Labor and Working – Page 110 – The Tarbabys Blog

Is the West’s water crisis spreading? Drought blankets Midwest, America’s Breadbasket

USA Today

Is the West’s water crisis spreading? Drought blankets Midwest, America’s Breadbasket

Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY – July 2, 2023

DENVER — Heavy winter snows have temporarily eased the well-documented water crisis in western states including Colorado and California, but now Midwestern farmers in America’s Breadbasket are worrying more about their crops as drought worsens across Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Ohio.

While Midwestern dry spells aren’t unusual, the current lack of rain is compounding existing problems with dry soils and streams, experts say, potentially raising the cost of cattle feed and ultimately the price Americans pay for beef.

“These are fairly serious drought conditions we’re seeing right now,” said Dennis Todey, the director of the USDA Midwest Climate Hub in Ames in Iowa. “It’s not a major national issue yet, but it can become a larger issue if things don’t turn around soon.”

Farmer Jose Esquivel prepares to feed his livestock on June 14, 2023 in Quemado, Texas. Ranchers and farmers have begun shrinking cattle herds due to drought and high costs in the region. The shrinkage threatens steep climbs in prices for the supply of beef.

What is happening with the Midwestern drought?

Many states are reporting drought conditions, ranging from “abnormally dry” to “exceptional drought.” Those states include Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and further east to Indiana and Ohio. Missouri Gov. Michael Parson has issued an executive order to help his state manage the dry conditions.

“The Midwest and east-central Great Plains saw mostly worsening conditions and widespread crop stress and low streamflows after another week of mostly dry weather,” the federal government’s U.S. Drought Monitor warned Thursday. “Heavy rains in parts of Ohio and Kentucky led to some improvements in ongoing short-term drought. Otherwise, much of the region saw conditions stay the same or worsen this week…”

Drought at this time of year can be troublesome because it can stunt the growth of corn and grass, which are used primarily as food for cattle. Few Midwestern farmers irrigate their crops, and so they depend heavily on spring and early summer rains to provide water at this critical time.

Federal officials also noted reports of drought problems for vineyards, soybean growers and strawberry farmers.

The ground is already drier than it otherwise would be, thanks to a dry fall. So the moisture that does fall soaks deeper into the soil, which absorbs it like a sponge.

“It’s a bit of a bigger problem because some of this area has had on and off drought for several years now, so we have so very dry ground water conditions,” Todey said.

How does drought affect food prices?

A poor corn crop would help drive up feed prices, which in turn are passed along to consumers via the price they pay for beef at the supermarket. But corn and grass aren’t the only feed, and soybean crops so far are doing generally OK, Todey said.

Elsewhere in the country, scorching heat in most of Texas is imperiling both grass hay growth and the survival of beef cattle, according to experts. When feed prices are high, farmers will often sell their younger, smaller cows for slaughter earlier than usual, which brings them less profit.

The federal government’s January cattle survey showed the number of cattle at feedlots was down 4% over 2022.

Prices paid to beef producers have been rising steadily since mid-2020, and recently hit levels not seen since 2015. Consumer prices for beef have risen from $9.12 a pound for uncooked steak in May 2021 to $10.22 in May 2023, reflecting a 12% increase, according to federal statistics.

Some liberal politicians, including Vermont’s Sen. Bernie Sanders, have criticized meatpacking companies, saying that they are raising prices beyond what’s necessary to cover the higher costs paid to producers.

What happened to all the snow from this winter?

While most of the West saw historic snowfall — from Colorado to Utah, Nevada and California — the Midwest and East had mild winters with less snow. Because the vast majority of that snow fell west of the Continental Divide, levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead are rising significantly, and drought conditions across the Southwest have generally eased.

How does climate change play into this?

It’s important to remember the difference between weather and climate: Weather is what happens on any given day, while climate reflects the patterns over years or decades.

While Midwest temperatures are generally cooler in December than August, climate change means temperatures in both months are likely to be warmer on average than they used to be. The average December temperature in the Midwest rose between 2.5 and 3 degrees over the last century, according to National Weather Service records.

Similar warming temperatures are altering heat and precipitation patterns across the country, climate scientists say. For the Midwest, scientists predict higher average temperatures of 5-10 degrees by the end of the century and more frequent heavy precipitation events in the winter but fewer spring and summer rains.

Smoke will keep pouring into the US as long as fires are burning in Canada. Here’s why they aren’t being put out

CNN

Smoke will keep pouring into the US as long as fires are burning in Canada. Here’s why they aren’t being put out

Alaa Elassar – July 1, 2023

Another wave of wildfire smoke has drifted into the US, dimming blue summer skies and igniting troubling concerns regarding the increasing frequency of fires, and what they have to do with climate change.

More than 100 million people are under air quality alerts from Wisconsin to Vermont and down to North Carolina as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to waft south, though conditions are expected to improve slowly into the holiday weekend.

Map: Track air quality across the US

Air quality on both sides of the border has been affected as more than 500 active wildfires raging across Canada. Some fires are so out of control officials have no choice but to leave them burning.

Meanwhile, at least 10 countries have deployed their own firefighters to assist Canada with putting out the ones threatening communities whose residents have scrambled to evacuate.

Scientists continue to reiterate warnings the effects of climate change have arrived, emphasizing wildfires and the plumes of toxic smoke generated by them will become more frequent.

As plumes of smoke billow out of Canada’s forests, some may be wondering why many of the fires are being allowed to burn unchecked.

Here’s why:

Some of the fires are in extremely remote areas

While every Canadian province responds to the fires in their regions differently, they all have common guidelines emphasizing the importance of prioritizing which fires to fight and which to leave alone.

