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Matt Gaetz withdraws bid to be attorney general in Trump administration; Bomb cyclone' turns deadly in Washington state; Coalition defeats repeal of WA Climate Act to save environment, jobs; ME businesses boost apprenticeships to counter workforce shortage; Advocates: NYC must help homeless student population.

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Transgender rights in Congress, a historic win for Utah's youngest elected official, scrutiny of Democratic Party leadership, and the economic impact of Trump's tax proposals highlight America's shifting political and social landscape.

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The CDC has a new plan to improve the health of rural Americans, updated data could better prepare folks for flash floods like those that devastated Appalachia, and Native American Tribes could play a key role in the nation's energy future.

Virginia's Black Farmers Push Lawmakers to Provide Debt Relief

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Wednesday, September 8, 2021   

RICHMOND, Va. -- Farmers of color are urging Congress to end a slew of lawsuits delaying a loan-forgiveness program designed to make amends for years of loan discrimination against minority farmers.

White farmers are claiming in court Congress's $4 billion debt relief for Black farmers, part of a COVID-19 stimulus package, amounts to reverse discrimination.

John Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association and a Virginia-based farmer, claimed for years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture systematically denied loans to farmers of color, placing them at much higher risk of foreclosure.

"The lawsuits are inaccurate, and it's certainly not fair for farmers of color to hold our payments up and say that we're causing them, white farmers, some sort of harm by getting debt relief," Boyd asserted. "To me, it's a continuation of the discrimination that we've been facing for many, many years."

A judge has put the debt-relief money on hold until about a dozen lawsuits, including a class-action case in Texas, are settled.

Boyd said unlike white farmers, Black farmers who fell behind on a USDA loan payment would often be given just 30 days to pay in full, or they were pressured to sign their deed over to the agency. He noted he faced serious discrimination for years in Mecklenburg County by a Farmers Home Administration officer who would only see Black farmers one day a week, and serve white farmers first.

"This person spat on me, called me racial epithets, had my application torn up and thrown in the trash can," Boyd recounted. "When they came out to investigate this person, they asked him, 'Did he have a problem making loans to Black farmers?' And he said, 'Well, yeah, I think that they're lazy and look for a paycheck on Friday.'"

Boyd pointed out the inability for farmers of color to get and keep USDA loans has dramatically reduced their numbers. Of the 3.4 million farmers in the U.S. today, the agency said fewer than 50,000 are Black, down from one million a century ago.


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Since its founding, the CCA program has generated more than $2 billion for transportation and infrastructure upgrades, clean air and water initiatives, utility bill rebates, community solar, indoor air quality improvements and more. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

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On Election Day, a broad coalition of conservationists, labor, and others helped defeat a ballot initiative to repeal Washington State's Climate …


Social Issues

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In the wake of Donald Trump's re-election, teachers nationwide are bracing for more censorship battles. Currently, more than 40 laws in 22 states …

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A new annual report shows New York City has more than 146,000 homeless students. The Advocates for Children of New York report finds this is an …


More than 3,000 Maine apprentices were actively working on industry-recognized skill certification in 2022, according to the Maine Department of Labor. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

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State officials in Maine said they are working to expand the number of registered apprenticeship programs to help counter a persistent worker shortage…

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Health and Wellness

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