WASHINGTON- The Federal Communications Commission is giving Comcast, the country's largest cable company, the green light to take over NBC Universal, home of the NBC television network.

The deal is still awaiting Justice Department approval, which is expected later Tuesday.

With the deal certain to transform the entertainment industry landscape, regulators are attaching conditions to prevent Comcast Corp. from trampling competitors once it takes control of NBC's vast media empire.

Among other things, the government is requiring Comcast to make NBC programming available to rival cable companies, satellite operators and new Internet video services that could pose a threat to Comcast's core cable business.

The FCC voted 4-to-1 Tuesday to let Comcast buy a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal from General Electric Co. for $13.8 billion in cash and assets.

ATLANTA  - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will
discuss funding for new biofuel refineries and speak in Atlanta to
members of the nation's largest farm lobbying group.

Vilsack's office said that the secretary plans to announce
Monday financial support intended to expand the nation's use of
biofuels.

Congress has set aside money to encourage the production and use
of those fuels, which President Barack Obama's administration
considers an alternative to importing oil.

Vilsack is also slated to speak before members of the American
Farm Bureau Federation who have gathered in Atlanta for their
annual convention.

ATHENS, Ga.  - Scientists, government officials, community
leaders and journalists will gather at the University of Georgia
this month for a symposium that will examination communication
during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The "Building Bridges in Crisis" symposium will begin Jan. 25
and will continue to Jan. 27.

Events will include a roundtable discussion aiming to improve
information flow among stakeholders, a scientific overview of the
impact of the spill and lessons from the media on how they covered
the oil spill.

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. - Jekyll Island is a step closer to having a written policy for preserving wildlife and unspoiled forest and beaches on the barrier island off Georgia's coast.

The Jekyll Island Authority, the agency that governs the state park, released a draft Tuesday of a conservation plan intended to guide the island's policymakers for the next century.

The conservation plan is being developed as Jekyll undergoes a major makeover that's replacing its musty hotels and aging convention center with new amenities aimed at drawing more tourists.

The conservation draft includes proposals to restore natural dunes to the island's beaches, study the delicate balance of fresh and saltwater in its wetlands and to add hiking trails.

Under state law, 65 percent of Jekyll Island's uplands must remain unspoiled.