Regenerative-ag farmers had to persuade Trump to sign order over opposition from Farm Bureau boss in Oval Office

Cattle farmer Will Harris shared this photo of the meeting by White House photographer Parick Witty.

"A group of farmers walked into the Oval Office last week expecting to smile as the president signed an executive order supporting the popular farming practice called regenerative agriculture, a method cheered by the Make America Healthy Again movement as an alternative to pesticides. Instead they were greeted by a virtual buzzsaw as President Donald Trump also brought in a top advocate who opposed the policy, prompting a live debate between top advisers, Cabinet secretaries and farmers," reports Politico's Cheyenne Haslett.

Zippy Duvall (Farm Bureau photo)

After an hour of back-and-forth between the farmers, the president, and American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, Trump signed the executive order, "which directs government agencies to promote holistic farming practices that rely on natural land rehabilitation over chemicals," Haslett reports. Also in the room were Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who supported the order.

“I thought the farmers … were going in there just for a photo opportunity,” Jonathan Lundgren, a former Agriculture Department scientist who runs a regenerative farm in South Dakota, told Haslett. He and two other farmers said Duvall told Trump "he was concerned that the order would insinuate a negative impact from pesticide use and said he would not be able to advocate for Trump on behalf of farmers if he signed it," Haslett reports.

A Farm Bureau spokesman denied that Duvall said he would forsake Trump. "Trump went back and forth with Duvall, asking him what he opposed, to which Duvall said he hadn’t been able to fully read the order, the three farmers said. Trump eventually told him he didn’t think the order posed a threat to farmers," Haslett reports.

Regenerative farmer Rick Clark of Indiana told Haslett, “President Trump was just making sure that he had everyone’s opinion and was given all the information before he signed that document,” Clark said. “Was there passion in the room? Yeah, most definitely passion.” Cattle farmer Will Harris of Georgia shared on his blog what he told Trump.

Earlier that day, the Supreme Court shielded Bayer, maker of the weedkiller Roundup, from "thousands of lawsuits that claim the company failed to warn people about the health risks associated with its products," Haslett notes. Lundgren told Trump that families were being “poisoned by these chemical companies and didn’t have recourse anymore.” He "found the president to be concerned," Haslett reports. "Trump turned to Rollins and Duvall, who explained the ruling to him, Lundgren said."

Kennedy and senior adviser Calley Means "framed the ruling as a black eye to MAHA, two of the farmers said, and Kennedy said the executive order on regenerative agriculture would be an important part of repairing relations with the MAHA supporters," Haslett reports.

In N.C., the $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program won't eliminate health care deserts

North Carolina plans to use its RHTP money on hospitals
and clinics that are open. (KFF photo)

The $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program Congress created in 2025 to ensure the passage of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act may sound like it's made to help closed rural hospitals or hospitals on the brink of shuttering, but in reality, the act strictly limits the amount of RHTP grant money struggling hospitals can use to stay afloat.

The RHTP funding restrictions haven't stopped midterm-stumping politicians in North Carolina from touting the program as a salve for rural hospitals in financial straits, report Sarah Jane Tribble and Amanda Seitz of KFF Health News. "Republican candidates in competitive midterm elections are casting the fund as a lifeline that will shore up critical rural health services across America."

In Martin County, N.C., where lawmakers face competitive midterm elections, some residents believe RHTP funds will help reopen their shuttered hospital, Tribble and Seitz report. "Martin County won’t get direct relief from Trump’s rural health fund — because its hospital isn’t open." The state plans to use its $213 million in RHTP funds on "existing health and social service organizations."

Without rural hospitals, residents in states like North Carolina, where most citizens live in rural counties, are especially vulnerable. During a medical emergency, when every second counts, rural residents must survive the travel distance to get medical care. Some don't make it. Tribble and Seitz explain, "Martin County does not have paramedics on its ambulances, and it can be 20 miles or more to the closest — and often overcrowded — emergency rooms."

Brian Floyd, the chief operating officer for ECU Health, which operates out of Greenville, N.C., told KFF, "It’s a real healthcare crisis that has already proven itself to have lost lives that perhaps didn’t have to be lost. They just want to not die because there’s nowhere to go when you have an emergency."

Gas prices are high, and inflation has continued to climb. How do Trump voters feel about his performance so far?

Many Americans say that gas prices may impact their
midterm election choices. (Photo by GG, Unsplash)

Campaigning for his second term in the White House, President Donald Trump pledged "no new wars" while he worked to "make America affordable again." A year and a half into his presidency, U.S. consumers face high inflation, hefty tariffs on imported food and goods, and bloated gas prices due to the war with Iran.

