Debate: Is the American Farm Bureau Federation on the side of small farmers?

Journalists debate if the Farm Bureau
Federation is on the side of farmers.
(Photo by Ainur Khakimov, Unsplash)

Ambrook Research has a debate series where two journalists each write an article arguing a side of a topic. A recent debate focused on whether the American Farm Bureau Federation is on the side of small farmers.

Nolan Monaghan, a graduate of the University of Missouri’s Center for Agroforestry, and Deanna Fox, journalist and former CEO of New York Farm Bureau, offered differing views.

Monaghan's article is titled, “Is Farm Bureau a Friend to Small Farmers?” Fox's article is: “American Farm Bureau Is a Lesson in Democracy.”

Monaghan delved into the history of the organization and its purpose when it was created. He wrote that the bureau wanted to “distinguish itself” by “taking a less economically ambitious position” and that according to Stewart Truelsen, author of Forward Farm Bureau, “the federation sought ‘equality’ within agriculture.” However, Monaghan wrote that the equality was not between farmers but between agriculture and other industries.

Fox wrote that 86% of the farming operations in America are small family farms, which the six million members of the bureau help develop policy to advocate on behalf of them. After explaining the start of the Farm Bureau Federation, Fox wrote, “One thing that has not changed is the grassroots policy development that defines the Bureau’s commitment to family farms.”

Monaghan argued that over time the bureau’s goals have shifted to be more business-focused instead of helping small farmers. “Instead of managing overproduction, the strategy of this era was to shove every calorie of output into any market the government could create on behalf of farmers.”

Eventually this came to hurt small farms, “Oversupply reared its ugly head, leading to millions of farm family balance sheets to tilt to the red. Rural banks and small businesses began closing as farms went bankrupt,” Monaghan wrote.

However, Fox said the farm bureau is actively trying to support farmers. “The respect of differing viewpoints is honored, and a commitment to providing sustenance for all Americans is the unifying thread.” Fox also wrote that, “diverse opinions have led to positions that address a range of environmental, climate, and social justice issues.”

Opinion: The strongest argument for openness in government: Facts quell rumors

Jim Pumarlo

As youths we all likely tried to hide bad behavior from our parents. The truth inevitably surfaced, and we bore the brunt of punishment. Lesson: Be up front with circumstances and repercussions typically are minimized.

Newspapers should communicate the same lesson to public officials who try to keep secret what they deem sensitive or unwelcome news: Be forthright. Make it standard procedure to volunteer the news and minimize rumors.

Newsrooms work tirelessly to deliver on the “public’s right to know,” and for good reason. In the words of David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association: Open government is essential to good government.

The public’s right to know was the thrust behind the SDNA’s support for a bill that passed this year’s Legislature to require all public boards to review the open meetings laws once a year, Bordewyk writes. “Keeping an eye on government and informing readers about public meetings are among the most important jobs for community news media organizations.”

Government transparency often centers on open records and open meetings laws, Bordewyk notes, acknowledging that laws can be confusing and lead to misunderstandings. So why not require an annual refresher course? It’s a great idea, one that should be pursued by other state press associations if it’s not already on the books.

At the same time, newspapers should not wait for the often lengthy and zigzag path of a worthy idea to reach the finish line. Why not initiate meetings with local officials to review and explore the intricacies of open meeting and data practices laws.

Newspapers certainly should stand on the letter of the law when seeking access to public information and meetings. Two other points should be stressed.

First, advance requests based on the spirit of openness – no matter what the law dictates. Challenge public officials to place themselves in the position of friends and neighbors seeking answers from City Hall. Would they be satisfied with “no comment”?

Second, underscore the value of setting benchmarks for community conversation. Meeting in secret or withholding information only fuels rumors. If gossip has reached the newspaper, those affected can rest assured it has circulated broadly, especially fueled by social media. At a minimum, hearsay exaggerates the facts. At worst, the whispers promote blatant falsehoods.

