Opinion

Ask Rusty: I’m Still Confused about Medicare Part A and Part B Enrollment

For the most part, 2025 weather has been unpredictable, but not late October weather. As if on cue, cooler weather showed up and that heralds in “Chili time.” Back in the autumn of 2020, First Baptist Church Marlin had their first annual “Fall Fest” on a Saturday. There were plenty of games with appropriate Bible verses for the children with an opportunity to win prizes of candy and Little Debbie Cakes while the aroma of hot dogs and chili added to the festivities and a band from The Gospel Lighthouse Church filled the air with music. One event was a “Chili Cook Off” and I was fortunate to be one of the contestants producing an award winning first place chili. You see, chili is mentioned in the Bible way back in Genesis. I’m sure you will recall the story of how Jacob was able to get Esau to sell him his birthright in Genesis 25: 29-33 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”, “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Now it was called a “red stew” in that biblical passage, the word “chili” was not associated with that spicy meat dish until the mid-1800s when some South Texas hand stirred up a batch of spicy meat and used plenty of green chilis, to the delight of his compadres. My base chili recipe is not quite that old, however it is dated Aug. 12, 1943. It calls for; 5 lbs.

The continuing federal shutdown means food benefits provided to 3.5 million Texans could be cut off in November, The Texas Tribune reported. Of those affected, nearly half are children.“ SNAP has funding available for benefits and operations through the month of October,” according to a letter written by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to state agencies. “However, if the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the nation.” More than $614 million is distributed monthly in Texas to recipients.Currently, other assistance programs such as Medicaid and the Children Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, are not affected by the shutdown, which is in its fourth week.