So how do those voters feel now? Tim Balk, Rachel Richardson and Sam Easter of The New York Times asked some Trump voters how they feel about their vote now and how their opinion of his leadership so far might influence their midterm election choices. Some edited selections of their opinions are shared below.

Adele Wilson, 30, of Ada Township, Mich., population 14,400
When asked about gas prices, Wilson told the Times, "Last time I filled up I was like, ‘Oh, this hurts.’" Wilson, a dental assistant, believes "Trump’s second term has been unsuccessful," the Times reports. "She called the war a 'horrible idea.' She was unsure how she would vote in the midterms, she said, but she had already ruled out voting for JD Vance or Marco Rubio in the 2028 presidential race."

Matt Yerkes, 74, of New Richmond, Ohio, population 2,730
Yerkes, who is retired, told the Times he thinks Americans' current economic strain is "temporary and needed.” Overall, he agrees with the war with Iran. The Times reports, "He said he disliked the president’s personality, but added, 'I agree with essentially everything he does from a policy standpoint.'"

Luke Stanley, 28, of Hermon, Maine, population 6,500
"Stanley, who owns a metal fabrication company, said he did not 'necessarily' support the war, and suggested he would like the president to change his approach," the Times reports. "But he said that business had been good for him overall during the president’s second term." He told the Times that continued high gas prices might sway his choice in the midterm elections.

Democrats who want rural voters to switch sides need to 'show up' and fight for rural communities

Democrats need to fight harder than Republicans on
issues that impact rural Americans. (Rural Strategies photo)

Building trust with rural Americans by fighting hard for the issues rural voters care about is what Democrats need to do now, reports Mara Liasson of NPR.

While Democrats losing rural voters is not news, what Democrats should do about it is. Liasson explains, "Pollster Celinda Lake, originally from rural Montana, says she's watched as the Republican advantage with rural voters grew from a relatively narrow five-point advantage in 2000 to a whopping 25-point edge for Trump with rural voters in 2024."

Lake recently "conducted a poll of 600 likely general election voters from rural areas in battleground states," Liasson reports. "And what these voters had to say about Democrats is damning."

One polled voter said Democrats were "out of touch with middle America," according to Liasson. Another said Democrats were "lost in space. All they want to do is spend money and give stuff away."

Lake told Liasson, "The Democratic brand is in terrible shape in rural America." Lake pointed out that while most rural voters skew Republican, they are currently very dissatisfied with the economy, and that offers Democrats a window of opportunity.

"Her takeaway from the poll is that Democrats should be running to keep rural hospitals open and insulin prices down," Liasson reports. "In other words, Democrats don't have to change their positions to win rural voters. They just have to fight harder for what they already believe in."

Dee Davis, the president of the Center for Rural Strategies, the group that commissioned the poll, said that Democrats that go all in on rural issues can fight for the same concerns that more urban populations worry about. Liasson adds, "After all, college-educated urban voters also care about healthcare, gas prices and jobs. The strategy Davis thinks Democrats should adopt is not rocket science."

Davis told Liasson, "You got to show up. You got to talk to people. You might not win the first time out, but you got to be there and compete."

China commits to purchasing at least $17 billion a year in farming products, but other agreements aren't as clear.

China's $17 million farming purchase commitment is 
good news for U.S. producers. (Adobe Stock photo)

In some good news for American farmers, following President Donald Trump's summit last week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a White House fact sheet confirmed that China agreed to purchase "at least $17 billion in U.S. agricultural products annually through 2028, in addition to soybean commitments already agreed to," reports Ari Hawkins of Politico. The announcement is among "the few concrete deliverables" from last week's summit.

Beyond its agriculture purchase commitment, the White House said Beijing has "renewed expired registrations for more than 400 U.S. beef facilities and added new listings," Hawkins writes. "A move aimed at widening market access for American farmers." Additionally, China will now accept U.S. poultry imports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms are free of avian influenza.

The summit included agreement on several other issues, but the specific engagement between the two countries on topics such as Iran remained vague. For instance, "Both countries agreed Iran cannot get ahold of a nuclear weapon," Hawkins reports. They also agreed that the "Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor should reopen, and that no country or group should be allowed to charge tolls."

The White House fact sheet didn't include details on how, or even whether, the countries planned to work together to resolve issues with Iran's nuclear capability or its blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.

