WASHINGTON - Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) today led a bipartisan group of 36 senators in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase the proposed volumes it set for biodiesel production under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

"While the proposal is a positive step for biodiesel, we remain concerned that the proposed biodiesel volumes for 2016 and 2017 fail to adequately recognize the domestic biodiesel industry's production capacity and its ability to increase production," the senators wrote to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.   "Biodiesel is the first EPA-designated advanced biofuel under the RFS to reach commercial scale production nationwide. It is exceeding the goals that Congress envisioned when it created the RFS with bipartisan support in 2005, while creating jobs, generating tax revenues, reducing pollution, and improving energy security. We urge you to support continued growth in the domestic biodiesel industry by making reasonable and sustainable increases in the biodiesel volumes for 2016 and 2017 in the final rule."

The senators noted that the EPA's prior delays in setting biodiesel volumes led to tremendous uncertainty and hardship for U.S. biodiesel producers and thousands of their employees, causing reduced production and even shutdowns, leading to layoffs and lost economic productivity.

Also, the agency's decision earlier this year to allow imports from Argentinean renewable fuel producers to participate in the RFS must be considered, and biodiesel volumes must be set at high enough levels to prevent displacement of domestic production, the senators wrote.

The EPA's proposed volumes for 2014 through 2017 are expected to become final by November 30, giving the agency an opportunity to increase them before then.  The public comment period on the current proposal closes July 27.

Science-based technology provides users greater customizing to help reach and sustain a healthy weight

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2015 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have partnered to add the NIH Body Weight Planner to USDA's SuperTracker online tool as a goal-setting resource to help people achieve and stay at a healthy weight. Created in 2011, the SuperTracker tool empowers people to build a healthier diet, manage weight, and reduce risk of chronic disease. Users can determine what and how much to eat; track foods, physical activities, and weight; and personalize with goal setting, virtual coaching, and journaling. With science-based technology drawing on years of research, the Body Weight Planner will enable SuperTracker's more than 5.5 million registered users to tailor their plans to reach a goal weight during a specific timeframe, and maintain that weight afterward.

The math model behind the Body Weight Planner, an online tool published by NIH in 2011, was created to accurately forecast how body weight changes when people alter their diet and exercise habits. This capability was validated using data from multiple controlled studies in people.

"We originally intended the Body Weight Planner as a research tool, but so many people wanted to use it for their own weight management that we knew we needed to adapt it with more information about how to achieve a healthy lifestyle," said Kevin Hall, Ph.D., who led creation of the Planner and is a senior investigator at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the NIH. "The Planner is a natural fit within the SuperTracker as it lets people accurately determine how many calories and how much exercise is needed to meet their personal weight-management goals."

The Planner's calculations reflect the discovery that the widely accepted paradigm that reducing 3,500 calories will shed one pound of weight does not account for slowing of metabolism as people change their diet and physical activities. More recently, the math model was further validated using data from a two-year calorie restriction study of 140 people. With those data, Hall and colleagues showed the model can also provide accurate measurements of calorie intake changes by tracking people's weight. Researchers are examining how to apply this method for public use.

"We are pleased to offer a variety of interactive tools to support Americans in making healthy lifestyle changes," said Angie Tagtow, executive director of USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, which created and manages SuperTracker. "The NIH Body Weight Planner helps consumers make a plan to reach their goals on their timeline, and SuperTracker helps them achieve it."

More than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent complications related to overweight and obesity such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death.

"NIH's collaboration with USDA allows the public to quickly reap the benefits of the latest medical research results," said NIDDK Director Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D. "Sharing resources and expertise lets us get out important information as efficiently as possible, empowering people to take charge of their weight and their health."

The NIDDK, a component of the NIH, conducts and supports research on diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition and obesity; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass some of the most common, severe and disabling conditions affecting Americans. For more information about the NIDDK and its programs, see www.niddk.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

About the United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion: The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, part of USDA's Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services mission area, works to improve the health and well-being of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers.

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For more information, visit the library's online branch at www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-READ, or follow the library on Facebook or Twitter.

Thursday, July 23: Paper Towns Party, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, Rock Island Main Library. Celebrate the upcoming release of the movie based on John Green's bestselling book, Paper Towns, with crafts and snacks based on the film, and showings of YouTube videos by the movie's actors, and by the vlogbrothers team of John and Hank Green.

Based in a fictional suburb of Orlando, Paper Towns is the story of Quentin's search for the adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman, who disappears after involving Quentin, or "Q," on an ingenious night of revenge. Paper Towns is taught in many high school and college curriculums, often in conjunction with Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, which is an important text within the novel. (http://johngreenbooks.com/paper-towns/)

The event is free and is for teens ages 12 to 18. For more free programs, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org or pick up a summer reading brochure at the Rock Island Main Library, 30/31 or Southwest Branches.

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Modern Woodmen Park's unique setting and accommodations have made it an increasingly popular venue for weddings and receptions in recent years. Now the ballpark will give couples planning their weddings a unique opportunity to see and experience what its staff and year-round event areas have to offer during a free Bridal Open House July 26.

From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, guests at the Bridal Open House can enjoy door prizes, preferred vendors, appetizer samples, table displays, tours and more. Admission is complimentary, but a special treat is offered to brides who R.S.V.P. by calling 563-324-3000 or emailing stevie@riverbandits.com.

"Each year, Modern Woodmen Park accommodates dozens of couples' entire wedding day and celebration, and the outstanding hospitality of our special events staff ensures it is a memorable day for all of our guests," said River Bandits owner Dave Heller. "With the Bridal Open House next month, our staff will prove that once you find the right person, we can deliver you the right venue!"

Among the preferred vendors who will be at the Sunday, July 26, event are: Sas DJs, I DO Events- Quad Cities, Lovejunk Photography, Pink Haze Designs, ShutterBooth Eastern Iowa, Michelle Quinn Studios, Best Days Photography, Ducky's Formal Wear Moline, Hope's Bridal Boutique and Johannes Bus Service Inc.