Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/497293
BySteveKarnowski The Associated Press ST. PAUL, MINN. The na- tion's poultry industry may have to live with a deadly bird flu strain for several years, which would be "devastating," the U.S. De- partment of Agriculture's chief veterinary officer said Thursday. Dr. John Clifford also said that while new cases should drop to close to zero once the weather warms up and kills off the virus, there's "very likely" to be a resurgence this fall when the wild waterfowl that are natural carriers of avian influenza fly south for the winter. Clifford spoke on a visit to Minnesota, the state hit hardest by outbreaks that have led to the death of over 2.5 million turkeys and chickens in the Mid- west since early March. He said the fact that the highly pathogenic H5N2 virus has already appeared as far east as southern Ontario means there's an uncomfortable risk of it spreading to the East Coast where much of the U.S. broiler chicken in- dustry is based. "If it sticks around and continues it's going to be very devastating to our poultry industry and our in- ternational markets, trade markets, as well as the loss domestically," Clifford said in an interview with The Associated Press. "That's why we have to really use this time appropriately to do all that we can to deter- mine how best we can ad- dress and prevent introduc- tions in the future." Authorities have con- firmed H5N2 outbreaks at nearly 40 commercial poul- try farms in the Midwest, including 26 in Minnesota. All were turkey operations except for one chicken farm in Wisconsin. On Thursday, officials said four more Min- nesota farms and two more in Wisconsin had been struck. Officials say there's no risk to public health or the food supply. Economists don't expect the outbreaks to affect retail prices much because the birds that have been killed by the virus it- self or euthanized to stop its spread represent just over 1 percent of the 235 million turkeys produced in the U.S. last year. While some USDA offi- cials have told Minnesota officials the virus could be a problem for three to five years, Clifford said it's im- possible to be certain. "It could be around that long, and there's just no way to know for sure," he said. Experts believe Minne- sota is the epicenter be- cause it's the top turkey producing state — raising around 46 million turkeys a year — and its thousands of lakes and wetlands nat- urally attract large num- bers of migrating ducks and other waterfowl. Tur- keys are most suscepti- ble, but chickens also die from the virus. While wa- terfowl can carry avian in- fluenza viruses and spread them through their drop- pings and oral secretions, they don't usually become sick from them. The ducks blamed for bringing H5N2 to Minne- sota and other Midwestern states migrate through the country's midsection. The broiler chicken in- dustry, which produces chickens for meat, is clus- tered along the East Coast in states such as Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland. Clifford said the waterfowl that brought the virus to an infected farm in southern Ontario are likely from flocks that either mi- grate along the East Coast or intermingle with flocks that do. The USDA has sent about 60 people to Minnesota to reinforce the state's re- sponse. State officials have asked U.S. Agriculture Sec- retary Tom Vilsack to en- sure that enough funding remains available. Clifford estimated that the USDA has already spent $20 mil- lion to $30 million to re- imburse farmers for birds that were euthanized and on other costs. He also said the secretary has the au- thority to provide addi- tional emergency funding, and it's been requested as the agency gears up for a new round this fall. The federal government is also working to limit the harm from export bans im- posed by around 40 coun- tries that are already hurt- ing both the turkey and chicken industries, which combined export more than $5 billion worth of products annually, Clifford said. "We've already lost hun- dreds of millions of dollars in those markets," he said. AGRICULTURE USDAvet:Birdfluoutbreakcouldbe'devastating' BETHANYHAHNVIAAP A flock of turkeys is seen at a Minnesota poultry farm. By John Hanna The Associated Press TOPEKA, KAN. A new Kan- sas law tells poor families that they can't use cash as- sistance from the state to attend concerts, get tattoos, see a psychic or buy linge- rie. The list of don'ts runs to several dozen items. More than 20 other states have such lists. But the one included by the Republi- can-dominated Kansas Legislature in a bill signed Thursday by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback appears to be the most exhaustive, ac- cording to state Depart- ment for Children and Fam- ilies officials. It's inspired national crit- icism and mockery from "The Daily Show." Host Jon Stewart suggested that in accepting federal funds, Kansas should be forced to give up items like roads "paved with luxurious as- phalt." Many of the spending restrictions in the law al- ready existed in state pol- icy. Brownback said the list, which is a part of a broader welfare law taking affect July 1, is aimed at moving poor families from social services into jobs. "I think it is important that every chance we get we encourage people to get back into the marketplace, get back into the job mar- ket," he said. In a statement after the signing, Senate Minority Leader Democrat Anthony Hensley called the law "a punitive and highly judg- mental piece of legislation" that would make it harder for Kansans to escape pov- erty. Shannon Cotsoradis, president and CEO of the advocacy group Kansas Ac- tion for Children, said the list has attracted national attention because "it feels mean-spirited." "It really seems to make a statement about how we feel about the poor," she said. A 2012 federal law re- quires states to prevent benefit-card use at liquor stores, gambling establish- ments or adult-entertain- ment businesses. At least 23 states have their own restrictions on how cards can be used, mostly for alcohol, tobacco, gambling and adult-ori- ented businesses, accord- ing to the National Confer- ence of State Legislatures. A few states — not Kan- sas — prohibit buying guns, according to the NCSL, and a few ban tattoos or body piercings. Massachusetts prohibits spending on jew- elry, bail bonds, or "vaca- tion services." A 2014 Loui- siana law bars card use on cruise ships, which is also on the Kansas list. Kansas Department for Children and Families offi- cials said that it's difficult to track how often cash as- sistance is used for items on the state's new list because recipients can use their ben- efits cards to obtain cash. The law will limit ATM withdrawals of cash assis- tance to $25 a day. The department said it re- claimed $199,000 in cash as- sistance from 81 fraud cases from July through Febru- ary, but said most involved questions about eligibility. The state provided $14 mil- lion in cash assistance dur- ing the same period. A 2014 federal report said a check of eight states' data showed transactions with benefit cards at liquor stores, casinos or strip clubs accounted for less than 1 percent of the total. Phyllis Gilmore, Kansas' secretary for children and families, said at the bill signing that the state has not yet determined if it will increase the penalties for vi- olating the restrictions. Asked whether enforce- ment of the restrictions should be increased now that they have been codified into law, Brownback said, "I don't know that they should one way or the other." Critics question whether such restrictions can be enforced. Elizabeth Schott, senior fellow with the left- leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said enacting them simply cre- ates an "aura of abuse." "Undermining support for the programs is what the restrictions do," she said. RESTRICTIONS New Kansas rules would limit spending of welfare benefits by recipients Lori Slade Lic# 01042134 Barbara Dancel Lic# 01870814 530-529-2700 • 314 Washington St, Red Bluff, CA 96080 www.TehamaCountyRealEstate.com 45 ACRES WITH 2000 S.F. HOME AND BARN House needs some tlc but the setting is beautiful. 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