Although President Trump noted that tariffs were not discussed at the summit, that "appears to contradict a statement from China’s commerce ministry, which said the two sides had reached a preliminary agreement to reduce some tariffs and also confirmed agricultural and aircraft deals, though it did not provide specifics," Hawkins adds. "Trump and Xi are expected to meet as many as four times this year."

Trump may see high gas prices as 'peanuts,' but they are squeezing lower-income Americans the most

Photo by Yassine Khalfalli, Unsplash

In a frustrated remark, President Donald Trump referred to surging gas prices across the U.S. as "peanuts" compared to the threat of Iran producing a nuclear warhead.

And while many Americans might agree that wallet-draining gas prices are preferable to horrific global outcomes, the war is costing poorer Americans a higher percentage of their income than it is wealthier Americans.

"For households in the bottom quarter of the income distribution — those earning roughly $40,000 a year or less — commuting fuel costs now consume an average of about 4% of their income," report Julie Z. Weil and Federica Cocco of The Washington Post. "For households in the top quarter, earning $100,000 or more, the same costs amount to less than 1%."

Lower-income workers get squeezed from all sides when gas prices increase. "They tend to live farther from their jobs, in areas with little or no public transit, and are more likely to drive older, less fuel-efficient vehicles," the Post reports. For most, working from home is not an option, leaving them unable to escape the need to buy gas — no matter the price. The only other option is to skip work, doctor's appointments or social outings that require a car fueled by gas.

The more than 40% increase in gas prices from May 2025 to the present has left some lower-income Americans facing tough choices. Debbie Zambrana, who lives on a fixed disability income, used to help her son out by driving his children to school events. Weil and Cocco write, "For the first time, she recently told him that she could only drive them if he covered the fuel."

With gas prices recently reaching $4.50 a gallon, there is little low-income workers can do to help themselves — even when they budget carefully. "Personal finance experts commonly advise that people shouldn’t spend more than 10% of their after-tax income on commuting expenses," Weil and Cocco add. "Spending 4% of income on gas alone can quickly throw everything out of whack."

Little guys' coalition successfully halts CO2 pipeline builds in Central Illinois

Page 2 of Navigator's letter explains eminent domain.
(Photo by Kathleen Campbell via the Yonder)

Successful grassroots efforts to stop carbon dioxide pipeline projects across Central Illinois spurred residents to form a state coalition to push for legislation that "would restrict the use of eminent domain for these potentially dangerous pipelines," report Ilana Newman and Julia Tilton of The Daily Yonder.

While the purpose of carbon sequestration is to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere by pumping it underground, where it can no longer contribute to global warming, many communities don't want the installations near their homes. Breaks in CO2 pipelines are hazardous, and farmland where pipelines are placed is permanently altered.

In this case, before the coalition was formed, some Illinois farmland owners received letters from a Texas-based company called "Navigator," informing them that it planned to install carbon-sequestration pipelines across thousands of acres of land — including some of theirs. The letter also stated that Navigator agents would be visiting properties to conduct land surveys.

Steve Hess was one of the farmers Navigator representatives came to see. Hess told the Yonder, "The Navigator agent says, ‘if we get approval and you don’t like it, we can just use eminent domain and put the pipe in anyhow.’ And that really struck me the wrong way."

Once landowners like Hess and other area residents got wind of the Navigator's plans, they "formed the Coalition to Stop CO2 Pipelines to fight Navigator and other CO2 pipelines in Illinois," Newman and Tilton explain. The group eventually "succeeded in stopping Navigator in 2023 and later, the proposed Iowa-Illinois Wolf pipeline in 2024."

The group has recently sent their state legislature "a bill that would ban companies from using eminent domain to seize land for CO2 pipelines," Newman adds. "The bill is a bipartisan effort with 22 cosponsors and endorsements from across industries."

Opinion: SNAP program changes may mean fewer retailers offering healthy food in rural and low-income areas

SNAP changes a may further limit access to healthy food. 
(Photo by Maria Lin Kim, Unsplash)

U.S. retailers will face new rules if they want to continue participating in the Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. "Starting on Nov. 4, 2026, any retailers that accept SNAP benefits from their customers will have to stock a wider variety of food, some of it perishable," writes community health expert Benjamin Chrisinger in his opinion for The Conversation.

The USDA is touting its stricter requirements as a way to make healthier food more available to the roughly 38 million Americans who rely on SNAP for groceries but, as Chrisinger explains, the new rules could hurt overall grocery access because the added expense in complying with USDA changes may lead smaller stores to stop accepting SNAP.

