Friday, October 15, 2021

Quick hits: Today is Rural Women's Day; program helps new farmers learn business; SCOTUS takes major 2nd Am. case

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 heather.chapman@uky.edu.

Today the United Nations celebrates the International Day of Rural Women. This year, organizers emphasize rural women's role in lowering hunger and poverty through agriculture. Read more here.

Pollution from North Carolina's commercial poultry farms disproportionately harms rural communities with majority Black, Latino or Native American populations. A bill to better regulate the operations died without a vote this year. Read more here.

Former U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico has been confirmed as the Agriculture Department's Rural Development undersecretary. "Rural Development offers loans, grants, loan guarantees and technical assistance to support essential aspects of rural American communities including business, economic development, infrastructure, housing, first responder services and equipment and health care," Michael McDevitt reports for the Las Cruces Sun-News.

The National Farmers Union is offering a free, year-long training program to help new farmers learn the business side of agriculture. Read more here.

The Supreme Court will consider its first major Second Amendment case in more than a decade. A ruling in favor of the plaintiffs, which include a National Rifle Association affiliate, could loosen gun restrictions in much of the country. The ruling is expected in mid-2022. Read more here.

A study of Colorado teens suggests that rural communities would benefit from interventions that limit access to firearms for youth suffering from mental health crises. Read more here.

A recent study from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies details opportunities for increasing the affordability and availability of broadband in Black-majority areas of the rural South. Read more here.

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