Quick hits: Relationships still strained after Trump presidency; Farm Dog of the Year entries sought . . .

Chuck the tortoise
(Photo by Berkshire Museum staff)

Here's a roundup of stories with rural resonance; if you do or see similar work that should be shared on The Rural Blog, email us at heather.chapman@uky.edu.

Global agricultural productivity is 21% lower than it could have been without climate change according to a newly published study. Read more here.

Opinion: Democrats' next big spending plan should include money to help local journalism. Read more here.

Chuck, the beloved 80-year-old tortoise at the Berkshire Museum's in Pittsfield, Mass., has passed. Read more here.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has unveiled changes to the National Flood Insurance Program that it says will be more equitable. The rural poor in coastal and other flood-prone areas can have a harder time getting back on their feet after floods or hurricanes if they were not required to purchase flood insurance. Read more here.

President Biden has allowed the Trump administration's freeze on skilled-worker visas to expire. This could especially affect rural areas that hire foreign medical workers. Read more here.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is accepting nominations for its 2022 Farm Dog of the Year contest. Read more here.

Months after the end of the Trump presidency, friends and family members remain estranged over political views. Read more here.

One good thing for the meat industry: consumers increased their meat consumption during the pandemic. Read more here.

The Appalachian Gothic aesthetic is trending on TikTok. Read more here.

A bipartisan think tank is doing deep-dive research into rural America, with emphasis on the economy. Read more here.