Massive fires burning in remote areas – like some of those currently burning in northwestern Quebec – are often too out of control to do anything about.

“If you have limited resources, and you have a lot of fires, what you do is you protect human life and property first,” Robert Gray, a Canadian wildland fire ecologist, told CNN. “You protect people, infrastructure, watersheds, so there’s a prioritization system.”

He added, “If you’ve got these fires that are burning way out in the back forty, and they’re not threatening anything immediately, then you’re going to have to let them do their thing.”

While the thought of massive fires burning through millions of hectares of forestland might sound unfathomable, it isn’t entirely new.

“There’s always been fires Canadian fire managers don’t fight. It’s expensive to do so, ecologically undesirable, and kind of just messing with nature,” said Daniel Perrakis, a fire scientist with the Canadian Forest Service.

“The smoke is a problem but even if we wanted to do something about it, it wouldn’t really be clear how to do so. You’re talking about huge areas where there’s no road access, no communities in some cases.”

Of the 522 fires currently burning, 262 are listed as out of control across Canada, including British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

Along with remoteness and distance from people, terrain is another factor. Some of the fires are being allowed to burn simply because they are too treacherous for firefighters to even attempt to tackle.

“These fires are so big that you really can’t put people anywhere near them, the winds kick up, they move very fast, they can start out ahead of you and they can trap crews,” Gray said.

There are not enough resources to fight all the fires

Firefighters from at least 10 countries, including the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, Chile, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, and France, have been deployed to assist with the Canadian wildfires since the first week of June.

Firefighters from South Africa are among the crews working in Alberta, Canada, to help with ongoing fire suppression efforts. - Shiraaz Mohamed/AFP/Getty Images — Firefighters from South Africa are among the crews working in Alberta, Canada, to help with ongoing fire suppression efforts. – Shiraaz Mohamed/AFP/Getty Images

“Canada doesn’t have a lot of firefighting resources,” Gray said. “Individual provinces have their own contracting crews, but they have brought in thousands of folks from outside the country to help.”

One factor contributing to the lack of resources, evident in the current fight against the out of control fires, is funding, Gray acknowledged.

“They don’t typically appropriate a lot of money upfront for firefighting,” he continued. “But once the fires break out, the governments can certainly find all the money necessary to suppress them.”

“International groups keep saying, you need to shift the focus to upfront mitigation and prevention so you’re spending less money on response and recovery,” he added. “It’s ridiculous. We spend billions of dollars once the fire breaks out, but we don’t invest the money upfront to mitigate the fires from happening in the first place.”

Not enough prevention tactics to decrease the number of fires

More work needs to be done to reduce the opportunity for future wildfires, which may someday end in catastrophic tragedy.

One of the most effective fire prevention tactics is through prescribed burns, which are fires set intentionally as part of a forest management plan to reduce the risk of more serious and damaging blazes.

“We don’t do anywhere near enough prescribed burning in BC,” Gray said. “Right now we’re burning about 10,000 hectares a year. The state of New Jersey burns more than we do here at BC.”

Prescribed burns have been an important cultural and environmental tradition in Indigenous communities, who for thousands of years set low-intensity fires to rid the land of wildfire fuel like debris, scrub, undergrowth and certain grasses. Such fuel ignites easily, allowing for more intense flames, which are harder to fight.

The intentional burning practices can increase the forests’ resiliency and decrease the likelihood of future wildfires.

Perrakis echoed Gray’s sentiments: “It would be very useful to have maybe 10 times or 20 times more prescribed burning than what we’re doing presently.”

Since prescribed burns come with liability issues and pose a risk of ending in accidental unmanageable fires if not done correctly and at the right time, this will require more funding from the government and proper training.

“We would be removing the fuel from the fire before there’s even a fire,” Perrakis said. “It wouldn’t be used all across the Canadian countryside, but very strategically around communities and other values and will be in line with the local ecosystem.”

Along with prescribed burns, other tactics, like large scale thinning, need to be ramped up, Gray said.

“We need large scale thinning in these forest types that don’t produce a lot of dimension lumber, so there’s a lot of small trees and we need to come to do something with them,” he added. “We can ship them into the bioeconomy, produce bioenergy markets, engineering, wood products; there’s a lot of things we can do with low value wood, and that’s a lot of what’s out there burning up right now.”

The ecosystem depends on fires, and climate change is making them worse

Fires have always served a vital ecological purpose on Earth, essential for many ecosystems. They restore soil nutrients, helping germinate plants and remove decaying matter. Without fires, overgrown foliage like grasses and shrubs can prime the landscape for worse flare-ups, particularly during extreme drought and heat waves.

Most of Canada is covered by boreal forest, the world’s largest and most intact biome. The ecosystem with trees like spruce, pine, and fir makes up about one-third of all forests on the planet.

But it is a fire dependent ecosystem, meaning the species in the forest have evolved in the presence of fire, and fire “is an essential process for conserving biodiversity,” according to the Nature Conservancy.

“We have records as far back as the 1700s and 1800s of yellow sky and black sky and smoky sky days.” he added. “It’s the natural cycle of the boreal forest. There really isn’t much Canadian fire management agencies can do, even if they wanted to.”

While natural fires in the system have always been present and are usually caused by natural elements like lightning, climate change is making them more frequent, increasingly unmanageable, and a lot more difficult to prevent.

One year ago, after enduring a record-breaking temperature of 121 degrees, the British Columbia village of Lytton was leveled by a wildfire, drawing stark attention to the effects of climate change.

