skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, January 20, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

UNH students confirm Gaza may have cost Harris the race; TikTok is back online after Trump pledged to restore it; Child poverty derails dream of MLK Jr; and future of sustainable aviation fuel in MT, U.S. depends on policy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Tribal leaders press President Joe Biden on clemency for Leonard Peltier, Democrats celebrate the Equal Rights Amendment but ratification remains in question, and a new poll reveals Gaza may have cost VP Kamala Harris the presidency.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

"We can't eat gold," warn opponents of a proposed Alaskan gold mine who say salmon will be decimated. Ahead of what could be mass deportations, immigrants get training about their rights. And a national coalition grants money to keep local news afloat.

USDA awards funds to minority NV farmers after years of discrimination

play audio
Play

Wednesday, August 14, 2024   

The Biden-Harris administration has announced 103 grant awards to Nevada farmers, ranchers and forest landowners through the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it is all about doing what is right, as over the years, Black and other minority ranchers and farmers have experienced discrimination in farm loan programs, which in turn has limited their access to federal resources and support. Advocates now are hoping for more transparency about the selection criteria for the payouts.

Sharon Mallory, executive director of the 2020 Farmers Cooperative, said the payments are a step in the right direction but the program could be improved.

"I'm not personally dazzled about numbers or dollar amounts," Mallory noted. "Unless I can connect that to the people that are being most impacted, which is our Black and small-scale farmers."

Earlier this year, the University of Nevada, Reno announced a partnership with the USDA to work on initiatives to "strengthen" the food supply system in the Southwest. But Mallory emphasized the USDA should disclose more information about how the grant recipients were chosen, including who reviewed them and the racial demographics and farm sizes of the payouts. The awards range from a few thousand dollars to $500,000, with the average about $82,000.

The money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and the majority of recipients are from the deep South. Mallory pointed out agriculture has been consolidating in recent decades and smaller minority farmers have often been forced out of business. She is pushing for the USDA's program to improve, in part because of the history of discrimination.

"You can be like an ostrich and put your head in a hole, you can put your blindfolds on, you can turn your head the other way," Mallory observed. "But the fact of the matter is, it did happen. It's documented. It's not a secret, so let's address it."

One study found Black American farmers lost more than $300 billion worth of land in the 20th century, due in part to the USDA's discriminatory practices.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Federal funds will help restore Flint Creek and Jefferson River in Western Montana, benefiting wildlife, including trout, bears and migratory birds. (Melnik/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

During President Joe Biden's final weeks in office, the Interior Department has announced $41 million in support of water resources and ecosystem …


Social Issues

play sound

Mississippi is embracing the future of artificial intelligence with Gov. Tate Reeves' executive order establishing a framework for its responsible …

play sound

More Michigan residents need access to affordable housing and health insurance, according to a lawmaker pushing for change. Rep. Carrie Rheingans…


The CDC says Listeria is the third-leading cause of death from foodborne illness, with about 260 fatalities per year. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

By Grace Hussain for Sentient.Broadcast version by Zamone Perez for Maryland News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

Environment

play sound

Utility providers foresee a big rise in electricity demand which could lead to double-digit rate hikes if it is met with new natural gas-fired power p…

President-elect Trump's pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is a fan of raw milk, which can contain dangerous pathogens and spread zoonotic diseases, like avian flu. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for Maine News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration…

Social Issues

play sound

In Minnesota and Washington, D.C., marches will take place this weekend as President-elect Donald Trump nears the start of his second term. An …

Environment

play sound

A new report contended Alabama needs to invest more in energy efficiency so it can do more to lower power bills and curb the effects of climate change…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021