The opportunity to deliver facts straight from the source is one of the strongest arguments editors can present to those otherwise hesitant to share information. Citizens still may dismiss statements as a “company line,” but parameters have been set for community discussion.

The premise of openness should be delivered to the private sector as well. Companies and individuals are not subject to the same laws as public bodies, but they ought to be aware that their news is equally important to the community and often travels more quickly than a city council vote.

Conflicts over the public’s right to know often focus on a specific meeting or particular document. Officials also should be reminded of the value of everyday openness.

I vividly recall the “news” passed along by my photographer when I sat behind the editor’s desk. Word had reached his son’s elementary school that a teacher at the middle school had lost all his fingers in a lab experiment. We promptly tracked a story for that day’s edition. The superintendent set the record straight. The teacher lost a fingertip and all was handled very calmly and professionally.

Our first inquiry, however, went to the school principal. She refused comment, charging us with sensationalism. A few minutes later she called and canceled her subscription without even seeing our report. I’ll stand by our decision to pursue and publish the story. I’m certain we prevented a lot of misinformed table talk at dinners that evening.

I applaud Bordewyk and his association for securing legislation to require all public boards to review the open meetings laws once a year. In tandem, I encourage newspapers to pursue meetings to orient public officials on the laws. Nothing is more important in newspaper missions than to preserve and advance the public’s right to know.

Editors too often find themselves demanding information in confrontation. Seize the opportunity to structure these meetings as an effort to reach a common understanding.

Jim Pumarlo is former editor of the Red Wing Republican Eagle (Minn.). He writes, speaks and provides training on community newsroom success strategies. He is author of “Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage,” “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in Small-Town Newspapers.” He can be reached at jim@pumarlo.

Shopping rural helps small communities -- and it's a romp through one-of-a-kind gifts, practical gear and artful whimsy

Celebrating all the holidays in November and December can be more fun when shopping rural in-store or online. When gift-givers choose to buy from small-town businesses, they support local communities and get to spend their hard-earned gift-giving dollars on delightful, original items that can't be found at larger retailers. Below are just a few stops for readers to browse and hopefully, take time to enjoy the ingenuity, resourcefulness and craftsmanship rural businesses offer.

Mohr's art captures rich rural moments.

The art of Bonnie Mohr captures the beauty and spirit of life lived closer to nature. Whether it's cows, cats, old trucks, luscious landscapes or children playing in the snow, Mohr's work captures the unique perspective and warm wisdom of rural living. 

Inspired by the 1803 diary writings of midwife and tallow candle maker, Martha Ballard, 1803 Candles celebrate the nostalgia of simpler times. Like Ballard's candles, 1803 Candles are made by hand. Located in tiny, Waterman, Illinois, many of the company's employees are moms who work while their children are in school. 1803 Candles can be purchased online but can be discovered and smelled at a local shop with this handy finder.

Rural Cloth promotes rural as a lifestyle and strives to sell
high quality clothes that tout fashion and function.

Rural clothing styles are just as diverse as rural people, but for giftgivers seeking ranch, farm or outdoor life gear, the options start with flannel and go beyond. There's Rural Cloth for "those who live in small towns, like rodeos, bull riding, hunting, fishing, cold beer, backyard BBQs, and football." Duluth Trading is also a very rural pick. Headquartered in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, the company is serious about rural Americans being comfortable and ready for anything. The company even has "Fire Hose Workwear" and heirloom gardening bib overalls. Find a local store here.

Shop Rural can supply ideas and inspiration for gift-giving budgets of all sizes. The site supports "Small Towns and Small Batches" for hand-picking gifts that are special and support local artisans. The options go from craft woodworking to whimsical gnome-shaped soaps made from goat milk. Shop Rural is for small-town businesses only, so there's no mass production and the site does not take commissions. Shop Rural is still growing and has artist listing packages from $2 to $8.

