Issue No. 91

July 7,  2015

 


 

Freedom. 
A word that means so much to so many. It's what all Americans celebrate this month. 
 
Chances are we all probably know someone who has served in the armed forces. This month, it's not about what these brave men and women did or didn't do while serving their "volunteered" tour, rather, it is about the weight of willingness a veteran has laid on the line to secure our freedoms that is worthy of our thanks. 
 
We trust that you had a wonderful and safe Independence Day holiday. We hope that as the days have passed, you have paused to remember those and their stories that have afforded us our freedoms. We hope that celebrating freedom and honoring the heroes in the Armed Forces who wake every morning to defend our freedoms continues today, tomorrow and the day after...

When presented with the opportunity, say thank you. 
 
Celebrating Independence. Celebrating Freedom.


  


 

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 Healthcare in the News

 

  

Supreme Court Upholds ObamaCare Subsidies


 



 


The Supreme Court last Thursday upheld ObamaCare subsidies nationwide, in the second major court victory for President Obama on his signature health care law. 

In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that subsidies are valid even in states that did not set up their own insurance exchanges. 


A ruling against the administration would have threatened subsidies worth millions in nearly three-dozen states and imperiled the program itself. For months, though, the administration said it had no back-up plans, confident the Supreme Court would rule in its favor. 


With yet another challenge to ObamaCare now cleared away, Obama urged critics to move on. 


"The Affordable Care Act is here to stay," he declared in the Rose Garden. 


But Republicans continued to blast the program, and vowed to keep up the fight. "ObamaCare is fundamentally broken, increasing health care costs for millions of Americans. Today's ruling doesn't change that fact," House Speaker John Boehner said. "[W]e will continue our efforts to repeal the law and replace it with patient-centered solutions that meet the needs of seniors, small business owners, and middle-class families." 


 The Supreme Court had previously upheld the law's individual mandate in 2012, in a 5-4 decision. This time, the justices tackled the law's tax credits and ruled that subsidies that 8.7 million people currently receive do not depend on where they live. 


 
Chief Justice John Roberts, who was the key vote in 2012, again voted with his liberal colleagues in support of the law. Justice Anthony Kennedy, a dissenter in 2012, was part of the majority on Thursday. 


"Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them," Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. 


Conservative-leaning justices, though, issued a scathing dissent to the decision, referencing the several times the high court has had to rule on the health law. 


"We should just start calling this law SCOTUScare," Justice Antonin Scalia wrote, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. 


The challenge devised by opponents of the law centered on four words -- established by the state -- in the more than 900-page law. The passage technically said subsidies were for those exchanges established by the state. 


The law's opponents argued that the vast majority of people who now get help paying for their insurance premiums are, therefore, ineligible for their federal tax credits. That is because roughly three dozen states opted against creating their own health insurance marketplaces, or exchanges, and instead rely on the federal Healthcare.gov to help people find coverage if they don't get insurance through their jobs or the government. 


In the challengers' view, the phrase "established by the state" demonstrated that subsidies were to be available only to people in states that set up their own exchanges. Those words cannot refer to exchanges established by the Health and Human Services Department, which oversees Healthcare.gov, the opponents argued. 

But the majority opinion effectively said Congress intended the subsidies to be available for all. 


"Had Congress meant to limit tax credits to State Exchanges, it likely would have done so in the definition of 'applicable taxpayer' or in some other prominent manner," Roberts wrote. "In this instance, the context and structure of the Act compel us to depart from what would otherwise be the most natural reading of the pertinent statutory phrase." 


He added: "Those credits are necessary for the Federal Exchanges to function like their State Exchange counterparts, and to avoid the type of calamitous result that Congress plainly meant to avoid." 

Scalia wrote that if that's the case, "words no longer have meaning." 


 

Nationally, 10.2 million people have signed up for health insurance under the Obama health overhaul. That includes the 8.7 million people who are receiving an average subsidy of $272 a month to help pay their insurance premiums. 


Of those receiving subsidies, 6.4 million people were at risk of losing that aid because they live in states that did not set up their own health insurance exchanges. 

The case is King v. Burwell, 14-114. 


 

See the story here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 


 

Agriculture News
   
 Expert: Texas floods can present health problems to livestock, pets


 

Writer: Blair Fannin, AgriLife Today

June 15, 2015

  COLLEGE STATION - Livestock and pet owners should be on the lookout for potential animal health issues related to flooding throughout Texas in recent weeks, said a Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory expert.


 
Insect-borne diseases, toxic forages and skin irritations are just a few potential hazards to consider when it comes to the health of beef cattle, horses and pets.

"When you have so much water, including standing water, you begin to see many health issues arise," said Dr. Terry Hensley, assistant director of the laboratory and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service veterinarian, College Station. "When you have this much rain, it disturbs the soil and brings a host of bacterial spores, like clostridium, to the surface, which can then be washed from pasture to pasture."