Current USDA rules require all SNAP-participating retailers to sell at least three items in each of four staple food categories, which include dairy, produce, grains and protein. "Under the stricter new rules, all retailers accepting SNAP as payment must sell at least seven kinds of food in each of those four categories," Chrisinger writes. "And they need to offer at least one perishable variety in three of the four."

The stricter rules will not require changes from larger retailers because they already sell a wide variety of items across all USDA staple categories. But small shops and convenience stores, which are often found in rural and low-income areas, may find the changes too expensive.

"A big industry group that represents convenience stores and an anti-hunger organization are both warning that instead of making it easier for low-income people to follow a balanced diet, the new USDA rules might lead many small shops to stop accepting SNAP benefits," Chrisinger writes.

While small stores that now accept SNAP offer convenient options to area residents, getting them to stock healthier food may not happen because grocery items already have razor-thin profit margins and "many smaller retailers are not familiar with how to source and stock healthier food, especially produce," Chrisinger adds. "And many question whether these products will sell."

Very rural New Mexico reaps millions in oil revenue

In the U.S., only Texas produces more oil than New Mexico.
(Photo by Laura Mann, Unsplash)

New Mexico's state treasury began reaping millions in oil revenue after global crude supplies were strangled in the Strait of Hormuz. 

Despite the predominantly rural state's dependence on fossil-fuel-generated revenue, the windfall has sparked mixed feelings for "Democrats who oppose the war and would rather reduce their reliance on fossil fuels," reports Morgan Lee of The Associated Press.

The Democratic-led "Land of Enchantment" is second only to Texas for oil production, and the "state’s revenue from taxes, royalties and lease sales helps cover the cost of college tuition, all school meals, health insurance and a new initiative for free universal child care," Lee explains.

Even seemingly small increases in crude oil prices can mean big money for the state. Lee reports, "For every $1 fluctuation in the average annual price of oil, New Mexico sees a roughly $59 million swing in state government income."

The state's treasury automatically channels increases in oil revenue "into a series of trust accounts designed to gradually reduce the state’s reliance on fossil fuels," Lee writes. Through investments, those trusts "underwrite Medicaid, early childhood education, infrastructure projects and an expansion of mental healthcare" in a very rural state that is "entrenched [with] swaths of extreme poverty and the nation’s highest enrollment rate in Medicaid."

New Mexico isn't the only rural state to see surges in state income because of the war with Iran. Lee adds, "In Alaska, the state forecast an additional $1.05 billion for the current fiscal year and the one beginning July 1."

Opinion: Congress needs to remember 'who they are working for.' A tractor ride with a farmer might help.

Allison Lynch

American farmers have been hard-pressed to be excited about heading out to the fields this spring: "Margins are tight. Profits are thin. Morale is low. It’s time for legislators to ride around in the tractor to remember who they’re working for," writes Allison Lynch in her opinion piece for Farm Progress.

Bob Bishop, a farmer from Leesburg, Ind., gave a candid answer when Lynch asked him about this year's planting season. He told her, "Input costs are driving this farm and agriculture in general. It’s tough right now, It’s tough. The expenses, the input costs, the machinery repairs, the property taxes — everything seems to be going higher, but our revenue generated from grain sales doesn’t seem to be keeping up.”

Still, there are solutions to many farming woes, but they aren't in farmers' hands. Lynch adds, "Industries have to shift, wars have to end, and global trade has to resume. … Hey, Congress. It’s your turn."

What about the soaring fertilizer costs? That started before the war with Iran. Lynch writes, "The Trump administration has recently started sniffing into fertilizer giants, pursuing an antitrust case. Hopefully, this can get the ball rolling on their end. We want to see results back here on the farm."

Many Americans may think that farmers are always getting handouts, but on the farm, that's not how it plays out. Lynch adds, "The farmers can’t win. They’re stuck between corporations that exploit their labor and a population that doesn’t understand them."

Farm is more than "crops and the land and politics," Lynch writes. "It’s about family and legacy." Legislators need to see that point of view. "Call yours. Offer them a ride. Give them the view from the tractor cab."

Maine's bill to pause larger data center projects awaits governor's approval; ban would be the first of its kind in U.S.

Maine's data center bill would pause planned projects in two rural
towns for 18-months. (Photo by Troy Mortier, Unsplash)

If Maine's new data center bill becomes law, the state will become the first in the country to push pause on large data center construction. 

