Rural / Public News Service

An undercover investigator looking into abuse at animal auctions says mistreatment becomes normalized, as workers are pressured by management to move animals in and out, quickly. (Photo courtesy of Ron Chiang/We Animals)

Friday, January 3, 2025

Livestock undercover: How good people do bad things to animals

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Nebraska News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabor…

Friday, January 3, 2025

Cybersecurity attacks poised to increase without tighter safeguards

A former White House cybersecurity expert is warning of potential cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. And in Illinois, security analysts are …

According to a report from Trace One, droughts, hurricanes, excessive flooding and cold waves are the top reasons for agriculture loss from natural disasters every year. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Meat, dairy prices edge upwards for IL shoppers due to climate change

Consumers are unhappy with increasing food prices and blame inflation. In reality, natural disasters have a direct link to grocery costs, with no end …

Scientists said the E. coli bacteria can grow in the intestines of cattle and other ruminating animals without causing the animal any symptoms. When they defecate, the fecal matter is contaminated with the toxic organism. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Experts: Poor farming practices cause most toxic E. coli outbreaks

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration An…

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported New Hampshire is home to more than 3,000 U.S. Postal Service workers, who earn an average hourly wage of $27.08. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

NH rural towns face proposed postal delays in 2025

The Postmaster General has proposed reduced delivery days and other changes starting next year which could particularly affect rural New Hampshire…

According to the National Council of Urban Indian Health, the average age of Indian Health Service facilities is over 37 years and the maintenance backlog was about $515 million in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

SD’s Native population sees 'double whammy' of health barriers

Funding for the Indian Health Service has increased over the past decade but the agency remains underfunded, which affects both the health and …

The total acreage of farm and ranch land in Arizona for 2022 was 25,525,087, down 2.3% from five years ago. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

AZ farmers could benefit from feds taking on 'corporate' agriculture

As Arizona farmers have grappled with inflation, falling crop prices and the effects of a changing climate, the incoming Trump administration could …

Congress's recent one-year extension of the Farm Bill allocates $20 billion for federal farm programs and $10 billion in direct economic aid to farmers. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

New administration could help farmers by addressing meat industry monopolies

As inflation and falling crop prices continue to affect Virginia farmers, their advocates said the incoming Trump administration could take steps to …

Organic farmers often earn more for their products and pay less to grow them. (Tinashe Njaku/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Monday, December 30, 2024

‘Historic’ support available for OR farmers going organic

New funding is making it easier than ever for Oregon farmers to become certified organic. To achieve certification, farmers must go three years …

Regional drought and fluctuating snowfall at the head of the Rio Grande basin in southern Colorado in recent years have left El Paso Water officials increasingly unsure how much water will flow through the river into the city each year. (Marcos/Adobe Stock)

Drought brought on by climate change affects West TX water supply

By Diego Mendoza-Moyers for El Paso Matters.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publ…

Iowa is the nation's number one hog producer, which is a huge economic driver for the state, but the industry also produces more than 100 billion pounds of manure every year. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, December 30, 2024

Cancer rates in Iowa mirror rising rate of manure pollution

By Nina B. Elkadi for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration A …

In the small but popular New Mexico community of Taos, entry level homes are in short supply for purchase by first-time homebuyers. (KristinaBlokhin/Adobe Stock)

NM nonprofit aims to broker affordable housing solutions in Taos

By Anya Petrone Slepyan for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Co…

The Farm Bill extension is in effect through Sept. 30, 2025, and includes nearly $31 billion in economic and disaster aid for farmers. (Adobe Stock)<br />

For WI farmers, Farm Bill extension brings relief, uncertainty

Farmers in Wisconsin may be breathing a sigh of relief going into the new year with the farm bill extension but it may be temporary, as experts said …

U.S. Census of Agriculture figures from 2022 showed Illinois had almost 72,000 farms and ranches, down 2% from 2017. (Adobe Stock)

Watchful IL farmers await proposed Trump tariffs

A new president will move into the White House in less than a month and Illinois farmers are questioning whether Donald Trump's tough talk on tariffs …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture spends about $38 billion a year on subsidies and other aid to farmers and ranchers to reduce the cost of meat and other products at the grocery store. (Adobe Stock)