Heat-trapping emissions have led to hotter and drier conditions, and wildfires now burn longer and are becoming hotter in places where they have always occurred; meanwhile, fires are also igniting and spreading in unexpected places.

“We know that the weather is the most important ingredient of fire behavior, and climate and weather are linked,” Perrakis said.

Another issue is the increase in the wildfires are caused by climate change, and are simultaneously making climate change worse.

Boreal forests are carbon dense, releasing 10 to 20 times more planet-heating carbon pollution for each unit of area burned by wildfires than other ecosystems, according to a 2022 study published in the journal Science Advances. Over the years, researchers say it has become a vicious climate change feedback loop. The emissions from wildfires contributes to increasing global temperatures, which in turn fuel even more wildfires.

“Things are changing due to climate change, and that’s catching everyone somewhat by surprise, even though we’ve been talking about it for decades,” Perrakis said. “It takes a big season like this one for everyone to really wake up to what climate change looks like. It’s pretty undeniable.”

As Canadians near the fires evacuate while firefighters try to save their homes and communities, other, bigger fires burn freely with no way to control them, and people in the US will continue breathing in unhealthy smoke.

It all begs the question: When will it end?

“People should probably get used to it, because it’s not something that has come out of nowhere,” Perrakis said. “Climate change is undeniable, and now it’s time to think about the future, 10 or 20 years down the line, and what needs to be done.”

Idaho Republican Party’s rule changes have a precedent: The Soviet Politburo

Idaho Statesman – Opinion

Idaho Republican Party’s rule changes have a precedent: The Soviet Politburo | Opinion

The Editorial Board – June 30, 2023

Imagine Rep. Jane Smith voted against a bill to censor public libraries.

Returning home to her rural Idaho district, she is ordered to appear before the Central Committee, where Party officials pepper her with questions. Her answers are unimportant.

The Central Committee announces the decision it made weeks ago: Smith will be cast out, the fact that she won the support of 70% of voters in the last election notwithstanding.

Because the requirement for wielding power is not loyalty to the people who elected you, but loyalty to the party bosses.

This isn’t a scene from the Soviet bloc. It’s the Idaho Republican Party’s immediate plan for running politics in the Gem State under the guidance of Premier Dorothy Moon, a plan it moved at its summer meeting in Challis to begin implementing with a series of rules.

As Melissa Davlin of Idaho Public Television reported, the party passed resolutions that include allowing central committees to summon, censure and even revoke the right of lawmakers to run as Republicans; revoking the voting privileges of the Young Republicans, College Republicans and Republican Women; supporting a constitutional amendment to allow the party to control the primary; and issuing a vote of no confidence in Gov. Brad Little and a number of Republican House members for failing to support library censorship.

The organizing logic is simple: Whatever power there is, it ought to belong to the Party.

Whatever power these ideologically extreme and power-hungry Party bosses successfully take, it will come at the expense of Idaho voters.

Because policy positions favored by huge numbers of Republican voters in Idaho are formally verboten under the Idaho GOP’s official platform.

If a Republican lawmaker doesn’t sign on to a proposal to revoke your right to cast a ballot in U.S. Senate elections, they’ve violated the GOP platform, which requires support for revoking the 17th Amendment.
If they support the continued existence of some number of grizzly bears or wolves in Idaho, they’ve arguably violated it as well.
Or if they don’t support a return to the gold standard.
Or if they don’t support the repeal of Medicaid expansion.
Or if they don’t support nullifying the U.S. Supreme Court decision recognizing marriage equality.
Or if they support the right of a child who was raped by a family member to have an abortion, or if they think that such an abortion should be handled in some way other than with a murder charge.

For these and countless other examples of crimethink, the people’s elected officials could be hauled in and stripped of their right to call themselves Republicans by a bunch of people that most Idaho Republican voters have never heard of, much less voted for.

With Idaho’s most powerful party fully hijacked, the open primary initiative seems to be the best bet for keeping the political process under popular control, precisely because it would diminish the political relevance of parties. It would allow everyone to weigh in on which candidates will face off in the general election, regardless of party, and it would allow voters to rank general election candidates in order of preference, so they wouldn’t have to worry they’re throwing their votes away if a third-party candidate is their first choice.

None of this would help people the extremist Party has termed RINOs or secret liberals or any of that nonsense. Conservatives would do well with an open primary and ranked-choice voting system because Idaho is full of conservative voters.

Those elected under such a system would know that it was the people, not the Party bosses, who put them in office. They would know it is the people, not the Party bosses, to whom they answer for their record.

Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesman’s editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser, and community member Mary Rohlfing.

Wildfire smoke puts Chicago among cities with worst air quality in the world

The Washington Post

Wildfire smoke puts Chicago among cities with worst air quality in the world

It’s the latest in a series of smoke invasions from Canada this month.

Ian Livingston – June 27, 2023

Chicago’s skyline is draped in heavy smoke from the Canadian wildfires on Tuesday. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP/Getty Images)

A new round of dense smoke has invaded the United States, specifically the Great Lakes region, as wildfires munch through forests across Quebec and Ontario, with more than 3.7 million acres scorched over the last week in those provinces alone. Throughout Tuesday, Chicago air quality ranked as the worst in the world among major cities.

Minneapolis and Detroit joined Chicago among the 10 worst, all dealing with conditions no better than Code Red. Air quality was even worse in other locations, such as Waukesha, Wis., west of Milwaukee, where the more severe Code Maroon was reached. Grand Rapids, Mich. — which through Tuesday has been between Red and Maroon, at Code Purple — is among places from eastern Iowa through Michigan and into Ontario that have endured air in this bout that is very unhealthy or worse.