"The Maine Senate took a final vote on April 14 to enact first-of-its-kind legislation banning large data centers in the state until November 2027," reports Julia Tilton of The Daily Yonder. The bill would halt data centers that require 20 megawatts or more of power, including two already planned in the rural towns of Jay and Limestone.

The Maine legislation "would also establish a study group to examine the impact of such facilities and recommend legislative guardrails," reports Jenna Russell of The New York Times. Maine lawmakers have already made data centers "ineligible for certain business tax exemptions." 

Maine Gov. Janet Mills has yet to sign the bill into law, and it's unclear whether she will, given that it would mean halting data center plans already in the works. "On April 10, the governor said that a data center proposed at a retired paper mill in Jay, Maine, must be exempt from the ban while speaking to the press at an event in Bangor, Maine," Tilton explains. "An amendment with that carve-out failed to pass the legislature." The current bill doesn't include any exemptions. 

Like many New England residents, Mainers already deal with a fragile grid and pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country. Advocates of the ban say the moratorium is needed to prevent further increases in electricity costs and to protect communities from environmental hazards associated with AI data centers, such as noise and excessive water use, Tilton reports. Advocates also point to the relatively few jobs data centers produce, even as they gobble up vast resources.

Mills, who is facing a heated Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate, has "ten days to veto the legislation, sign it into law or allow it to become law without her signature," Russell reports. "President Donald Trump has threatened to sue states and withhold funding if they pass laws restricting the AI growth."

'No Kings' protests in rural Minnesota highlight changes in some residents' opinions

Faribault residents Matthew, left, and Sarah said they wanted to protest
local ICE activity. (Photo by Betsy Froiland,The Daily Yonder) 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, cost of living increases and the U.S. war in Iran have moved some rural Minnesotans to speak out for change. "Minnesotans in small towns across the state joined the third wave of nationwide ‘No Kings’ protests Saturday, March 28," reports Betsy Froiland of The Daily Yonder.

Although some rural residents protested the Trump administration's immigration policies in October, many didn't feel called to action until ICE conducted aggressive raids and searches in smaller Minnesota towns, such as Faribault, Windom and St. James in early 2026.

Protesters from all three towns "reported escalated ICE activity in their communities in recent months," Froiland explains. "Many told stories of neighbors arrested, local businesses shuttered, and fear spreading in their schools and workplaces."

While the number of protesters who lined the streets of their respective towns was small, their growing numbers and repeated presence mark a change in areas that voted for President Donald Trump in 2024.  

"Some protesters wondered what happened to due process, like Travis McColley, a lifelong Republican who joined the protest in Faribault," Froiland reports. McColley told the Yonder, “People who have been in the community for years who are going through an asylum process are getting grabbed."

Beyond ICE activities, rural Minnesotans also protested against the war in Iran, cost of living increases and overall frustration with Washington. Froiland writes, "Faribault protester Norm Kokes, a ‘No Kings’ protester and a U.S. military veteran, worried about how the war would impact the world economy."

A St. James protester told Froiland, “I’m dissatisfied that billionaires are trying to run our country, and they’re not going to do anything for the common people."

In some places, protesters were met by counter-protesters driving by or standing across the street. Froiland adds, [Some] "revved their engines and gave middle fingers." Despite the difference in opinions, the protests remained non-violent.

U.S. Forest Service headquarters will move from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah

Almost 90% of  U.S. Forest System land is in
the West. (Western Ag Network photo) 

The U.S. Forest Service headquarters will move from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of the Trump Administration's continued efforts to shrink the USDA by closing "research facilities in 31 states and concentrating resources in the West, reports Hannah Schoenbaum and Susan Montoya Bryan of The Associated Press. 

The restructuring will move 260 USFS staff positions to Salt Lake City, while 130 positions will stay in Washington. The move is expected to be completed by summer 2027.

Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins said the relocation will help "bring leaders closer to the landscapes they manage and the people who depend on them," AP reports.

While western states encapsulate "nearly 90% of National Forest System land. . . Utah is only the 11th-ranked state for national forest coverage, with about 14,300 square miles," Schoenbaum writes. In contrast, Idaho has roughly 31,875 to 32,000 square miles of NFS land.

According to Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden, Salt Lake City was chosen for its affordability, access to an international airport, and the state’s family-centric reputation, AP reports. "It’s a Democratic-led capital city in a red state with values rooted in the locally headquartered Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church."

Taylor McKinnon, a director of the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity, expressed concern that the relocation would benefit corporations seeking to mine or drill on public lands.

