meet the revenue requirement. Sherry learned that only about 2 percent of women-owned businesses ever reach a million dollars in revenue. There was a gap between where most women entrepreneurs were and where organizations like EO could serve them. She decided to fill it.
BrainTrust launched with a clear-eyed diagnosis of what women entrepreneurs actually need and what tends to get in the way. It has peer groups, called "vaults," a safe place for your most valuable things. They followed the Forum model she had come to trust through EO. Members meet monthly in small groups, share a brief on their business challenges, and hold each other accountable. But BrainTrust adds one discipline that Sherry considers non-negotiable: every member announces her revenue out loud at the start of each meeting.
"It is grounding," she says. "It requires a great deal of vulnerability. And it establishes that we are not here for socializing. We are here to build financial independence."BrainTrust keeps the focus on revenue and profitability, using technology to track each member's growth and put it front and center every time they log into the portal. The message is simple and unrelenting: if your revenue is flat, what are you going to do about it?
The organization currently operates in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville, with a virtual option that connects women in the same industry. Sherry's goal is to be in 20 cities by 2030. She is in the final stretch of a US$7 million capital raise, with US$5.7 million committed, nearly all of it from women. BrainTrust serves members with revenue starting at US$100,000, with the first milestone being the million-dollar mark, which would make them eligible for EO.
Getting women there, she says, is the point.
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Sherry Deutschmann is a member of EO Nashville and the founder and CEO of BrainTrust, a membership organization for women business owners. She is also the author of "Lunch with Lucy: Maximize Profits by Investing in Your Employees." Interested in becoming an EO member like Sherry? Learn more here (https://eonetwork.org/membership/path-of-leadership/?scLang=en).
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Original text here: https://eonetwork.org/blog/from-housekeeper-to-ceo-to-champion-of-change/
[Category: Business]
Corn Growers Commend Glyphosate Petition Withdraw
CHESTERFIELD, Missouri, July 18 -- The National Corn Growers Association issued the following statement on July 17, 2026:
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Corn Growers Commend Glyphosate Petition Withdraw
Author: Nicole Hasheider
Ruveon, a subsidiary of Bayer, announced today that it will withdraw its petition to place countervailing duties on imported supplies of glyphosate, following intense pressure from the National Corn Growers Association and other commodity groups. In response to this development, NCGA President and Ohio farmer Jed Bower released the following statement:
"We commend Ruveon for listening to its
... Show Full Article
CHESTERFIELD, Missouri, July 18 -- The National Corn Growers Association issued the following statement on July 17, 2026:
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Corn Growers Commend Glyphosate Petition Withdraw
Author: Nicole Hasheider
Ruveon, a subsidiary of Bayer, announced today that it will withdraw its petition to place countervailing duties on imported supplies of glyphosate, following intense pressure from the National Corn Growers Association and other commodity groups. In response to this development, NCGA President and Ohio farmer Jed Bower released the following statement:
"We commend Ruveon for listening to itscustomers and withdrawing this petition. As we have highlighted multiple times in recent weeks and months, input costs are a top concern of growers and for good reason. Actions like the ones Ruveon planned to take would have made an already bad situation even worse.
"Farmers are the ones who purchase and use these products, and too often we have felt that we, the customer, are of little importance. We strongly encourage all input providers to consider the full impact of their actions on growers, who are essential to the companies' bottom line. Farmers appreciate the value that input providers bring to their operations and wish to be a good partner, working together for the betterment of our industry. But as we have made clear, farmers cannot and will not bear this relationship at any cost. It is past time for companies to have honest conversations with their customers, and we welcome dialogue with any provider wishing to work together to address input prices."
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Nicole Hasheider
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
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Original text here: https://www.ncga.com/stay-informed/media/in-the-news/article/2026/07/corn-growers-commend-glyphosate-petition-withdraw
[Category: Agriculture]
