Agriculture

More than 6,000 Texas smoke shops and related businesses could be forced to shut down if the ban goes into effect next November as scheduled. The industry is organizing a lobbying effort to get Congress to rewrite the law from a blanket prohibition to a regulatory approach.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Xcel Energy for negligence, which he alleges caused the 2024 Panhandle Wildfires. Our Samantha Larned reports Xcel has maintained its stance of accepting responsibility, while denying negligence. Tyson Foods plans to scale back production at its plant in Amarillo, eliminating more than 1,700 jobs. Harvest Public Media’s Molly Ashford reports on what that means for ranchers and consumers.

Most of the package is earmarked for row-crop producers. It aims to help farmers – especially those who grow soybeans – balance out losses from high costs and a trade war with China.

Cottonseeds could help reduce hunger and add new revenue for farmers. One researcher has been working for decades to make edible seeds a reality.

The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a ruling Monday that allows for the removal of books from a Llano public library. The removal of the books was ruled constitutional earlier this year and this week, the Supreme Court denied the request for a rehearing, effectively ending the years-long legal battle. The Trump Administration will be sending $12 billion to farmers to help them stay in business and compensate for their trade war losses, but Harvest Public Media's Frank Morris reports farmers worry most of the bailout money will go straight to banks and suppliers.

Enrollment opens today for three programs from the USDA providing relief for farmers and ranchers affected by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. Our Samantha Larned reports on the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, the Milk Loss Program, and the On-Farm Stored Crop Loss Assistance Program. United Supermarkets will lay off more than 100 positions from the headquarters office in Lubbock, with gradual "restructuring" over the first few months of the new year.

The federal funding package to reopen the government included a one-year extension of certain 2018 Farm Bill programs. Several expired Sept. 30 or would have been null by the end of the year.

Coffee has gotten a lot more expensive in the U.S. as tariffs seep into the price tag. Even as the Trump administration considers offering some tariff relief, that's putting a strain on roasters, who have no choice but to pass on some of the extra cost to coffee drinkers.

Lubbock City Council gave preliminary approval to two amendments to the city's ordinances brought forward by Lubbock Animal Services. Our Samantha Larned reports they concern dangerous dogs, multi-pet permits, and impound fees. The council is expected to give a final vote on Nov. 25. The new budget deal to reopen the government includes an extension of certain Farm Bill programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program.

The issue roiled Texas politics earlier this year when Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a ban on THC products spearheaded by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.