McKinnon told AP, "National forests belong to all Americans. Our nation’s capital is where federal policy is made and where the Forest Service headquarters belongs.”

Once a stalwart Republican, this Wisconsin dairy farmer is reconsidering his position because of ICE and immigration

Dairy cows wander and graze on O'Harrow Family Farm acreage.  

For decades, being a Wisconsin dairy farmer and voting Republican went hand in hand for Tim O'Harrow and his family. But GOP immigration politics and Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions are no longer in sync with the O'Harrows' experience and what they feel is moral, reports Sabrina Tavernise for The New York Times. Some family members are considering shifting their political alliances.

"Immigrant workers are the lifeblood of the O’Harrow farm, a four-generation family enterprise with 1,600 cows in northeastern Wisconsin," Tavernise writes. "But many of them will not travel to Mexico to see dying parents, or drive to nearby towns to visit siblings... because they are afraid of being swept up in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown."

The second Trump administration's approach to immigration doesn't make good business sense to Tim O'Harrow or his son, Joel, who runs the farm. Tavernise explains, "These workers oversee America’s milk. By one estimate, dairies that employ immigrant workers produce 79% of the nation’s milk supply, and the price of milk would double without them."

Tim O'Harrow knows conflicts over undocumented immigrant farm workers aren't a new problem. He's been talking to politicians in Washington and in Madison, Wisconsin, the state's capital city, for 20 years, asking them to create a visa system or path to citizenship for these vital workers. But politics have gone the opposite way.

"Washington has failed to make any meaningful changes, and Republican voters continue to be anti-immigration, particularly those in Wisconsin," Tavernise reports. "That has left the O’Harrows in an uncomfortable place — stuck between what they see as an obvious truth, that immigrants are essential to America’s food supply, and a national political mood hurtling in the other direction."

Tim O'Harrow told the Times, "I don’t know that I’m a Republican anymore. I don’t know what we are anymore.”

Both Tim and his son told the Times they would be open to voting for a Democrat in future elections. Tavernise writes, "And for the first time in 20 years, a Democratic primary will be held in their district, a sign that the party believes it has a chance to flip what has been a solidly Republican seat."

For more explanation on why a stalwart GOP family would consider voting for a Democrat, read the full story here.

Residents in Franklin County, Arkansas, rebel against Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' prison plans for their community

The proposed Franklin County prison would sit on land south
of the Arkansas River, above. (Wikipedia photo)

Franklin County, Arkansas, might be small and red-leaning, but some of its residents are ready to duke it out with Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders over a $825 million, 3,000-bed prison she has planned for 815 acres of rocky Franklin County land, reports Cameron McWhirter of The Wall Street Journal. The state quietly purchased the large track of property for the proposed prison to avoid a bidding war.

When news of the planned prison began to circulate, many Franklin County residents were shocked and angered. "Marc Dietz, 55, a businessman and rancher who operates a family-owned radio station in Ozark, said many locals felt blindsided," McWhirter writes. Dietz told him, "We’re a small county, not enough votes, and she thought she’d run roughshod."

Location of Franklin County in
Arkansas (Wikipedia map)

The resistance in Franklin County, where Sanders received 76% of the vote in her 2022 gubernatorial bid, dealt her a major setback in fulfilling her campaign promise to address the state's prison overcrowding problems. Sanders told the Journal, "Some people want this to be a fight over the money and different things. But what it really is is, do we care about the safety and security of our citizens, or do we not?”

The battle between Franklin County residents opposing the prison and state officials and lawmakers pushing to get it done "has seeped into Board of Corrections appointments, state budget discussions, a GOP primary — and some odder places," McWhirter explains. One resident has lined his farm fencing "with plastic skeletons and placards reading, 'This Prison is Going to Kill Arkansas.' Other residents joined RASH, or 'Republicans Against Sarah Huckabee.'"

Since Sanders announced the prison plan, "funding for it has stalled in the state Senate, blocked by a handful of Republican senators," McWhirter reports. "State Sen. Bart Hester said he and most GOP legislators back the Franklin County location, but a few holdouts. . . are blocking the move."

Farming fertilizer stuck in the Strait of Hormuz leaves U.S. farmers roughly 25% short of needed supply

The U.S. fertilizer supply system doesn't have fertilizer 
reserves. China's does. (Photo by L. King, Unsplash)

As the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran continues into its third week, fertilizer supplies needed by U.S. and Canadian farmers remain strangled in the Straight of Hormuz. 