Bookshop.org makes supporting independent bookstores simple. Avid readers need books, and bookgivers can choose a favorite rural/local bookstore to receive the full profit from their Bookshop.org purchases. Many smaller bookstores also offer book purchases through their own websites, which are "powered" by Bookshop. In Hazard, Kentucky, a local bookstore called "Read Spotted Newt" has a website full of local offerings along with the option to order books directly from its site through Bookshop.

When perusing the web for outdoor adventure and nature lover gifts, Rural is Rad is a stop that offers an online database featuring local businesses in Colorado. The site has beanies, nature notebooks, hand-knitted hats and gloves, specialty ski apparel, hiking equipment and hiking guides and journals to go with it.

Shopping rural helps small communities -- and it's a romp through one-of-a-kind gifts, practical gear and artful whimsy

Celebrating all the holidays in November and December can be more fun when shopping rural in-store or online. When gift-givers choose to buy from small-town businesses, they support local communities and get to spend their hard-earned gift-giving dollars on delightful, original items that can't be found at larger retailers. Below are just a few stops for readers to browse and hopefully, take time to enjoy the ingenuity, resourcefulness and craftsmanship rural businesses offer.

When perusing the web for outdoor adventure and nature lover gifts, Rural is Rad is a stop that offers an online database featuring local businesses in Colorado. The site has beanies, nature notebooks, hand-knitted hats and gloves, specialty ski apparel, hiking equipment and hiking guides and journals to go with it.

Mohr's art captures rich rural moments.

The art of Bonnie Mohr captures the beauty and spirit of life lived closer to nature. Whether it's cows, cats, old trucks, luscious landscapes or children playing in the snow, Mohr's work captures the unique perspective and warm wisdom of rural living. 

Inspired by the 1803 diary writings of midwife and tallow candle maker, Martha Ballard, 1803 Candles celebrate the nostalgia of simpler times. Like Ballard's candles, 1803 Candles are made by hand. Located in tiny, Waterman, Illinois, many of the company's employees are moms who work while their children are in school. 1803 Candles can be purchased online but can be discovered and smelled at a local shop with this handy finder.

Rural Cloth promotes rural as a lifestyle and strives to sell
high quality clothes that tout fashion and function.

Rural clothing styles are just as diverse as rural people, but for giftgivers seeking ranch, farm or outdoor life gear, the options start with flannel and go beyond. There's Rural Cloth for "those who live in small towns, like rodeos, bull riding, hunting, fishing, cold beer, backyard BBQs, and football." Duluth Trading is also a very rural pick. Headquartered in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, the company is serious about rural Americans being comfortable and ready for anything. The company even has "Fire Hose Workwear" and heirloom gardening bib overalls. Find a local store here.

Bookshop.org makes supporting independent bookstores simple. Avid readers need books, and bookgivers can choose a favorite rural/local bookstore to receive the full profit from their Bookshop.org purchases. Many smaller bookstores also offer book purchases through their own websites, which are "powered" by Bookshop. In Hazard, Kentucky, a local bookstore called "Read Spotted Newt" has a website full of local offerings along with the option to order books directly from its site through Bookshop.

Shop Rural can supply ideas and inspiration for gift-giving budgets of all sizes. The site supports "Small Towns and Small Batches" for hand-picking gifts that are special and support local artisans. The options go from craft woodworking to whimsical gnome-shaped soaps made from goat milk. Shop Rural is for small-town businesses only, so there's no mass production and the site does not take commissions. Shop Rural is still growing and has artist listing packages from $2 to $8.

Ex-FDIC chair worries bank 'bailouts' could drive deposits out of community banks; they'd have less money to lend

Federal officials' determination that two bank collapses posed “systemic risk” to the banking system, justifying their guarantee of uninsured deposits at the banks, poses a threat to smaller banks, a former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. told James Jacoby of PBS's "Frontline."