Government subsidies make meat cost less, but with hidden expenses

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

According to the March of Dimes, 15.4% of Wyoming women did not have a birthing hospital within 30 minutes of home last year, compared to a U.S. average of 9.7%. (MANUEL/Adobe Stock)<br />

Another birthing center closes, WY maternal health struggles continue

Evanston Regional Hospital is discontinuing its labor and delivery services next week, citing a "steady decline of demand." It is the fourth Wyoming …

Many federal conservation programs received a boost in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, one of the largest investments in climate Congress has made in the nation's history. (Adobe Stock)

Southwest WI farmer unfazed by weather due to conservation practices

A diverse group of Southwest Wisconsin farmers are using federally funded conservation programs to help improve their farms' soil health and resilienc…

As they look for long-term support through the Farm Bill, American farmers said they are facing many evolving obstacles, including climate-change threats and increased global competition for exports. (Adobe Stock)

Farmers no longer feeling Farm Bill anguish, but relief might be fleeting

Farmers in Nebraska and across the nation might not be in panic mode anymore thanks to another extension of the Farm Bill but they still want Congress…

Despite service slowdowns and hikes in stamp prices, the U.S. Postal Service lost nearly $10 billion in 2024. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed post office ‘slowdown’ threatens rural Americans

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has made clear he wants the Postal Service to turn a profit. But advocates warn proposed changes would hurt rural …

Space for the Farmers Market, which includes an incubator commercial kitchen, will be located in Logansport, Ind. (Cass County Community Foundation)

IN grant boosts diversity through Logansport food hub

Communities around the state will be watching the progress of a unique project coming up for the north-central Indiana town of Logansport. The Cass …

The Postal Service reports a net loss of $9.5 billion for the end of fiscal year 2024 in September - $3 billion more than the previous year. (Lost_in_the_Midwest/Adobe)

PA postal union concerned new changes will slow, delay holiday mail

Pennsylvanians mailing holiday cards and gifts may face delays due to proposed postal changes. The Postal Service costs-cutting plans include …

Researchers say microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 millimeters in size. (James Thew/Adobe Stock)

Tiny plastic pieces enter the body in ways you'd never think of

By Julieta Cardenas for Sentient.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Texas News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration …

According to a 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 44 counties in the United States had no grocery stores in 2015; 40 of them were in rural settings. (Adobe Stock)

The ups and downs of combating rural grocery deserts in ND

Several rural communities across North Dakota are strategizing how to slow the pace of local grocery stores shutting down. Some are making use of …

Colorado's San Luis Valley produces two billion pounds of potatoes a year, the second largest yield in the nation. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado’s new tool for preserving aquifers for farming

By Jennifer Oldham for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public…

Millions of families across the U.S. depend on home-based child care, with over 750,000 children enrolled in these programs, often because parents consider them more flexible than traditional child care centers. (Adobe Stock)

Alabama joins national effort to expand pre-K access

Alabama is part of a national program aimed at diversifying early childhood education. The Enriching Public Pre-K Through Inclusion of Family Child …

Dairy digesters remove methane from liquified animal waste. The gas can then be used to generate power. (Lance Cheung/USDA)

Environmental groups sue CA Air Resources Board over biogas credits

Three environmental nonprofits filed suit Wednesday against the California Air Resources Board to oppose the expansion of a program allowing oil and g…

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has announced $3.6 million in more than 100 grant awards through several programs, including the Cranberry Bog Renovation Grant Program, which aims to improve bog design and reduce negative environmental impacts from cranberry production. (Adobe Stock)

MA state grants boost rural economies, climate resilience

Rural communities across Massachusetts are benefiting from state grants aimed at strengthening the local food supply and building climate resilience…

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources requires livestock producers to file a manure management plan for the livestock waste they apply to their fields as fertilizer. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa trains CAFO operators on manure application

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is training operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations on the safest ways to apply manure to their f…

In July, Florida removed certain employment restrictions for minors 16 and 17 years of age. (Adobe Stock)

Child labor in agriculture: A growing concern in Florida

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Trimmel Gomes for Florida News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborati…

The work of GreenLatinos Texas, centers around empowering frontline environmental justice and conservation advocates. Members are actively engaging with local communities to understand their campaign goals and identify areas where support is needed. (Photo courtesy of Green Latinos)