Air quality alerts will be in effect into Wednesday or Thursday from Minnesota and Iowa through most of the Midwest, the Great Lakes region, and into parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) moves to Code Orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups) at a reading of 101. Code Red (unhealthy for everyone) starts at 151. Once reaching 201, it’s Code Purple (very unhealthy), and finally a Code Maroon (hazardous) begins at 301.

Wildfire smoke’s primary pollutant is often referred to as PM2.5. These are fine particles from burned organic matter less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter — a microscopic soot.

The latest on the Canadian wildfires and smoke

Haze obscures the skyline in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette via AP)

Canada is experiencing its worst fire season in modern history. Smoke from wildfires in Canada has also brought record-breaking air pollution to the United States, creating unhealthy air quality conditions from the Midwest to the East Coast. Check to see how bad wildfire smoke has been in your area.

The plume on Tuesday

A thick pall of smoke was draped from Quebec and Ontario to the southwest, toward parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes region, and began moving into the Ohio Valley and points east in the early evening. The worst of it late Tuesday was centered over Lake Michigan and surrounding states. A particularly thick patch of smoke was approaching Chicago from the north late afternoon.

In Michigan and surrounding areas, it was a mix of smoke and low clouds.

Smoke is visible in this satellite image Tuesday morning. (Colorado State/CIRA)

Air quality values as severe as Code Purple have been recorded in Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and northern Indiana so far, with an hourly AQI near Milwaukee of 312 and climbing, according to an Environmental Protection Agency monitor late afternoon. The Canadian city of Sault Ste. Marie, on the international border of Michigan, reached an AQI reading Monday night as high as 353, which is Code Maroon. The city was under Code Purple for much of Tuesday.

Many more locations, from eastern Minnesota to the western slopes of the Appalachians, were seeing Code Red conditions. The thickest of the smoke plume had advanced as far east as Cincinnati and Akron, Ohio.

In Chicago, the National Weather Service wrote that “low visibility due to wildfire smoke will continue today. Consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities.”

Visibility in the city was down to two miles, with smoke reported from Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The Weather Service expected visibility of one to three miles across the region for much of Tuesday.

“You can literally smell the smoke in the air today in Chicago from the Canadian wildfires,” wrote a Twitter user.

Into Wednesday, smoke should keep slowly moving east and somewhat south. It should remain in the lower Great Lakes and push into the Midwest or Ohio Valley region. Some of the smoke was beginning to spill over into the Appalachians late Tuesday.

Many such days

The number of days at Code Orange or worse as a result of wildfire smoke continues to increase in the northeastern United States, though that number is comparatively low when examined against areas immediately surrounding the fires in Canada.

Many of these days also saw spikes beyond Code Orange.

U.S. cities among the worst air quality in the world Tuesday morning. (IQAir)

This month but before the current wave, much of western Wisconsin — in the thick again — had already recorded four or five 24-hour readings at Code Orange or higher. It’s a similar story in and around Detroit, with five Code Orange days in the city and up to seven or eight in nearby locations.

Wildfire smoke, air quality and your health

(Photo by AFP PHOTO / Nova Scotia Government) (Handout/AFP/Getty Images)

Wildfire smoke can travel great distances, with particulates small enough to enter the bloodstream through your lungs if inhaled. If you’re in an area affected by smoke, limit your outdoor activities (especially when exercising) and wear a good mask outside that can filter fine particles. Here’s how to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.End of carousel

More than a dozen days at Code Orange or worse have been tallied in June across the hardest-hit spots north of the border, in Ontario and Quebec, especially north and northwest of Ottawa.

The D.C. region just saw its worst smoke pollution on record

The number of bad air quality days may soon increase in the Northeast, as well. The Washington, D.C., region has had two bad air days this month, both Code Red. Much of Pennsylvania and New Jersey and parts of Southern New England have piled up three such days, with a few locations at four or five.

While AQI values in this plume are somewhat lower than they were earlier in the month — when hourly AQI values soared toward 400 in the Northeast — any values of Code Red or above are concerning for the general public.

Smoke’s future travel plans

This round of smoke, like the one June 7-8 that smothered the Northeast, is moving into circulation via a crawling low-pressure area that’s now over the eastern Great Lakes.

In general, winds blow from the east to the north of the low pressure center, pushing smoke westward from the source, before winds out of the north and northwest behind the center push smoke south. As the low pressure inches east, so does the area of smoke it is carrying along with it.

Over the next several days, the low should track through the Mid-Atlantic and offshore along the East Coast. This trajectory is expected to bringsmoke eastward.

Code Red is now in the forecast Wednesday for Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, on the eastern side of the thickest plume. Code Orange is forecast for Syracuse, N.Y., Baltimore, Washington and Raleigh, N.C.

Smoke forecast through Wednesday, from the HRRR weather model. (NOAA)

Higher-level smoke will likely cover a larger area from the northern and central Plains, through the Midwest and Great Lakes region, then through the Mid-Atlantic and as far south as Georgia on Wednesday.

The potential for smoky skies could last into the weekend, although it will probably drop in intensity as the pattern shifts slightly.

Canadian wildfire smoke

Latest news: Why are Canada’s wildfires getting worse? Meteorologists aren’t sure how long fires will persist, but it’s already Canada’s worst fire season in modern history. Smoke from Canadian wildfires has spread over much of the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Air quality and your health: Breathing in wildfire smoke is bad for your health. The EPA uses a color-coded system to measure air quality — here’s what Code Red, Code Purple and more mean. Learn how to protect yourself including which air filters and air purifiers to choose for your home.

