Texas
Texas legislators, staff grow ag knowledge during farm visit – Texas Farm Bureau
By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
Texas legislators and legislative staff got their boots dirty during a trip to the farm to learn more about agriculture.
Hays, Travis and Caldwell County Farm Bureaus worked with the Luling Foundation and the Texas Ag Council to host the Legislative Ag Day on May 8.
Several Texas legislators and over 60 staff members for Texas senators and representatives attended the event, growing a better understanding of agriculture and the issues facing the industry.
“There are a thousand people a day moving to Texas. A lot of them are coming from big cities, and they probably don’t have any connection with agriculture,” Joe Morris, Travis County Farm Bureau president, said. “We’re trying to bring legislators and their staffers out to the farm and show them around, so they can gain an understanding about what it takes to put food on the table and clothes on your back.”
This year’s event was held at the Luling Foundation, a model farm established over 90 years ago. The farm has been a longtime advocate for Texas agriculture and has a long history of diverse agricultural practices.
“It’s important for legislative staff to see, meet and speak with farmers and ranchers. This event gives legislators and their staff firsthand experience and visualization of what farmers and ranchers do,” Makayla Arthur, senior policy analyst for Sen. Brian Birdwell, said. “It bridges the gap of knowledge between a person who’s never experienced or been exposed to agriculture with a person who lives it every day.”
The day’s activities included various demonstrations to showcase different aspects of farming and ranching in Texas.
A demonstration on beef cattle production showed different feed rations the Luling Foundation feeds its cattle, as well as discussion on grass-fed and grain-finished beef. Questions centered around the current state of the cattle market and the impact ongoing drought and recent wildfires have had on cattle herd numbers.
A sheep production presentation showed participants the differences between wool and mohair.
“I think one of the things we take for granted is the clothes we put on every single day,” Jaime Villarreal, chief of staff for Sen. Carol Alvarado, said. “We think of food as something that will always be around, but then we think about the labor it took to grow or raise that food. A lot of the times, unless our clothes are a synthetic material, it’s coming from another big part of the agriculture industry, like sheep production.”
Rep. Stan Kitzman noted Texas is growing increasingly urban.
Kitzman’s district includes Waller, Austin, Fayette, Colorado, Wharton and part of Ford Bend counties, covering areas that have a agricultural production but are facing urban sprawl.
“What was already a difficult industry to survive in, we find that our resources for agriculture are being taxed even more, especially with the loss of our agricultural land,” Kitzman said. “We have less and less land to produce our food and fiber on, and it becomes more important that those who make the laws and the legislature understand how critical having our food and fiber grown here is to our food security.”
Participants also learned about forestry, water, viticulture and other challenges facing farmers and ranchers.
The event was an opportunity to cultivate relationships with legislators and their staff and answer any questions they might have about agriculture.
“It’s really important for staff members like myself to attend events like the Legislative Ag Day,” Lauren Hadley, chief of staff for Rep. Gina Hinojosa, said. “We represent downtown Austin and don’t have a lot of farmland in our district, but issues that happen in rural areas impact our district. So, it’s good for us to have the opportunity to see and gain knowledge on agriculture and how it’s impacting our constituents.”
The day closed with a skeet shoot demonstration, giving the legislators and staff an opportunity to try their hand at the sport and learn about gun safety.
“When our farmers and ranchers prosper, the state prospers. I think Texans recognize farming and ranching is important to the state and helpful for our economy,” Villarreal said. “We need to ensure that farmers and ranchers have the resources to continue to be successful.”
AUSTIN, Texas — A three-day court hearing starting Tuesday morning at the Travis County Courthouse will determine whether Texas hemp businesses can keep operating under a temporary pause of new state health rules that restrict smokable hemp products.
Texas hemp advocacy groups are seeking a temporary injunction to block rule changes from the Texas Department of State Health Services that took effect at the end of March. The changes ban the sale of smokable hemp products, require other hemp products to be sold in child-proof packaging, and significantly increase costs for manufacturers.
David Sergi, an attorney for the hemp advocacy groups with Sergi & Associates PC, said, “We are going to be here tomorrow to bring justice to Texas hemp.” Sergi said the dispute centers on how the state redefined THC limits and testing requirements.
“What we disagree with is cutting the heart out of the hemp industry by redefining what the appropriate amount of THC is and how it’s calculated,” he said.