The loss of fertilizer imports in March catches farmers at a time when they are planning their spring planting rotations, reports Ed White of Reuters. "More than 30% of world nitrogen fertilizer exports, as well as fertilizer components like sulfur, pass through the now effectively closed Strait of Hormuz."

Besides delaying fertilizer supplies, the war has caused existing fertilizer prices to surge. White writes, "Any available [fertilizer] supplies have spiked more than a third since the war in Iran paralyzed global trade."

Farmers in both countries can scarcely afford the disruptions, since high input, labor and fuel costs already have many farms operating with razor-thin profits or at a loss. Unlike China, U.S. fertilizer suppliers "do not hold strategic reserves of fertilizer," White adds. The lack of reserves leaves American planters vulnerable to global supply chain shortages and price volatility.

Corn and wheat crops require liberal doses of synthetic urea to grow healthy yields. White reports, "The U.S., which in some years imports half of its urea fertilizer, is about 25% short of the usual supplies that farmers buy for spring planting, according to The Fertilizer Institute, which represents the U.S. fertilizer supply chain."

Even if the Strait of Hormuz opened today, some of the fertilizer bottle-necked there might be rerouted to countries willing to pay more. Josh Linville, a fertilizer market analyst at StoneX, told Reuters, "Not only am I worried about incoming vessels being turned around to other, better-paying destinations, there's ⁠an argument to be made, if somebody was willing to go and buy up (supply on) barges, to load them onto a vessel and export it."

"The American Farm Bureau Federation warned that fertilizer supply shortages could hit the ⁠U.S. food ​supply," White adds. "Most fertilizer needs to be applied before the crop starts growing, so any supplies arriving ​too late cannot be used ⁠for the 2026 crop."

New $100,000 visa fee leaves rural schools with few options to fill in-person teaching positions

Many rural schools have depended on foreign teachers
to fill teaching positions. (Photo by K. Eliason, Unsplash)

At a time when rural schools can least afford to lose teachers, some school administrators have stopped offering international teacher contracts or contract renewals due to higher visa costs and uncertain immigration policies, reports Michael Melia of The Associated Press.

Teachers are in short supply across the U.S., with the shortage most acutely felt in rural counties that can't offer higher salaries or city amenities to recruit new educators. To fill the gaps, rural schools turned to international teachers. Melia writes, "More than 2,300 people with H-1B visas work as educators across 500 school districts."

Superintendent Vallerie Cave, who oversees schools in rural Allendale County, S.C., has consistently employed foreign teachers to fill roughly 25% of her open teaching positions, Melia reports. But this year, Cave is ending contracts and not extending new offers. She told AP, "Some of my very best teachers are having to return to their countries."

Early in 2025, the Trump administration raised H-1B visa fees to $100,000, which allowed "highly skilled foreign workers to be employed in the U.S," Melia explains. "The Trump administration argued American employees were being replaced, particularly in highly paid roles at tech companies."

In rural counties like Allendale, where poverty is high and teacher salaries are low, paying higher visa fees isn't feasible. And while many rural administrators will try to hire locally to fill gaps left by international teachers, many will add more online teaching or "consider hiring uncertified instructors, combining classes or dropping course offerings."

Some international teachers could teach in American schools with a J-1 visa, which "is not subject to the new fee," Melia adds. But many international teachers have decided not to teach in the U.S. for now and have chosen to go home. In turn, many American rural school districts are avoiding any visa issues by eliminating international teacher hires.

Like many rural school superintendents, Cave says she will do all she can to fill teaching gaps with certified teachers, but admits it will be hard. She told the AP, "I can’t really do competitive pay. For rural America, impoverished America, it is still a problem recruiting teachers.”

Opinion: America isn't broken. It's a country where 'the vast majority quietly do the right thing every single day.'

Most Americans are too busy living daily life to hate
on other Americans. (Photo by Dyana Wing So, Unsplash)

TV commentary, social media or major news websites can leave readers wondering where our country went wrong and why Americans hate each other so much. But is that honestly how average Americans see their lives and each other?

Mike Allen doesn't think so. In his opinion for Axios, Allen declares that the blasts of newsy angst and misanthropic disgust are a "ubiquitous, emphatic, verifiable lie. . . . Most Americans are too busy for social media, too normal for politics, too rational to tweet."

The most American "Super Majority" isn't online 24/7 looking for ways to throw tomatoes at other busy Americans, Allen insists. They may be at their desks grinding it out, their kids' sporting events, attending a book club or helping their neighbor with lawn care, but they are not working on hating others.