Ex-FDIC chair Sheila Bair (PBS image)

“I do worry about community banks, in particular,” said Sheila Bair, FDIC chair in 2006-2011. “For these larger institutions, $100 billion, $200 billion, that’s not huge. But if you’re a $1 billion community bank, it’s a big difference. And what happens to them if the market starts assuming anybody, say, over $100 billion is going to have their uninsured deposits protected? Then that money is going to start going out of the community banks into those institutions that are viewed as having favored status. So these one-off bailouts that are particularly just for a couple of institutions create a lot of distortions and competitive disadvantages for others.”

Referring to what she called "bailouts" of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, Bair said "It’s extraordinary that they’re singling out just a couple of midsized institutions to basically bail out all their uninsured depositors. That is extraordinary. I have never seen that before. And the systemic-risk exception itself, which is the legal mechanism they’re using, is very extraordinary to trigger. It is meant to be used very rarely when things are really dire. . . . If they think just a couple of these small institutions have to be bailed out, how resilient is the system, really?" Later, Bair said, "At this point, I still think these risks can be managed. I think that Silicon Valley Bank in particular was unusual, in that it had a lot of uninsured deposits. And it was a very concentrated group of depositors … Silicon Valley folks. And word spread very fast precipitating a bank run and that had a cascading effect on some other banks that had somewhat similar vulnerabilities though not as severe." That said, "The FDIC and the Fed have quietly bailed out most uninsured depositors since 2008," notes Los Angeles Times Washington columnist Doyle McManus.

What about us? "I would say, if you have your money in a traditional community bank or regional bank, one where you banked for a long time, that has lots of households and businesses that do business with them, have done business with them for a long time, most of their deposits were insured or with institutions that have loyalty and multiple relationships with them — that’s the vast majority of the regional banks and community banks in this country. Stay where you are, right? Don’t get scared. If you’re a household, make sure you’re under the insured deposit limits," $250,000 per depositor, per bank, in each account ownership category. "If you are, the FDIC has a perfect record. … Again, I think most banks are okay. What we need to guard against is just contagion: otherwise healthy banks starting to lose deposits just because everybody gets scared."

The threat to smaller banks is a threat to small busienss, report Justin Lahart and Telis Demos of The Wall Street Journal: "Even if any outflows are halted or reversed, small banks may now grow cautious, such as by simply sitting on more of their cash as a defensive measure. Doing so would effectively reduce their capacity to extend credit. For small and midsize businesses that rely on smaller banks, this would be worrisome, says Raghuram Rajan, an economist at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and former governor of India’s central bank. Loans to them are often based on so-called soft information that local lenders have built up over years." Rajan told the Journal, “These are loans built on strength of character and a handshake.”

Dollar stores are fastest-growing food retailers, doubling their rural share; N.C. fines biggest chain for overcharging

UPDATE, Jan. 31: North Carolina has fined more Dollar General stores, along with Family Dollar, Circle K, Target, Walmart and 7-Eleven, The Charlotte Observer reports.

Dollar stores are a help for rural families, but consumers need
to be watchful at checkout. (Photo by Bob Bawdy, Tri-City Herald)

Rural town, two-lane road, open swaths of land on either side, some homes, a small post office and . . . a dollar store. Of course, there's a dollar store! Researchers have "found that dollar stores are now the fastest-growing food retailers in the contiguous United States—and have doubled their share in rural areas," reports Tufts University in Boston, where the researchers work. "Households with more purchases at dollar stores also tend to be lower-income and headed by people of color." The study was published Jan. 19 in the American Journal of Public Health.

The study, "which the researchers believe is the first to look at this trend over the past 10 years, could have meaningful implications for nutrition policy. Food and beverages stocked by dollar stores are typically lower in nutrients and higher in calories, while only a small percentage of such shops carry fresh produce and meats," Tufts says. "Their growing footprint, especially in the remote South, is also important: These regions already have higher baseline levels of obesity and food insecurity."

Wenhui Feng, the study's first author, said “Dollar stores play an increasingly important role in household food purchases, yet research on them is lacking. Many localities have established policies such as zoning laws aiming to slow dollar store expansion even though we don’t fully understand the role that they play. Our study is one of the first to use nationally representative data to see the role of dollar stores at the household level.”

