WASHINGTON

NOAA using new methods to accurately gauge fish catch

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday announced that it’s using a new way to estimate the amount of fish caught by recreational saltwater anglers on the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, the result of years of work on how to make the numbers more accurate.

The new estimates will have an impact on millions of fishermen and those who make a living from recreational fishing. Eastern and Gulf Coast fish-management groups will use the estimates and other information about fish populations to make decisions about limits on catches of many species of fish.

It’s not easy to measure the catch from an estimated 11 million U.S. saltwater anglers, Eric Schwaab, NOAA’s acting assistant secretary of commerce for conservation and management, said. Those estimates are based on sample dockside and phone interviews.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.

New nutritional guidelines for school menus announced

The first major nutritional overhaul of school meals in more than 15 years means most offerings – including the always popular pizza – will come with less sodium, more whole grains and a wider selection of fruits and vegetables on the side.

First lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the new guidelines during a visit Wednesday with elementary students. Mrs. Obama, also joined by celebrity chef Rachael Ray, said youngsters will learn better if they don’t have growling stomachs at school.

After the announcement, the three went through the line with students and ate turkey tacos with brown rice, black bean and corn salad and fruit – all Ray’s recipes – with the children in the Parklawn Elementary lunchroom.

Under the new rules, pizza won’t disappear from lunch lines, but will be made with healthier ingredients.

WASHINGTON

GOP drafting back-up bill if court strikes down health plan

House Republican leaders are drafting a bill to replace President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul if the Supreme Court strikes it down this summer.

Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Pitts, chairman of a health care panel, says the GOP leadership wants to seize the opportunity if Obama’s signature legislation is ruled unconstitutional.

The Republican bill would include malpractice reform, high-risk insurance pools for people with pre-existing conditions, tax breaks for individuals and small businesses, and would allow people to buy cheaper coverage from insurers in another state.

MINNEAPOLIS

Presidential bid behind her, Bachmann to run for House

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann swept aside doubts about her political future Wednesday, declaring less than a month after ending her presidential bid that she will seek a fourth term in Congress.

Bachmann’s decision ended speculation she might be ready to move on from the House, perhaps leveraging her popularity among some conservatives into a career in talk media. Despite her high profile, Bachmann has been only a marginal player in Congress.

“I’m looking forward to coming back and bringing a strong, powerful voice to Washington, D.C.,” Bachmann said in an interview with The Associated Press. She said a formal announcement would come later.

Unless redistricting radically changes Minnesota’s Republican-leaning 6th District, Bachmann figures to be a heavy favorite.

– From news service reports