Statement of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue Regarding President Trump’s State of the Union Address
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued the following statement regarding President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union Address:
“President Trump’s unifying address to the nation recounted this administration’s impressive achievements in its first year, which have strengthened the economy for all Americans, including those who do the important work in the agriculture sector. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is already helping workers and will allow agricultural producers to invest more in their operations and their own families. President Trump’s optimistic vision for the nation includes massive investment in infrastructure, which will be a boon to a rural America that sorely needs such improvements. The president's emphasis on fair trade gives me confidence that he will strike deals that benefit all parts of the American economy. Additionally, his focus on eliminating burdensome regulations is freeing up agricultural producers and removing obstacles to productivity. This is a president who has rural America and agriculture close to his heart, as his words and deeds clearly demonstrate.”
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I’m excited to share with you Interlude, the newest book from highly-praised Utah author Chantele Sedgwick. Interlude (coming February 13th) is a contemporary young adult novel that follows a teenage girl whose younger sister needs a kidney transplant.
Mia is determined to find a kidney to save her sister’s life—even if she has to get it from their estranged mother. On the cross-country flight, Mia falls into an embarrassing conversation with the cute boy sitting next to her, and only after she insults him does she realize he’s the one and only Jaxton Scott, the troubled lead singer of a famous rock band she hates.
While Mia is running toward what she hopes is a cure for her sister, Jax is running away from his rockstar life. He volunteers to help Mia on the rest of her journey, and they soon find themselves on a mission that keeps getting more and more complicated.
Kirkus notes of Interlude that “Swift, dialogue-driven pacing keeps pages turning . . . An emotionally satisfying read,” while Booklist calls it “A sweet and innocent story, perfect for readers who love happy endings, especially when they seem out of reach.” School Library Journal says that it “[fits] into the same niche as John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Jennifer Niven’s All The Bright Places . . . Will be a must-read for those fans.” Sedgwick was nominated for a 2015 Whitney Award for her first book, Love, Lucas.
Chantele Sedgwick is a young adult author, harpist, wife to one, and mom to four. She loves fairy tales, happy endings, Kit Kats, and (judging by her bookshelves) buying way too many books. She is also the author of Love, Lucas and Switching Gears. She lives in Roy, Utah, with her family and can usually be found reading or talking her husband’s ear off with her endless supply of book ideas.
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Will Marijuana Make Your Kiss
Go Amiss This Valentine’s Day?
Should you pucker up after you’ve smoked pot?
Recreational use of marijuana has been legalized in eight states and the District of Columbia, but anyone inclined to include it in their Valentine’s Day plans may find that – legal or otherwise – marijuana is not the best bet for a romantic evening that ends in a kiss.
“Marijuana can cause dry mouth and dry mouth can lead to bad breath,” says Dr. Harold Katz, a dentist, bacteriologist and developer of TheraBreath Dry Mouth Oral Rinse and Lozenges (www.therabreath.com).
“That’s because, when there isn’t enough saliva in the mouth, the bacteria that cause bad breath can thrive.”
And that could quickly kill any bubbling passion at your Valentine’s Day rendezvous.
Marijuana as a bad-breath culprit may not be a subject that most people have been exposed to in any mainstream way, especially since the legalization of recreational use is a fairly recent phenomenon limited to a few states.
“Ten years ago it wouldn’t have seemed likely that we would ever be discussing the bad-breath implications of legally available marijuana, yet here we are,” Katz says.
At one time there was an assumption that smoking marijuana naturally dried the mouth out due to heat and smoke, but the blame actually lies with the chemical compounds at work, Katz says. Research by the University of Buenos Aires has linked the saliva reduction to THC, the ingredient that gives marijuana its psychoactive properties.
“That means there is a great chance of dry mouth even when the method of cannabis consumption doesn't involve smoking,” Katz says. “Edibles, vaporizing and other methods also act as THC delivery systems.”
Katz is no killjoy, though, so he offers tips to those who suffer from dry mouth to help them avoid bad breath that could seriously dampen the Valentine’s Day mood:
• Drink more water. Katz suggests at least six to eight glasses a day, which comes to about 48 to 64 ounces assuming an 8-ounce glass.