The study confirms that rural towns and dollar stores go hand in glove. Researchers Wenhui Feng and Elina T. Page "analyzed how Americans use dollar stores to access food by analyzing food-purchase data from the IRI Consumer Network. The data captured purchases from 2008 until 2020. . . . In general, as people’s income goes up, they spend less of their budget at dollar stores. . . . In rural and low-income areas, people spend on average more than five percent of their food budget at dollar stores.  . . . rural non-Hispanic Black households spend 11.6 percent of their food budgets in dollar stores. Households in the rural South also spend in large numbers."

“The South is a hot spot,” said Sean Cash, food economist and senior author of the study. “The dollar-store business model originated in the South. They have more distribution centers there, and there’s also more consumer demand.”

The chain is not without its problems. North Carolina fined Dollar General Corp. for over-charging customers at the register. In Ohio, Attorney General Dave Yost is seeking a temporary restraining order against the company, reports Kevin P. Curran of Seeking Alpha: "Yost said that the discount retailer has habitually charged higher prices at registers than advertised on shelves. This trend has continued despite his filing of a suit against the chain in November."

Holiday roundup: Blizzard creates a temporary community of travelers; an enchanted garden also cultivates people

The Alabama Hotel in Basom, N.Y., hosted more than 100 people in the storm. (Photo by Joe Bradt)

When the big blizzard closed the New York State Thruway (I-90) west of Batavia, some travelers headed north on NY 77 and found refuge in the hamlet of Alabama, specifically the Alabama Hotel. "The restaurant was founded in 1840 as a hotel/bar, but it hadn't welcomed overnight visits for decades," Tracey Drury reports for Buffalo Business First. Owner Joe Bradt told CNN some thought from online searches that the inn had rooms to rent, but they had to stay in its 70-seat dining room. Bradt said the guests "came together; they were cooking, they were washing disches, they were busing tables; it was a sight like no other."

The youngest daughter of Donna Reed, who plays Jimmy Stewart's wife in "It's a Wonderful Life," has made it her mission to ensure that small-town theaters can show the classic 1946 film, which was more difficult this year, Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post reports.

The Post's Sydney Page has another nice holiday feature, about a 100-year-old woman in an assisted-living facility in Lexington, Va., who makes custom jackets by hand and gives them away!

Woodlake, California (Google map)

At the foot of the Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, Calif., "where square acre after square acre of industrial farmland is planted in precise rows, an unusual garden grows and climbs and spirals, writes Diana Marcum of the Los Angeles Times. "Papaya, bananas, jujube, three types of guava — fruits that speak of faraway homelands — flourish at the 13-acre Woodlake Botanical Garden . . . No chemicals are used here. Visitors are welcome to pick any fruit they see and to sit in spots so deeply shaded they stay cool in the summer heat and dry in the rains that don’t come often enough." And there's a flock of pelicans in Bravo Lake, in one of many nice photos by Tomas Ovalle. But Manuel and Olga Jimenez also cultivate people. Nice story.

Photo essay: A bypassed town tries to keep going

The big road in Crab Orchard, Kentucky, is US 150, which began as the northwest leg of the Wilderness Road blazed by Daniel Boone and others. But now the federal route bypasses the town of 700-plus, leaving KY 39 as Main Street.

Story and photos by Richard Yarmy

Kentucky Route 39 is a two-track strip of pavement running out of horse country near Lancaster, Ky., that cuts right through the heart of Crab Orchard — one of the bypassed villages scattered all across the country.

There's still a place to eat, on the former US 150 (now KY 2750).

No Trader Joe’s, no Sam’s Club or Costco — just an abandoned movie house, and some closed cinder block storefronts. I’ve passed by several times, but decided to stop the other day.

I was kneeling in the middle of the highway, framing the movie house when a car pulled up behind me. It was a police cruiser. The window came down and the officer said: “Did you get your shot?” I said I did, and he said: “OK, I thought you might want me to stop traffic while you worked.”