Environmental impact: Wildfires send greenhouse gases into the air, but Canada doesn’t count some of them as part of its official emissions contributions, a Post report found.

Liz Cheney on what’s wrong with politics: ‘We’re electing idiots’

The Washington Post

Liz Cheney on what’s wrong with politics: ‘We’re electing idiots’

John Wagner – June 27, 2023

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) arrives in Jackson Hole, Wyo., to speak after losing her Republican primary election on Aug. 16. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Ex-congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) offered a blunt assessment of her former profession Monday night: “What we’ve done in our politics is create a situation where we’re electing idiots.”

Cheney, who lost her Republican primary last year to a candidate backed by former president Donald Trump, shared her view at an event that was billed as a conversation on the future of the two-party political system in the United States.

Cheney, who co-chaired the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, has emerged as a leading critic of Trump, repeatedly calling him “unfit for office.” In the conversation Monday at the 92nd Street Y in New York, guided by moderator David Rubenstein, Cheney said ensuring Trump doesn’t return to the White House is her top priority.

That prompted Rubenstein to ask whether Cheney would run for president as an independent next year if presented with polling data showing such a bid would damage Trump.

“Look, I think that the country right now faces hugely challenging and fundamentally important issues,” Cheney responded. “And what we’ve done in our politics is create a situation where we’re electing idiots.”

Liz Cheney launches anti-Trump ad ahead of former president’s CNN town hall

After laughter from the audience subsided, she continued: “And so, I don’t look at it through the lens of, is this what I should do or what I shouldn’t do. I look at it through the lens of, how do we elect serious people? And I think electing serious people can’t be partisan.”

“You know, because of the situation that we’re in,” Cheney continued, “where we have a major-party candidate who’s trying to unravel our democracy — and I don’t say that lightly — we have to think about, all right, what kinds of alliances are necessary to defeat him, and those are the alliances we’ve got to build across party lines.”

The conversation moved on without Cheney directly answering whether she might move forward with a presidential bid if it could damage Trump.

Earlier, she suggested she wouldn’t run for president if she thought doing so could help Trump, who has continued to lead in Republican primary polling despite state and federal indictments.

“I am not going to do anything that would help Donald Trump,” Cheney said.

North Carolina GOP bars promotion of certain beliefs in state government, 1 of 6 veto overrides

Associated Press

North Carolina GOP bars promotion of certain beliefs in state government, 1 of 6 veto overrides

Gary D. Robertson – June 27, 2023

FILE – Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to The Associated Press in a year-end interview at the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, N.C., Dec. 14, 2022. On Friday, June 16, 2023, Cooper vetoed GOP legislation that would ban the promotion of certain beliefs that some lawmakers have likened to critical race theory in state government workplaces. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s GOP-dominated legislature swept six bills into law Tuesday with veto overrides, including one barring promotion of certain beliefs in state government workplaces that some lawmakers liken to critical race theory and another placing new limits on wetlands protection rules.

The measures, which also address green investing in state government, consumer loans and local government finances, became law after a succession of votes with margins large enough to overcome Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s formal vetoed objections earlier this month.

Five of the veto overrides were completed Tuesday with House votes, which followed several similar Senate votes over the past week. A sixth veto override effort cleared both the House and Senate on Tuesday.

The state constitution deems an override successful if at least three-fifths of the members in each chamber present and voting agree to enact the bill anyway despite the governor’s objections.

The overrides exemplify the expanded political muscle of Republicans after electoral seat gains last fall and a House Democrat’s party switch in April gave them exact veto-proof majorities in each chamber for the first time since late 2018. Cooper had been able to block several dozen GOP measures over the previous four years with vetoes because there were enough Democrats supporting his efforts.

Several of Tuesday’s override votes in the House included support from a few Democrats. Still, Republicans needed to ensure that enough of their party colleagues were in attendance to complete overrides.

Among the bills enacted Tuesday is the legislature’s annual farm bill, which contains more than 30 provisions such as penalties for cutting down timber, waiting periods for regulators to inspect veterinarians’ offices and the establishment of an official “Farmers Appreciation Day” in November.

Cooper’s farm bill veto came Friday. He said the measure would weaken the regulation of wetlands that help control flooding and pollution. His administration and environmental groups have said the bill’s language, when combined with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, would leave about half of the state’s wetlands unprotected.

Republicans and their allies blunted the impact of the bill’s language on wetlands, saying it would affect largely affect isolated terrain that rarely floods and align standards with federal law.

Another now-enacted law that takes effect in December bans trainers of state employees from advancing concepts to workers such as that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex,” or to believe they should feel guilty for past actions committed by people of the same race or sex. It also would prohibit hiring managers for state agencies, community colleges and the University of North Carolina system from compelling applicants for policy-making jobs to reveal their personal or political beliefs as a condition of employment.

In his veto message, Cooper said the bill attempts to suppress workplace discussions related to diversity, equity and inclusion that can reveal “unconscious bias we all bring to our work and our communities.” But supporters of the bill said it actually encourages a diverse set of beliefs within public agencies.

Both the House and Senate voted Tuesday to override the veto of a measure that now ban state agencies from using “environmental, social and governance” standards to screen potential investments, award contracts or hire and fire employees.

On state investments like those in pension funds, the bill says the state treasurer could solely consider factors expected to have a material effect on the financial risk or financial return of an investment.

At least two other states have already enacted laws banning such criteria. Republicans nationwide has raised questions about big business focusing upon environmental sustainability and workplace diversity so much that it harms shareholders and pensioners.

