US denies disaster funds on California Medflies

The federal government denied California's request for emergency disaster funds to help fight a $53 million war against the Mediterranean fruit fly. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said a major disaster could not be declared for purposes of budgetary relief, adding that the US Agriculture Department gave in backyard fruit trees, has not affected commercial crops.

California, meanwhile, asked the US Supreme Court to stop five Southern states fro m enforcing quarantines on its fruit and vegetable crop.