He was the first car I had seen in the 20 minutes I had been there.

Later when focusing on a faded wall with a Coca-Cola sign rapidly disappearing, another gentleman stopped by in an older pick-up.

“Whatcha doin’?”

The theater still advertises its last movies. To enlarge any image, click on it.

“I’m documenting the town, “ I said.

“Well, if you need anything, let me know, I’m on the town council and I can show you around.”

I told him about meeting the police officer.

He said: You didn’t meet an officer — you met the entire Crab Orchard police force.

Nice people, nice town. Glad I stopped.

I hope they get the funds to restore the theater. I will send a check.

Crab Orchard is in Lincoln County, where the Bluegrass gives way to Appalachia. Yarmy told The Rural Blog, "Little adventures like this one is what I think is meant by the cliché 'stop and smell the roses'." More photos from his sojourn in Crab Orchard are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/140962699@N06/albums/72177720304074291.

N.M. group pushes for a state public bank, citing N.D. example and touting benefits for small communities, farmers

Angela Merkert

Public banks – which are virtually non-existent in the U.S. – could be a major benefit to agriculture and other small, rural businesses, said Angela Merkert, the executive director of the Alliance For Local Economic Prosperity, in an interview with the Daily Yonder. The New Mexico-based alliance is working to push the state legislature to establish a public bank – a financial institution managed by the government in the public's interest.

North Dakota is the only state with a public bank, and that state had the lowest unemployment rate throughout the 2008 recession, a feat which Merkert said is creditable to an oil boom and programs of the bank. In New Mexico, one of the groups most interested in how a public bank could help small business is the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council. Lending programs from a public bank could help generate food processing businesses to keep the state's food production profits inside state lines.

"About 95 percent of our agricultural products go outside the state for processing and then we bring back 94 to 95 percent of those processed foods into the state," Merkert said. "A number of people involved in agriculture would like to see those percentages decreased."

Farmers relying on short-term loans that can be paid off "in the fall or early winter when the crops are in" could also benefit from a public bank, Merkert said. Fewer community banks support those types of short loans, but a public bank could step into that void. Opponents of the bank proposal, Merkert said, are often those who call for smaller government.

Rural communities lost 10% of their retail pharmacies in the last 20 years, and most were independents', not chains'

Change in count of independent pharmacies, 2003-21: rural in red, micropolitan
(10,000-50,000 city pop.) in green (RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis)

"Rural America is losing pharmacies, especially independently owned drug stores that are mainstays of rural communities," Liz Carey reports for The Daily Yonder. "Challenged by slow payments, decreasing reimbursements from insurance companies and Medicare, and growing competition, nearly 600 independent rural pharmacies have closed since 2003, a study from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis at the University of Iowa found. During the same period, the number of franchise pharmacies fell by about 70, while chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens grew by about 90 stores."

In that time frame, the number of rural retail pharmacies fell 9.8% while the number in metro counties grew 15.1%. "Of the retail rural pharmacies, independently owned pharmacies declined by 16.1%, while the number of independently owned metropolitan pharmacies increased by 28.2%," Carey reports. "There were 3,698 independently owned rural pharmacies in 2003. By 2021, there were only 3,102. Nearly half of the pharmacies located in rural areas are sole, independently owned retail stores, researchers said."

Negotiated pricing is a major reason for the closures, said one of the study's authors. When pharmacies' costs go up, reimbursements from insurance providers, Medicare and Medicaid sometimes don't keep pace. Delays in those reimbursements are a problem too. "Additionally, competition from not just the chain pharmacies, but mail-order pharmacy services works against the independent retail store," Carey reports. "Another challenge, researchers said, is the aging rural population, and the difficulties handling these more complex patient cases."