Cooper said in his veto message late week that the measure would needlessly limit the treasurer’s ability to make investment decisions that are in the best interests of the state retirement fund.

Other bills enacted over Cooper’s vetoes in part would raise interest rates and late fees on certain amounts of personal consumer finance loans as well as on consumer credit sales, such as when someone buys a car and pays for it in installments or with a finance charge. Cooper said the higher costs, which would take effect in October on new, renewed or modified loans, would harm residents who already are faced with rising costs of living.

Another bill with a veto now overridden would permit the state’s Local Government Commission to order withheld a portion of sales tax revenues the state collects for cities and counties that fail to complete annual audits of their accounts. Bill supporters said the measure will promote government accountability. Cooper said it was well-intentioned but would likely hurt the state’s smallest communities.

The Benefits of Regularly Eating Cherries

Very Well – Health

The Benefits of Regularly Eating Cherries

Lauren Panoff, MPH, RD – June 26, 2023

<p>Yulia Naumenko / Getty Images</p> — Yulia Naumenko / Getty Images

Medically reviewed by Roxana Ehsani, MS

Cherries are a beloved stone fruit of many plants in the Prunus genus. They are considered drupes, fruit with juicy outer flesh and a single pit inside, like peaches or olives. Cherries are delicious and contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.

This article examines the many types of cherries, their nutritional profile, and the benefits of regularly incorporating cherries into your diet.

How Many Types of Cherries Are There?

There are over 20 types of cherries, but you have likely only seen a few varieties at your grocery store or local farmers market.

The two major categories of cherries are sweet and sour, each with many different varieties. In the United States, sour cherries predominantly grow in the Midwest and East Coast, whereas sweet cherries are plentiful on the West Coast. Varieties include:

Sweet cherries include dark red or black varieties, such as Bing, Lambert, Chelan, Sweetheart, and Tulare. These are slightly heart-shaped and juicy. They work well in salads and tarts. Rainier and Royal Ann are other popular sweet cherry varieties, which are pink and yellow and often served as part of a charcuterie board or cheese plate.
Sour cherries include varieties such as Montmorency and morello. These are bright red with a tart flavor, making them great for pies, cobblers, and other sweet desserts.

Cherries are a nutritious snack all on their own. There’s not one variety that’s significantly healthier than another, so try them all and decide which you like the best. All you have to do is wash them and be sure to remove them or eat around the pit inside.

Benefits: What Makes Cherries Healthy

Cherries are often regarded as superfoods, which suggests their powerful health benefits. What makes cherries so healthy is that they’re packed with nutrients.

Superfoods

“Superfoods” is a marketing term highlighting foods that prevent disease and support overall health. There is no standard, science-backed criterion to deem foods “super,” although most foods marketed as such contain antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.

Exercise Recovery

The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds in cherries may help you recover from intense exercise and resume exercising quicker. Tart cherries and tart cherry juice have been extensively studied for this.

Some research indicates that cherries can benefit your muscles by:

Reducing soreness
Promoting recovery
Reducing exercise-associated pain associated with exercise

One study among endurance runners found that those who consumed 480 milligrams (mg) of powdered tart cherries daily for 10 days before running a half marathon ran the race 13% faster than the placebo group who did not consume tart cherries. Additionally, the cherry group reportedly experienced less muscle soreness after the race, allowing them to recover more quickly than the placebo group.

Heart Health

Cherries contain many heart-healthy compounds. For example, they are a good source of fiber, an essential nutrient for maintaining normal cholesterol levels and other blood markers. They also contain potassium, a mineral that helps balance sodium and promotes healthy blood pressure.

Research shows that cherry juice can help reduce blood pressure in adults within two hours of consumption and can help lower high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (considered bad cholesterol), a risk factor for heart disease.

Joint Health

Many people experience joint pain from the buildup of uric acid crystals, which can lead to inflammation. Cherries have been studied for their unique ability to normalize uric acid levels. This is why many people with joint pain and related conditions like gout (inflammatory arthritis) may benefit from adding cherries to their diet.

One review of 29 studies on cherry intake and gout found that cherries were beneficial for reducing related joint pain within a matter of days. Another study found that cherry extract and fresh cherry consumption were associated with a 35% reduction in gout attacks as soon as two days after consumption.

Sleep

Cherries contain melatonin, a natural compound that regulates your circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle). As the day ends, your brain releases melatonin to help prepare you for sleep. Melatonin levels decrease as morning nears to help you wake up for the day.

As we get older, melatonin levels naturally begin to decline. One study using tart cherry juice found that it increased participants’ melatonin levels, improving their sleep quality and duration of sleep.

Most studies on cherries and sleep use tart cherry juice or cherry extract. Fresh cherries may not have the same effect.

Nutrition Profile of a Single Serving of Cherries

Eating cherries one by one from a bag is easy, but you may wonder about their nutritional benefits. The standard serving size of fresh fruit is one-half cup.

Nutrition Profile of Cherries

A one-half-cup serving of fresh sweet raw pitted cherries offers the following:

Calories: 50
Protein: 1 gram (g)
Total fat: 0 g
Fiber: 1.5 g
Total sugars: 10 g
Calcium: 10 mg
Vitamin C: 5 mg
Potassium: 170 mg
Magnesium: 8 mg

Like other fruits, cherries are fat-free, offer limited protein, and contain carbohydrates from natural sugars and fiber. They also have a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

Furthermore, cherries contain polyphenols and antioxidants, which are plant compounds with anti-inflammatory and protective properties for cellular health.

When Are Cherries Not as Healthy?

