Prices in the West Region, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), were unchanged in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. During this period higher shelter prices helped counter lower gasoline prices.
Over the last 12 months, the CPI-U advanced 2.7 percent. Energy prices increased 0.8 percent, largely the result of an increase in the prices for gasoline. The index for all items less food and energy rose 2.9 percent over the year.
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Press Release
USDA Provides Food-Safety Tips, Resources to Communities in the Path of Major Gulf Storm
WASHINGTON, July 11, 2019 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds people in the forecast path of the major storm in the Gulf of Mexico to take steps now to protect the safety and health of their food, and farmers and ranchers about USDA resources available to help if their operations are affected by the storm.
“American farmers and ranchers can handle adversity, and USDA is here with resources so they don’t have to go it alone. We have USDA employees in every county in this nation, and our people can help with a variety of services that may be useful in natural disasters like this one," said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.
USDA encourages those in the path of the storm to take the following precautions to protect the safety of their food and animals.
Tips to protect food safety before flooding:
To help protect livestock that could be affected by flooding, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has information for livestock producers and contract growers on its Protecting Livestock During a Disaster page.
USDA Helps Producers Weather Financial Impacts of Disasters:
When major disasters strike, USDA has an emergency loan program that provides eligible farmers low-interest loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. USDA’s emergency loan program is triggered when a natural disaster is designated by the Secretary of Agriculture or a natural disaster or emergency is declared by the President under the Stafford Act. USDA also offers additional programs tailored to the needs of specific agricultural sectors to help producers weather the financial impacts of major disasters and rebuild their operations.
Livestock owners and contract growers who experience above normal livestock deaths due to specific weather events, as well as to disease or animal attacks, may qualify for assistance under USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program.
Livestock, honeybee and farm-raised fish producers who suffer animal, feed, grazing and associated transportation cost losses due to an extreme weather event may qualify for assistance through USDA’s Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program. This program can help compensate for losses due to disease (including cattle tick fever), and adverse weather or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, that are not covered by certain other disaster programs. Producers who suffer losses to or are preventing from planting agricultural commodities not covered by federal crop insurance may be eligible for assistance under USDA's Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program if the losses were due to natural disasters.
USDA Helps Operations Recover After Disasters:
USDA also can provide financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources.
Farmers and ranchers needing to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters can apply for assistance through USDA’s Emergency Conservation Program. USDA also has assistance available for eligible private forest landowners who need to restore forestland damaged by natural disasters through the Emergency Forest Restoration Program.
Orchardists and nursery tree growers may be eligible for assistance through USDA’s Tree Assistance Program to help replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes, and vines damaged by natural disasters.
Visit USDA's disaster resources website to learn more about USDA disaster preparedness and response. For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, please contact your local USDA Service Center. To find your local USDA Service Center go to offices.usda.gov.
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To Incisors And Beyond!
Using Futuristic Technology To Battle Childhood Cavities
That space-age cartoon family the Jetsons had an easy time brushing their teeth because a robotic apparatus armed with a toothbrush would pop out of the wall and handle the job with a flourish.
Our 21st century reality isn’t quite that advanced, but technology is making strides, especially when it comes to helping children overcome their poor tooth-brushing habits. A variety of high-tech brushes, apps and virtual assistants are beginning to remove the tedium from brushing and, with any luck, will produce better smiles and fewer cavities.
“If you can turn brushing into a game rather than a chore, that increases the chances of your children developing good habits,” says Dr. Jamie Reynolds (www.AskDrReynolds.com), an orthodontist, national and international lecturer, and author of World Class Smiles Made in Detroit.
“The goal is to get them to care for their teeth so they will last a lifetime. If techie devices can help you accomplish that, then all the better.”
A few examples include:
Toothbrushes with a high-tech twist. You can always go with a regular or electric toothbrush that features a favorite cartoon character, but some brushes take things to another level. Just a couple of examples are the Firefly Lightup Timer Toothbrush and the GUM Crayola Timer Light brush. These brushes have lights that flash for the minimum time a child should brush. “The light lets the child know when they should stop, so this is a fun way for them to know they have brushed the right amount of time and haven’t stopped too soon,” Reynolds says.
Apps that promote healthy teeth and gums. A toothbrush called Grush is interactive and lets children play games through an app while they brush. There are also apps for phones and tablets that work independently of the toothbrush while encouraging good oral-health habits. One that’s free is the Toothsavers Brushing Game in which an evil sorceress casts a spell that will cause everyone’s teeth to rot.
Children join forces with Toothy and the Toothsavers to break the spell. Another free app for older children is Brush DJ, which plays two minutes of a song from your phone. The idea is to keep brushing until the song ends.
Virtual assistants as oral-health helpers. Alexa can do more than answer oddball questions or make phone calls for you. The famed virtual assistant also can help encourage your children to brush. For example, one app for Alexa is called Chompers. When children are ready to brush, they simply say, “Alexa, start Chompers,” and they hear songs, stories, fun facts, riddles and jokes that keep them brushing for two minutes. Another Alexa app is called Bye Bye Cavities and guides children as they vanquish an evil Cavity Family by making sure each tooth is brushed.
All of these technological wonders can help parents, but none of this lets them off the hook completely. Mom and Dad play a critical in establishing the habits children need for healthy teeth, Reynolds says, with or without aid from Alexa or Toothy and the Toothsavers.
“Modeling good oral health behavior yourself is one of the best ways to show your child just how important good oral hygiene is,” he says. “Your child should know that you brush and floss, see your dentist regularly, and avoid eating too many sugary snacks. You need to be doing exactly what you’re telling your child to do.”
About Dr. Jamie Reynolds
Dr. Jamie Reynolds (www.AskDrReynolds.com) is recognized on an annual basis as one of the top orthodontists in metro Detroit. His book, World Class Smiles Made in Detroit, puts an emphasis on the many benefits of having a great smile. Reynolds – who is a national and international lecturer on high-tech digital orthodontics and practice management – attended the University of Michigan for both his undergrad education and dental studies, and did his orthodontic residency at the University of Detroit-Mercy.