• Avoid alcohol. This advice isn’t limited to just alcoholic beverages, although it’s important to avoid them, too. But some mouthwashes are as much as 27 percent alcohol, Katz says. Like marijuana, alcohol is a cause of dry mouth.
• Avoid spicy, acidic and sugary foods. Without saliva there to offer some protection to the lining of the mouth, spicy and acidic foods can be irritating. In addition, saliva helps to break down the sugar in foods. If the saliva isn’t there to properly do that job, then there’s an increase in the risk of such dental problems as tooth decay.
“Marijuana isn’t the only cause of mouth dryness – not by far – but it is one of the less-discussed,” Katz says. “The legalization of cannabis products has brought a new reason to pay attention to dry-mouth symptoms. From alcohol to sugars, items that block the natural production of saliva are fairly common.”
About Dr. Harold Katz
Dr. Harold Katz (www.therabreath.com), developer of TheraBreath Dry Mouth Oral Rinse and Lozenges, received his degree in bacteriology from UCLA and is the founder of The California Breath Clinics and author of The Bad Breath Bible. He has been featured on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CBS’s “Early Show” and “The View” with Barbara Walters and countless other TV shows. Dr. Katz has developed oxygenating compounds that have been used by millions around the world to eliminate bad breath. He is also the bearer of the now famous “Halimeter,” which tests the sulfur compounds in the mouth that cause bad breath. Dr. Katz’ website offers a free online bad breath test – as well as a sneaky way to tell someone they have halitosis.
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barrick’s BaTTleborn Series will bring together nevada’s tech and innovation community
Las Vegas, NV — Barrick Gold Corporation has joined forces with Cisco, Switch and Unearthed to provide Nevada’s innovation and tech community with a premier opportunity to build skills, scale ventures and engage with great talent.
“Barrick is excited to host the state’s first global mining hackathon in Las Vegas,” said Michael Brown, President, Barrick USA. “We are at the forefront of revolutionizing traditional mining through digital integration, and we look forward to bringing our technology partners to Las Vegas and to working with talented innovators to generate fresh ideas for our industry.”
BattleBorn, a name inspired by the Nevada state flag, was created by the world’s leading gold mining company to infuse the resource industry with bold ideas and exponential technologies. BattleBorn includes a series of boot camps, a 54-hour hackathon, and a startup exchange, that will bring together competitors, observers, industry leaders, and startups.
Hackathon – A 54-hour high-intensity programming competition for participants, over the weekend of March 9 – 11, to solve innovation challenges in the mining industry. A panel of judges will evaluate the potential applicability to real-world industry. Prizes, totaling $20,000, will be awarded to the top teams. Silicon Foundry, an innovation platform with deep ties in Silicon Valley, will be offering a winning team exposure to its network and startup best practices.
“Hackathons like BattleBorn are a key initiator of outside the box digital thinking that will drive future success in the mining industry. We are delighted to support Barrick as they transform mining,” said Brad Bechtold, National Director, Mining Transformation, Cisco Canada.
Boot Camps – On March 3, challenge descriptions will be shared during a session where participants will engage mentors in a question and answer session. On March 7, Amazon Web Services, Barrick, Cisco, Silicon Foundry and Unearthed will lead a tech onboarding session. The workshops will provide participants with the tools and techniques they will need to succeed over the hackathon weekend.
Startup Exchange – On March 12, an exhibition-style event will be held to showcase early-stage ventures from around the world. The Startup Exchange is a platform for industry leaders to engage with these ventures and find ways to deploy their solutions.
“Globally, Unearthed is driving a mission for the resources sector – to innovate the way it operates and introduce new technologies with the ability to improve current practices. The hackathon events we’ve produced with Barrick continue this mission,” said Zane Prickett, Director, Unearthed.
The ultimate goal of BattleBorn is to have a distinctive impact on Nevada’s growing technology and innovation community. Individuals can get involved by competing in a hackathon, exhibiting a startup, learning about developments in the resource sector or networking with industry leaders.
All events will take place from March 3 – 12 at Rob Roy’s Innevation Center, powered by Switch, located at 6795 S Edmond Street, 3rd Floor, Las Vegas, NV 89118.
For more information about the BattleBorn series of events, including participant registration and ticket purchase, visit www.battleborn.tech.
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