USDA to invest $770 million to help rural businesses in 36 states with job training, technical assistance and more

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA "is investing $770 million to help create new and better market opportunities for rural businesses and people in 36 states and Puerto Rico. The investments include $640 million for 122 projects to help people living in socially vulnerable communities," Successful Farming reports. "The funding will help a diverse rural America keep resources and wealth right at home through job training, business expansion and technical assistance. It will help companies hire more workers and reach new customers. It will open the door to new economic opportunities for communities and people who historically have lacked access to critical resources and financing. It will also help entrepreneurs and business cooperatives create jobs, grow businesses, and find new and better markets for the items they produce."

The funding will be routed through three programs: the Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program, the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Programs, and the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program. Here's the complete list. Projects receiving the funding are in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming and Puerto Rico.

Pandemic roundup: nearly 500 law enforcement officers have died from Covid-19; 'Long Covid' affects more than half of virus survivors; hospital vaccine mandates working

Here's a roundup of recent news stories about the pandemic and vaccination efforts:

Nearly 500 law enforcement officers have died from Covid-19 in the U.S. The infection has become the leading cause of death among law enforcement. Read more here.

Because of the Delta variant surge, Americans from all walks of life say they're struggling more with education, finances, and well-being—especially households already on the financial edge and racial minorities. That's according to a recent poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Read more here.

Some Native American tribes are offering cash incentives for coronavirus vaccinations. Read more here.

About 41% of hospitals in the U.S. have a coronavirus vaccine mandate for employees. Though some employees have quit rather than get vaccinated, hospitals say the mandates haven't led to the widespread staffing shortages feared. Read more here.

Some small businesses, especially those nearing 100 employees, are having a harder time navigating vaccine mandates. Read more here.

More than half the people diagnosed with Covid-19 suffer lingering after-effects called "long Covid," according to a new study from Penn State. Read more here.

Breakthrough infections might not be as big a threat as previously though, new research suggests. Essentially, vaccinated people may transmit a weaker form of the virus that has been hobbled by antibodies. One writer posits that the milder form of Covid-19 should have a different name. That's appropriate, she writes, since Covid-19 isn't the name of the virus, but the disease that develops from the novel coronavirus, and a much milder disease should be identified as such. There are logistical problems with that notion—as the writer herself notes—but it's an interesting idea, and deserves notice for differentiating between the coronavirus and Covid-19.

Tennessee doctors who spread coronavirus misinformation can face disciplinary action, including suspension or having their medical license revoked, thanks to a new policy of the Tennessee Board of Medicine. Read more here.

Nearly one-third of parents surveyed—33%—say they are "very unlikely" to get their children vaccinated against the coronavirus if it becomes available for ages 5 to 11. Meanwhile, 28% said they were "very likely" to get their kids vaccinated, 18% were "somewhat likely" and 21% were either "somewhat unlikely" or "unsure." Read more here.

American adults age 65 and up have an 83.3% coronavirus vaccination rate nationwide, the highest of any age group. But they are also the most likely age group to be hospitalized or die from Covid-19, representing nearly 80% of all such deaths as of Sept. 29, 2021. A study has found that Covid-19 deaths among seniors during the Delta surge were higher in states with lower vaccination rates, adding to the wealth of evidence attesting to the vaccine's efficacy. Read more here.

Hundreds of thousands of the nation's 2.1 million troops remain unvaccinated or partially vaccinated against the coronavirus as mandate deadlines near. Read more here.

There is little evidence to suggest that ivermectin can treat Covid-19. But despite the lack of data, 4 in 10 Americans, and 7 in 10 heavy users of conservative news media, say they would take the drug if they had been exposed to someone with Covid-19, according to a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. How did people get the notion that ivermectin treats Covid-19? The Washington Post traces the phenomenon.

An essay from The Atlantic offers six principles to keep in mind as the pandemic enters its second winter, including: the people at greatest risk from the virus will keep changing. Read more here.

'Sign war,' all in good fun, breaks out in Kentucky town as local businesses try to bring in more customers

A sign outside First United Bank and Trust Company
in Madisonville, Kentucky, pop. 20,000 (Photo provided)

Locally owned businesses—and at least one church—in Madisonville, Kentucky, population 20,000, are engaging in a goofy "sign war" to drum up more business and, hopefully, a few more smiles. 