TX group works to give Latinos seat at table in fight against methane

Members of the environmental nonprofit GreenLatinos are involved in a push to get more Latinos across Texas involved in the fight against methane gas…

Colorado is joining California, Maine, Minnesota and Oregon to implement extended producer responsibility programs. (Adobe Stock)

Increasing recycling access in rural Colorado communities

By Ilana Newman for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collabora…

The American Postal Workers Union said under a new proposal, mail that used to take three days from the East Coast to the West Coast will now take five days. (Lost_in_the_Midwest/Adobe Stock)

Postal workers' union says new proposal would slow mail

The American Postal Workers Union is pushing back against proposed changes to the Postal Service they said would slow delivery. Among other things…

Data show rural hospitals cost more to operate because of the smaller number of patients served relative to the fixed costs of the services. (Gorodenkoff/Adobe Stock)

Help available for some rural hospitals on brink of closing

A new federal program launching next year is designed to help rural hospitals struggling to stay afloat. Eight hospitals in Oregon are among about 36…

Corporate farms, including family-owned corporations, account for about 5% of U.S. farms and manage about 11% of the nation's farmland. (ana/Adobe Stock)

MO farmers work to stop 'Farm Act' from becoming law

A Missouri-based farm group is fighting to keep the proposed "FARM Act" from becoming law, warning it would benefit large corporate farms at the …

Pennsylvania has more than 49,000 farms, generating nearly $10 billion in agricultural product sales. (Thanaporn/Adobe Stock)

Research shows valuable impact of getting 'back to nature' practices on PA farms

A new study suggested getting "back to nature" in farming could help ward off the biggest effects of climate change. As Pennsylvania faces …

More than 700 rural hospitals - roughly 30% of all hospitals across the nation - are at risk of closing because of financial problems, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. (Adobe Stock)

Pilot program to help rural hospitals stanch financial bleeding

A new federal program launching next year is designed to help hospitals struggling to stay afloat in rural places such as South Dakota. About 360 …

U.S. power companies are sitting on a stockpile of coal equivalent to the entire volume expected to come from Appalachia in 2025, according to a new analysis from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. (Adobe Stock)

Analysis: U.S. coal stockpiles could cut demand from Powder River Basin mines

A new analysis of federal data shows that U.S. power plants are sitting on a huge stockpile of coal, much of which came from the Powder River Basin…

Ohio ranked 26th in the nation for per-pupil K-12 education funding in 2024, slightly below the national average. With a higher proportion of charter schools than many states and mixed performance outcomes, state policies often focus on addressing disparities and improving results in both. (Adobe Stock)

Standardized test scores at center of Ohio education debate

Ohioans are paying close attention to the fast-tracking of Senate Bill 295 through the Statehouse during the lame-duck session. The proposed …

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy first slowed down the mail in 2021 by lengthening

Postal worker union says new proposal would slow mail

The American Postal Workers Union is pushing back against proposed changes to the Postal Service they said would slow delivery. Among other things…

The Hilton Family Forest in Northwestern Maine lies within the Appalachian chain and contains the headwaters of the south branch of the Penobscot River. (�Jerry Monkman/Conservation Fund)

Conservation efforts keep Maine’s Hilton Family Forest wild

A national land trust has purchased 44,000 acres of forest in Northwestern Maine to keep it wild and free for generations to come. The Hilton Family …

News deserts are places without local news outlets that create original content. According to a 2024 report from the Local News Initiative, 75% of them are located in predominantly rural counties. (Adobe Stock)

SD Public Broadcasting: Proposed budget cuts could mean insolvency

Gov. Kristi Noem wants a big budget cut for South Dakota Public Broadcasting in 2026. That could hurt its nine television stations and 11 radio …

Upgrades funded by a state program will improve emergency communications across east Texas. (Adobe Stock)

East TX communities granted money for emergency upgrades

Four east Texas communities will share more than $1 million in grant money to upgrade their radio infrastructure systems. The grants are funded by …

Oregon forestry officials say climate change, warmer-than-average temperatures and current megadrought conditions present new fire prevention and suppression challenges. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Rural OR communities face new challenges in fighting wildfires

By Julia Tilton for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Oregon News Service for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaborati…

During the June floods in eastern South Dakota this year, the river level at the Big Sioux gauge hit 44.98 feet, breaking the previous record high by 7.28 feet, according to the High Plains Regional Climate Center. (Adobe Stock)

