In 2001 the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (see the July 2, 1998 Scout Report for Business & Economics) launched several services that collectively offer expanded access to information on economic and policy issues related to agriculture, food, natural resources, and rural development. The briefing rooms are in-depth overviews of over 70 selected topics which include background, features, recommended readings, recent research developments, suggested data,newsletters, and links, among other content.