Cherries are a nutrient-rich fruit that fit into almost any diet pattern. Of course, people with a cherry allergy should not eat them, but are there other potential downsides to cherries?

When considering the health contributions of cherries, remember that you get the most benefits from fresh, raw cherries than those that have undergone heavy processing.

Products like canned and maraschino cherries contain significant added sugar, which can spike your blood sugar. And they don’t offer the benefits of fiber and other plant compounds found in raw cherries. Consuming fresh cherries vs. sugary cherry products is also better for people with diabetes.

A high added sugar intake increases the risk of numerous chronic diseases. Dried cherries may not have added sugar but do contain a more concentrated amount of natural sugars per serving than fresh cherries.

Eating many cherries in one sitting could lead to digestive symptoms if you’re not used to eating whole plant foods, fiber-filled fruits, and natural sugar. If you’re concerned about potential side effects, stick to a serving size of fresh or frozen cherries, which is one-half cup at a time.

Summary

If you’re a fan of cherries, you’re not alone. These juicy little fruits are very popular, especially in the summertime. Cherries are also a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other plant compounds responsible for various health benefits. Including cherries in your diet may benefit your heart, joint health, sleep, and exercise recovery.

HELOCs are back. Cash-strapped borrowers are tapping into a $33 trillion pile of home equity.

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HELOCs are back. Cash-strapped borrowers are tapping into a $33 trillion pile of home equity.

Joy Wiltermuth – June 26, 2023

Banks hold most HELOCs

Borrowers are increasingly tapping into a pile of home equity for liquidity. **JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES**

Goodbye pandemic refi cash-outs. Hello HELOCs?

Home-equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and second-lien mortgages have been staging a notable comeback as U.S. homeowners look for liquidity and ways to monetize the pandemic surge in home prices, according to BofA Global.

It used to be that borrowers sitting on an estimated $33 trillion pile of equity built up in their homes could simply refinance and pull out cash, until the Federal Reserve’s rapid rate hikes began squelching the option.

Now, with mortgage rates above 6%, and the Fed penciling in two more rate hikes in 2023, cash-strapped homeowners have been seeking out alternatives to extract cash from their properties.

While cash-out refinances tumbled 83% in the fourth quarter of 2022 from a year before, HELOCs rose 7% and home-equity loans grew 31%, according to the latest TransUnion data.

“Borrower demand remains high, particularly given household budgets have been pressured by rising food and energy costs,” a BofA Global credit strategy team led by Pratik Gupta’s, wrote in a weekly client note.

Risky loans to subprime borrowers and home equity products helped precipitate the 2007-2008 global financial crisis and the era’s wave of devastating home foreclosures.

At the time, households had more than $1.2 trillion of home equity revolving and available credit (see chart), whereas the figure was closer to $900 billion in the first quarter of this year.

Home equity products are making a big comeback as households seek liquidity **BOFA GLOBAL, NEW YORK FED CONSUMER CREDIT PANEL/EQUIFAX**

The pandemic saw home prices surge, giving a big boost to home equity levels. The Urban Institute pegged home equity in the U.S. at $33 trillion as of May, up from a post-2008 peak of about $15 trillion.

BofA analysts argued this time home equity products look different, with roughly $17 trillion of tappable equity across 117 million U.S. homeowners, and most borrowers having high credit scores and low rates.

“The vast majority of that — $14 trillion — is from the cohort of homeowners who own their homes free & clear,” Gupta’s team wrote.

Another $1.6 trillion of equity could be available from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae borrowers, according to his team, which pegged an estimated 94% of all outstanding U.S. first-lien home mortgages now below 4% rates.

Major banks own the bulk of home equity balances (see chart), led by Bank of America Corp. BAC, +1.23%, PNC Bank PNC, +0.57%, Wells Fargo, WFC, -0.05%, JPMorgan Chase JPM, +0.24% and Citizens CFG, +0.35%, according to the team, which notes several other major banks appear to have hit pause on their programs.

A smaller portion of HELOCs and second-lien mortgages have been securitized, or packaged up and sold as bond deals, while nonbank lenders have been offering the products as well.

This is How Much Water People 50 and Older Should Drink Each Day, According to a Urologist

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This is How Much Water People 50 and Older Should Drink Each Day, According to a Urologist

Emily Laurence – June 23, 2023

When do you reach for a glass of water? If it’s only when you’re thirsty, hot, or with a meal, then you likely aren’t drinking enough. It’s important to drink water throughout the day—even if you aren’t thirsty—and your hydration needs may change as you get older.

Here, urinary health specialists explain how much water people 50 and older should actually be drinking every day. Plus, their expert tips on making sure you’re getting enough.

How Hydration Needs Change as We Age

Dr. David Shusterman, MD, a urologist and the founder of New York Urology, explains that as we age, there are several reasons why the risk for dehydration can increase. “As we age, our kidneys become less efficient at conserving water, and our body’s ability to regulate fluid and electrolyte balance may also decline,” Dr. Shusterman explains.- ADVERTISEMENT -https://s.yimg.com/rq/darla/4-11-1/html/r-sf-flx.html

He adds that older adults may also have medical conditions or take medications that can increase the risk of dehydration. “For example, diuretics, laxatives and some blood pressure medications can increase urine output and cause dehydration,” he says. Aleece Fosnight, MSPAS, PA-C, CSC-S, CSE, NCMP, IF, a medical advisor at Aeroflow Urology, adds that diabetes medications can also increase the risk of dehydration. “These medications work on the kidneys to release more sugar into the urine and water follows sugar,” she says.

For all these reasons, it’s important to be extra mindful of staying hydrated as you age.