Horses in wet, muddy pastures have the increased chance of developing a hoof abscess. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin)

Foot issues can arise in horses and cattle, Hensley said. Horses in wet, muddy pastures have the increased chance of developing a hoof abscess. Hensley said horses that show signs of lameness should be examined by a veterinarian to determine the extent of possible infection.


Other potential problems from excessive rain for consecutive days without shelter can be crusty, scaly skin.


Leptospirosis in cattle can be another issue faced by producers. Wet conditions increase the potential for leptospirosis exposure and can affect cattle, horses, dogs and wildlife, Hensley said. Once infected, animals will shed the disease-causing organism through urine and contaminate the environment, providing other source points of infection for animals.


Leptospirosis can be prevalent in the city as well, affecting dogs and cats. Fever, vomiting abdominal pain and refusal to eat are just a few clinical signs to watch for, Hensley said.


"Something folks in the city don't think about it, but you can take a dog to the park or even be in a moist area of the yard where a rodent or raccoon has urinated in a puddle," Hensley said. "A dog can drink from that puddle of water and be at risk."


Leptospirosis can be a cause of abortion in cattle and horses. There are no obvious clinical signs that livestock are infected with the bacteria.


With young beef cattle, clostridium diseases can occur with excessive moisture. Hensley said blacklegred water disease and other clostridial infections can result from soil-borne infections. These bacterial spores can be in the soil for many months. Excessive rainfall can disturb the soil and bring the spores to the surface making them accessible to grazing animals.


The lab offers diagnostics tests for those livestock diagnosed with clostridial infections. However, livestock producers are encouraged to vaccinate to protect against some clostridial diseases, like Blackleg.


"Livestock owners are encouraged to check pastures to make sure there hasn't been any hazardous trash washed downstream," he said.


Forages, like Johnsongrass and sorghum species, should also be monitored for problems such as prussic acid and nitrate levels. Johnsongrass can grow quickly due to excessive moisture, and when extreme heat follows after excessive moisture, nitrates can build up in grasses.


Producers baling hay are advised to obtain hay samples. The lab can also test forages and hay for high levels of prussic acid or nitrate. Information on how to send samples can be found at http://tvmdl.tamu.edu/shipping.


For more information, the agency has a fact sheet available at http://tvmdl.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/TVMDL_FloodHealth.pdf .


 

   

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 Healthful Hint

  

Ten Ways to Recharge 
This Summer
 

 


 

 

Courtesy - surface85.com

Do you remember how summer holidays felt so long when we were kids? Now that we're "grown-up" time seems to fly and it's especially true during summer (and even faster during holidays).  We work hard all year long. We're always busy and on the clock and sometimes it can be hard to "disconnect" from our hectic lifestyle.

 

Do we need to go far away to exotic places to relax and reconnect with ourselves? It's not about where we go, but more what we do, which can help us get rid of the accumulated stress and revitalize the mind.  Plus not all of us have the privilege to take vacations or travel too far.

Whatever we do or wherever we go, we can all create our own restoring retreat this summer with these 10 IDEAS. The goal is to take time for ourselvesrestore our energy, and refresh our mind before starting back to our daily routine.

 

1. Slow Down - let go of the need to feel busy

 

2.Take Naps - don't underestimate the power of napping in an effort to revitalize

 

3. Discover a new place - give yourself a break from the daily routine

 

4. Try something new - get out of your comfort zone, do something you've never done and discover more about yourself

 

5. Get some sunshineVitamin D is essential for our bones, our immune system, and brain.


 

6. Turn off your phone - decrease stress and increase your attention span

 

7. Be present - experience the now and make memories


 

8. Physical Activity - move your body to clear your mind and feel the energy flowing. Physical activities will reduce stress, get rid of toxins, and pump the immune system.


 

9. Enjoy summer fruits and veggies - enjoy a mini detox while you stock up on vitamins and nutrients


 

10. Do what you wantHave you wanted to read a book for a long time, go to the spa, or start meditation? Don't feel guilty and START NOW. Enjoy taking time for yourself (even if you have to take care of others) because you and those around you will thank you later.  A lot of us spend most of our time taking care of others, but we also need to fill up our tank and take a break. Just let go. The world won't collapse if we are not here for a while. Focus on yourself and enjoy.

 

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Texas Ag Coop Trust
Officers, Board of Trustees
 
Kimberly Tullo-Holcomb
TACT Executive Director
Lubbock, TX
 
Jim Turner, Chairman
Dalhart Consumers Fuel Association
Dalhart, TX

Bret Brown, Secretary/Treasurer
Ag Producers Co-op
Sunray, TX 
 
Craig Rohrbach
Parmer County Cotton Growers
Farwell, TX
 
Dean Sasser 
Farmers Coop Elevator
Levelland, TX

Tony Williams
Texas Cotton Ginners' Association
Austin, TX
 
Paul Wilson 
United Cotton Growers
Levelland, TX


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