ALSO| Judge rules to temporarily block Texas’ smokeable hemp ban
Some anti-commercial marijuana groups support the rule changes. Iman Lohrasbi, a state policy associate with Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said, “Obviously, I think these products, the smokable hemp products, should be banned…These are not good for people of the country, especially not in Texas either.”
Hemp advocacy groups argue the changes could effectively end the industry. They filed a lawsuit on April 9, and a temporary restraining order was later granted. The order applies to a new testing requirement that created a 0.3% THC threshold, which eliminated smokable products
“We’re doing this for not only the industry but also our clients and our customers,” Sergi said.
He also said he believes a judge will quickly grant a temporary injunction to continue suspending the rule changes, arguing, “The Department of Health acted ultra vires or beyond its authority in redefining how to classify hemp.”
The temporary restraining order remains in place until May 1, leaving uncertainty about enforcement after that date if a temporary injunction is not granted.
Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, the Texas Department of State Health Services said it does not comment on active litigation.
Tuesday’s hearing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. If a temporary injunction is granted, the next step in the case would be an effort to permanently suspend the hemp rule changes.
East Austin shooting injures at least 2
Multiple people were shot outside an East Austin BBQ restaurant Sunday night. FOX 7 Austin’s Jessica Rivera has the latest.
Fox – 7 Austin
A shooting at an Austin BBQ restaurant has left two people injured and law enforcement is looking for the person responsible.
Several news outlets have reported that the Austin Police Department responded to the 2000 block of East 12th Street on the east side of the city around 8:30 p.m on Sunday, April 26, for shots fired.
Two people have been reported to be injured; however, their condition and names were not made immediately available, the Austin American-Stateman reported.
Law enforcement said the shooter fled the scene and, as of Monday afternoon, April 27, has not been apprehended. Law enforcement told news outlets that there is no immediate danger to the public.
The story is developing. Check back for updates.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
Over time, the brain gradually loses some of its sharpness. But new research from Texas A&M University suggests that decline may be reversible with a nasal spray.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, researchers examined “neuroinflammaging,” a slow, chronic inflammation in the brain that builds with age and contributes to memory and cognitive decline. The researchers developed a nasal spray containing microscopic particles derived from neural stem cells. Mice at 18 months of age — roughly equivalent to 60-year-old humans — received the treatment. Compared with untreated mice, those given the spray showed reduced markers of brain inflammation and improvements in memory and cognitive function. The benefits appeared within weeks and persisted for months after just two doses.
“We are seeing the brain’s own repair systems switch on, healing inflammation and restoring itself,” Ashok Shetty, professor of cell biology and genetics at Texas A&M, said in a news release. “As we develop and scale this therapy, a simple, two-dose nasal spray could one day replace invasive, risky procedures or maybe even months of medication.”
With people living longer, age-related brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s are becoming more common. Studies estimate that about 42% of Americans over 55 will develop dementia, and as the population ages, the number of new cases each year is expected to double — from about 514,000 in 2020 to roughly 1 million by 2060.
In Texas, age-related brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s are considered a major public health issue, according to Texas Health and Human Services. The state ranks third in the nation for the number of people living with the disease and second for deaths related to Alzheimer’s. In 2020, about 460,000 Texans 65 and older were living with the disease.
The growing public health burden is one reason scientists are working to counter the inflammation that increases with age. Current treatments, however, have not been effective at stopping or reversing brain changes linked to neuroinflammaging, the Texas A&M researchers said.
Delivering treatments to the brain is difficult because it is protected by a barrier that blocks most drugs from entering — a challenge that often requires invasive procedures or limits how well therapies work. In the new study, though, Shetty and his colleagues used tiny biological packages called extracellular vesicles to carry genetic material known as microRNAs into the brain. These molecules act as regulators, helping control how genes are turned on or off inside cells.
After bypassing the brain’s protective barrier, the microRNAs help switch off signals that drive long-term inflammation in aging brains. They also boost the cells’ energy supply, which may improve mental clarity and support memory and thinking. That latter effect appeared to be reflected in behavioral tests, where treated mice could better recognize familiar objects, detect changes in their environment and adapt more quickly than untreated mice.
The findings are still early, the researchers caution. More research is needed to confirm safety, effectiveness, optimal dosing and how well the therapy would work in humans. Shetty and his colleagues are filing a patent for the nasal spray and hope to move toward developing a version that could eventually be tested in people.
“We aren’t just trying to understand the biological mechanisms,” Shetty said in the news release. “We are translating and developing our findings into real-world therapies that could make a difference.”
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