"Most Americans are patriotic, hardworking, neighbor-helping, America-loving, money-giving people who don't pop off on social media or plot for power," Allen writes. "It's the terminally online news junkies who are detached from the actual reality."

Allen writes, "Most people agree on most things, most of the time. And the data validates this, time and time again. . . . The system feels broken. The people are not."

Instead of allowing any other people to tell you who Americans are, look around you. Allen writes, "In a given year, you see hundreds of people frequently enough to appraise their character. Are they good people? Would they help shovel after a snowstorm or lift groceries for an aging neighbor? . . .We bet the answer is a resounding yes. This is America's Super Majority."

In 2024, Americans "gave $592.5 billion to charity — a record, with individuals accounting for two-thirds of it," Allen adds. "This isn't a broken nation. This is a generous one, where the vast majority quietly do the right thing every single day."

Next time you consider how you feel about your country and "your screen tells you America is broken, close it," Allen writes. "Walk outside. Talk to your neighbor. Coach the team. Go to the town meeting. That's the real America — and it's a hell of a lot better than the one being manufactured for clicks, clout and cash."

Rural voting posts bigger percentage than urban or metro in Texas primaries

Graph by The Daily Yonder, from New York Times data

Texas election primaries last week drew a big turnout, with a surprising number of rural voters showing up at the polls. "Texas primary voters turned out in striking numbers this week, with early voting fueling a surge that dominated state headlines," reports Madeline de Figueiredo of The Daily Yonder. "Compared to their urban and suburban counterparts, a greater share of rural voters cast their ballots in the Texas primaries this year."

Both parties had dramatic challenges for seats that will be highly competitive in the November elections. De Figueiredo writes, "Major outlets reported record-breaking Democratic participation in a closely-watched Senate showdown between U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett and State Representative James Talarico."

Republican voters had a hard time choosing between U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Since neither Cornyn nor Paxton received a majority, their contest moves to a runoff in May.

Amid the surge in voter engagement, rural counties led the charge. "About 26% of registered rural voters showed up to the polls on Tuesday, the highest turnout rate among all county types," the Yonder reports. "The majority of votes were cast in the Democratic primary, the first time this has occurred since the 2020 presidential primary."

The number of ballots cast across the Lone Star State in the primaries increased "47% compared to the last midterm elections in 2022," de Figueiredo writes.

Although suburban and urban voters posted the largest gains in voter turnout, rural counties still "posted the highest turnout percentage among all county types," the Yonder reports.

Energized voting bases and increased population were both cited as reasons for the increase in voter turnout.

Food manufacturers tell Trump and Republican lawmakers to choose sides

NAM's report works to explain the food industry's many moving
parts. (National Association of Manufacturers graphic)

After months of trying to avoid direct conflict with  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or drawing ire from President Donald Trump, the food industry decided it's done dodging the battle.

"America’s food-makers have a message for Trump and Republican lawmakers: You must choose between Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda and ours," reports Amanda Chu of Politico. At its core, Kennedy's "Make American Health Again" plan includes more regulation, and manufacturers say that will increase costs, potentially limit food supplies or consumer access to certain foods.

To drive their message home, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) released a video and report titled Manufacturers Feed America, which "warns the food industry is 'under increasing strain,'" Chu writes. The video explains that American consumers won't benefit from a state-by-state "patchwork" of rules that don't account for food production dynamics and challenges. The report points out that regulation will inevitably increase food prices.

NAM wants national uniform standards along with "a seat at the table on policies stemming from Kennedy’s MAHA agenda," Chu adds. NAM CEO Jay Timmons called Kennedy's policies and tactics "a business killer." Timmons maintains that Kennedy's attacks on U.S. manufacturers don't align with Trump's promise to reinvigorate U.S. manufacturing. 

Meanwhile, Kennedy has given food-maker concerns "little deference," Chu adds. "He said he thinks the deference policymakers have shown them in the past was a byproduct of the Washington swamp."

The timing of NAM's publicly shared report and video reflects the industry's awareness of "Republican vulnerabilities on the economy in an effort to push their agenda ahead of the November midterm elections," Chu writes. Midterm outcomes will "shape Trump’s influence for the remainder of his term."

Whatever the agenda, American consumers are weary of increasing food costs. Chu reports, "November’s Politico Poll with Public First found Americans across demographics rank cost of living as the nation’s top problem, with 45% naming grocery prices as their 'most challenging' expense, surpassing housing and health care costs."