AUSTIN (AP) - An East Texas poultry producer gave $100,000 to a group chaired by Gov. Rick Perry six days after a meeting that prompted the governor's request for a waiver of federal ethanol mandates that the industry believes are driving up feed costs, according to newspaper reports. (0) comments

by JEANNIE KEVER Houston Chronicle

HOUSTON (AP) _ Sweat soaked his Aggie baseball cap as Eugene Alford lurched upright over the parallel bars. Suddenly, he was once again the tallest person in the room. "Man," he said, as his daughter flashed a thumbs-up. "This feels so good. This is the first time I've been standing upright since December 30. (0) comments

by BETSY BLANEY AP Agriculture Writer

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra - but don't necessarily expect it to keep fireworks going long into the night. Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation's top producers of the seedless variety. (0) comments