Good morning.
It’s a rainy day in store for Whitewater, with thunderstorms and a high temperature of sixty-three.
Today’s a better day than yesterday: we’re closer to free trade with friendly countries than we were before. Bloomberg reports the good news:
The U.S. Congress approved free- trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, bringing an end to years of stalemate and offering what supporters said was the biggest opportunity for exporters in decades.
The bills go to President Barack Obama, who spent two years seeking to broaden Democratic support for pacts revised from initial agreements reached by his predecessor. The South Korea deal, the biggest for the U.S. since the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, removes duties on almost two-thirds of American farm exports, and phases out tariffs on more than 95 percent of industrial and consumer exports within five years.
See, Biggest U.S. Free-Trade Accord Since ’94 Passed – Bloomberg.
From Africa, there’s a happy story about the rescue of a poached baby gorilla:
As part of an undercover operation, five rangers from DRC’s Virunga National Park posed as buyers after receiving a tip that a baby gorilla was for sale.
The park’s spokeswoman LuAnne Cadd told MSNBCthe culprits could be linked to zoos in India and Russia, along with independent private owners looking for pet baby gorillas.
With only 786 mountain gorillas left on Earth due to poaching, hunting and disease, rangers and park officials fear there could be more they aren’t saving.