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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Concerns at Home with Overseas Talks on T-TIP Trade Agreement

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Friday, July 18, 2014   

AUSTIN, Texas – With the latest round of talks on a proposed trade agreement between the U.S. and the European Union underway in Brussels concerns are being raised here at home.

The aim of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP, is to remove barriers and make it easier to buy and sell goods and services between the EU and the U.S.

But Debbie Barker, international director of the advocacy group Center for Food Safety, says she's worried that the deal may lead to a ceiling on health and food safety standards.

"Versus setting a floor of standards, a base standard that all parties agree to and then also allowing countries to surpass that standard,” she adds. “That would be in our view the correct way to have standards set in trade agreements such as TTIP."

Barker also says TTIP could undermine efforts in the U.S. to require labeling of foods that contain genetically modified organisms.

Almost 70 percent of all processed foods now sold in U.S. supermarkets do contain GMOs.

Another major concern Barker has on TTIP and the ongoing talks is what she calls the lack of transparency.

"Other trade agreements such as the WTO agreement, the NAFTA agreement, after each round of negotiations, negotiation texts were released,” she points out. “Under the TTIP, no new negotiation texts are being released.

“Even our governmental representatives are not able to freely view the text of a negotiation and an agreement, which as I said, can impact and overrule in some cases domestic laws and standards."

Supporters of the trade agreement say it will help unlock opportunity for American families, workers, businesses, farmers and ranchers through increased access to European markets.

Negotiations on TTIP began one year ago in Washington.







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