Economy

When Congress allowed Affordable Care Act tax credits to lapse, healthcare premiums spiked for millions of Americans — especially self-employed farmers and ranchers. That added cost is multiplying the stress on their already stretched balance sheets.

Rising grocery and fuel prices, immigration enforcement fears and the scaling back of SNAP benefits are among the factors advocates are concerned are contributing to the trend.

President Trump’s 25% tariffs on some Brazilian goods went into effect on July 22, with beef as one of the few exempted products. Our Charley Maranville reports this is causing a stir in the U.S. ranching industry, where leaders have been critical of Brazil’s practices.

The U.S. will resume limited imports of Mexican cattle on Aug. 24, reopening a trade route that had been closed for more than a year because of the northward spread of New World screwworm. The move comes as tight cattle supplies have pushed beef prices to record highs.

Data centers are no longer an emerging industry. Driven by cloud computing, crypto mining and artificial intelligence, they are spreading rapidly across Texas, and the projected cost of the tax break has climbed into the billions. On Monday, the state senate finance committee asked if it was time to end the sales tax break for data centers.

The reopening will start at the Douglas-Agua Prieta, Mexico, border crossing in late August after a more than yearlong closure to protect against the parasite.

Thirteen years ago, when Texas created the tax deal for data centers, state lawmakers expected to lose — at most — $14 million in tax revenue in Texas' next 2-year budget cycle. Now, state projections show it could lead to Texas forgoing more than $3 billion in the 2028-29 biennium.

The HEARD Coalition is a local advocacy group that provides substance response and prevention resources for young people in the community. Our Samantha Larned reports that to help with its response, the group – along with other prevention groups – are seeking public response on mental health, substance use, and health access challenges. You can find a link to the survey here. The US will resume imports of Mexican cattle on August 24th, easing a yearlong trade disruption that tightened livestock supplies and pushed costs higher across the beef industry. Reporter Stephania Corpi has more on how this news is bringing relief to Mexican Ranchers and US feedlots.

Corn and soybean growers have seen several years of low commodity prices and increased costs for supplies like fertilizer and fuel. That has many farmers worried about whether they'll turn a profit this year and drawn some comparisons to a dark time in American agriculture.

Energy experts say a growth in solar power and other renewables will help the state avoid rolling blackouts during peak demand on the power grid.