Weak protections for SD wetlands could lead to more flood damage

Wetlands protect against floods, like those some in eastern South Dakota experienced this June and researchers warned the growing presence of factory …

In October, the United States allocated $72 million toward avian flu vaccines, aiming to strengthen national preparedness against potential outbreaks. (Adobe Stock)

California expert sounds alarm on avian flu’s threat to humans, livestock

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

In addition to thousands of jobs, analysis shows outdoor recreation annually contributes $3.2 billion to New Mexico's economy. (Upper Pecos Watershed Association)

NM designates 250 miles as 'Outstanding National Resource Waters'

A New Mexico agency has stepped up vigilance of the state's limited water resources. On Tuesday, the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission …

About 70% of the 40,000 acres burned by wildfires across Wyoming in 2024 were on private or state lands, Gov. Mark Gordon said in a budget speech Monday. (Adobe Stock)

Gordon seeks $130 million more for WY wildfire mitigation budget

In the Wyoming governor's new supplemental state budget, the biggest line item by far is wildfire recovery. Gov. Mark Gordon on Monday gave a …

Nationwide, more than 9,700 abortions per month were provided via telehealth under shield law protections in the second quarter of 2024, a 5% increase since the first quarter of 2024, according to WeCount. (Adobe Stock)

Wisconsinites seeking abortion telemedicine via shield laws face risks

Wisconsin law bans telemedicine abortion care, yet new data show an increasing number of Wisconsinites have been getting abortion pills through …

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - January 3, 2025

2025Talks - January 3, 2025

The Yonder Report - January 2, 2025

Rural

Livestock undercover: How good people do bad things to animals

Cybersecurity attacks poised to increase without tighter safeguards

Meat, dairy prices edge upwards for IL shoppers due to climate change

Experts: Poor farming practices cause most toxic E. coli outbreaks

NH rural towns face proposed postal delays in 2025

SD’s Native population sees 'double whammy' of health barriers

AZ farmers could benefit from feds taking on 'corporate' agriculture

New administration could help farmers by addressing meat industry monopolies

‘Historic’ support available for OR farmers going organic

Drought brought on by climate change affects West TX water supply

Cancer rates in Iowa mirror rising rate of manure pollution

NM nonprofit aims to broker affordable housing solutions in Taos

For WI farmers, Farm Bill extension brings relief, uncertainty

Watchful IL farmers await proposed Trump tariffs

Government subsidies make meat cost less, but with hidden expenses

Another birthing center closes, WY maternal health struggles continue

Southwest WI farmer unfazed by weather due to conservation practices

Farmers no longer feeling Farm Bill anguish, but relief might be fleeting

Proposed post office ‘slowdown’ threatens rural Americans

IN grant boosts diversity through Logansport food hub

PA postal union concerned new changes will slow, delay holiday mail

Tiny plastic pieces enter the body in ways you'd never think of

The ups and downs of combating rural grocery deserts in ND

Colorado’s new tool for preserving aquifers for farming

Alabama joins national effort to expand pre-K access

Environmental groups sue CA Air Resources Board over biogas credits

MA state grants boost rural economies, climate resilience

Iowa trains CAFO operators on manure application

Child labor in agriculture: A growing concern in Florida

TX group works to give Latinos seat at table in fight against methane

Increasing recycling access in rural Colorado communities

Postal workers' union says new proposal would slow mail

Help available for some rural hospitals on brink of closing

MO farmers work to stop 'Farm Act' from becoming law

Research shows valuable impact of getting 'back to nature' practices on PA farms

Pilot program to help rural hospitals stanch financial bleeding

Analysis: U.S. coal stockpiles could cut demand from Powder River Basin mines

Standardized test scores at center of Ohio education debate

Postal worker union says new proposal would slow mail

Conservation efforts keep Maine’s Hilton Family Forest wild

SD Public Broadcasting: Proposed budget cuts could mean insolvency

East TX communities granted money for emergency upgrades

Rural OR communities face new challenges in fighting wildfires

Weak protections for SD wetlands could lead to more flood damage

California expert sounds alarm on avian flu’s threat to humans, livestock

NM designates 250 miles as 'Outstanding National Resource Waters'

Gordon seeks $130 million more for WY wildfire mitigation budget

Wisconsinites seeking abortion telemedicine via shield laws face risks