How Much Water Should People 50 and Older Drink Every Day?

No matter how old you are, Dr. Shusterman says to aim for drinking between 1.5 and 3.5 liters (or 52 and 118 ounces) of water every day. That’s the equivalent of between 6.5 and 15 glasses of water every day—even if you aren’t thirsty.

Both experts say that there are signs that you’re not drinking enough water to be aware of. The main indicator is the color of your urine. Both experts say that urine should be yellow or clear. If it’s dark yellow or amber, that’s a sign that you need to drink more water. It’s also important to know the physical signs of dehydration. “Symptoms of dehydration can include thirst, dry mouth, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, and dark urine,” Dr. Shusterman says. He says that in severe cases, dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion, heatstroke and even death.

Both experts have several tips for making sure you’re staying hydrated. First, be sure to drink water before, during and after physical activity. Dr. Shusterman even recommends having a water bottle with you at all times, even if you aren’t engaging in physical activity. That way, you can stay hydrated all day, including while you’re in the car, at appointments or running errands.

Fosnight’s favorite hydration tip is to download a water app for your phone. “It will let you know when you need to drink water or remind you to drink water,” she says, adding that she typically encourages people to drink four to six ounces of water every hour to stay hydrated throughout the day. Some water apps to consider include Waterllama, Water Time Drink Tracker & Reminder, and WaterMinder. There are also smart water bottles, such as HidrateSpark Pro ($79.99), Icewater ($15.99), and Waterh ($59.99), that light up as a reminder to take a drink.

Besides drinking enough water, Dr. Shusterman says that filling up on hydrating foods can also be beneficial. Fruits and vegetables, in particular, have high water content. He adds that it’s also important to avoid consuming foods or drinks that are dehydrating. The big ones to be aware of are alcohol and caffeine. “Alcohol and caffeine can increase urine [output] and cause dehydration,” Dr. Shusterman says. If you do consume caffeine or alcohol, be sure to drink water alongside it so you stay hydrated.

Dr. Shusterman says that foods high in sodium can also increase the risk for hydration. “The American Heart Association recommends that adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day,” he says. As with water, if you are consuming high-sodium foods, be sure to up your water intake.

The body can’t function properly when it’s not well-hydrated—and you’ll definitely notice a difference in how you feel if you aren’t drinking enough water. Follow these hydration rules and you’ll be giving your body what it needs more than anything: water.

Next up, find out if it’s possible to drink too much water and how to know if you’re overdoing it.

Major Cuts to Social Security Are Back on the Table — What’s Being Proposed Now?

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Major Cuts to Social Security Are Back on the Table — What’s Being Proposed Now?

Vance Cariaga – June 22, 2023

A group of Republican lawmakers aims to balance the federal budget and slash government spending by targeting programs like Social Security — and some seniors could see a major reduction in lifetime benefits if the plan makes it into law.

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The proposal was unveiled June 14 by U.S. House conservatives, Bloomberg reported. One of its main features is to raise the full retirement age (FRA) at which seniors are entitled to the full benefits they are due.

The 176-member House Republican Study Committee (RSC) approved a fiscal blueprint that would gradually increase the FRA to 69 years old for seniors who turn 62 in 2033. The current full retirement age is 66 or 67, depending on your birth year. For all Americans born in 1960 or later, the FRA is 67.

As Bloomberg noted, workers expecting an earlier retirement benefit will see lifetime payouts reduced if the full retirement age is raised. Those payouts could be drastically reduced for seniors who claim benefits at age 62, when you are first eligible.

Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle have been working to come up with a fix for Social Security before the program’s Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund runs out of money. That could happen within the next decade or so. When it does, Social Security will be solely reliant on payroll taxes for funding — and those taxes only cover about 77% of current benefits.

While most Democrats want to boost Social Security through higher payroll taxes or reductions to benefits for wealthy Americans, the GOP has largely focused on paring down or privatizing the program.

As previously reported by GOBankingRates, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) recently told Fox News that this month’s debt limit bill was only “the first step” in a broader Republican agenda that includes further cuts.

“This isn’t the end,” McCarthy said. “This doesn’t solve all the problems. We only got to look at 11% of the budget to find these cuts. We have to look at the entire budget. … The majority driver of the budget is mandatory spending. It’s Medicare, Social Security, interest on the debt.”

As Bloomberg noted, Republicans argue that failing to change Social Security could lead to a 23% benefit cut once the trust fund is depleted. Raising the retirement age is a way to soften the immediate impact. The RSC said its proposal would balance the federal budget in seven years by cutting some $16 trillion in spending and $5 trillion in taxes.

“The RSC budget would implement common-sense policies to prevent the impending debt disaster, tame inflation, grow the economy, protect our national security, and defund [President Joe] Biden’s woke priorities,” U.S. Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.), chairman of the group’s Budget and Spending Task Force, told Roll Call.

Democrats were quick to push back against the proposal.

“Budget Committee Democrats will make sure every American family knows that House Republicans want to force Americans to work longer for less, raise families’ costs, weaken our nation, and shrink our economy — all while wasting billions of dollars on more favors to special interests and handouts to the ultra-wealthy,” U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, (D-Pa.), the Budget Committee’s top Democrat, said in a statement.

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Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement saying the RSC budget “amounts to a devastating attack on Medicare, Social Security, and Americans’ access to health coverage and prescription drugs.”

Although the proposal might make it through the GOP-led House, it’s unlikely to become law – at least while Biden is still president. Even if a bill somehow got approved by the Democrat-controlled Senate, Biden would almost certainly veto it.