The war consists of over-the-top sidewalk signs that often make fun of other businesses. "The war has been ongoing for over a week with no signs of slowing down. More than 70 businesses are partaking in the action," Christopher Leach reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. "The Chamber of Commerce has served as the mediator for the war, sharing all the creative signs they see on their Facebook page. One of latest signs to be shared on the page came from Life Apostolic Church, which claimed its 'Sundays' were better than the sundaes offered at Dairy Queen."

Businesses report increased social-media traffic and profits since the sign war began. One local business owner told Leach the goal was to keep it going through the holidays. Click here for more examples.

Feds create portal to forgive PPP loans after banks drag feet; top banks opt out, leaving businesses at their mercy

Three major lenders participating in the Paycheck Protection Program have opted out of a new process that would allow the Small Business Administration to directly forgive businesses' loans. Lenders representing only half of all outstanding PPP loans have opted in. That leaves small businesses with no other recourse if their bank won't forgive the loan or drags out the process, Bryce Covert reports for The Intercept. Click here for a searchable database of PPP loan applications.

Small-business owners were urged to take out PPP loans early in the pandemic; the loans, the SBA promised, would be forgiven if spent mostly on payroll, and would essentially become grants. But many small-business owners have had a hard time getting their lenders to forgive their loans. "Banks were incentivized to issue PPP loans through the fees they generated, but they don’t receive any fees to push forgiveness through, and they’ve dragged their feet," Covert reports. "Of the total PPP loans that have been issued, less than half have been forgiven thus far."

The SBA announced in late July a portal that would allow some small-business owners to do an end-run around such banks and get direct government forgiveness of their loans. But the portal was opt-in, and "Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and PNC have all decided to opt out, according to emails shared with The Intercept," Covert reports. "As of the end of May, JPMorgan Chase was the top PPP lender, followed by Bank of America in the No. 2 spot; PNC is No. 11."

The three banks have touted their streamlined forgiveness processes and implied that the SBA portal was unnecessary. However, "for some business owners, being cut off from the SBA’s direct program could mean they can’t get some or all of their loans forgiven at all," Covert reports. "Some banks have been contacting small business owners in recent months and telling them that they shouldn’t have received the original amount they received — which the banks themselves approved — and requiring the owners to pay back the difference. But many told The Intercept that they used the money correctly and had fully expected to have their entire loans forgiven."

Small Business Administration offers pandemic-recovery grants up to $5 million to local governments, businesses

A new Small Business Administration initiative, the Community Navigator Pilot program, will provide millions in grants to eligible organizations, including state and local governments, to speed post-pandemic economic recovery. "State and local governments are among the entities eligible to apply for the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot program, which will offer $100 million in grants to agencies that develop a system to deliver services to underserved small businesses," Andrea Noble reports for Route Fifty. "The program offers eligible organizations, including governments, grants from $1 million to $5 million."

The government has already provided targeted relief from the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program and other programs, but many businesses could use advice and support in navigating the new economy, Bruce Strong, the state director of the Minnesota Small Business Development Center Network, told Noble. Even businesses that got PPP loans could benefit from a navigator program to ensure they use and document the funds properly, he said.

The program will award grants to up to 100 programs. The application deadline is in July, and the SBA expects to announce the awards in August. Click here for more information.

What's in the House relief-and-stimulus bill

The House Budget Committee began marking up the $1.9 trillion economic aid bill today at 1 p.m. Markups are expected to be minor, so here's some of what's in the bill as of now:

• $4 billion for the Agriculture Department to buy and distribute agricultural products to those in need, to extend grants and loans to smaller producers, to improve agricultural supply-chain resiliency, and help pay for necessary expenses related to crop losses (including weather-related losses).
• $100 million from the overall USDA funding to reduce the amount of overtime inspection costs borne by small and very small federally inspected meat, poultry or egg processors. 
• $500 million from the overall USDA funding for need-based grants to help rural health-care providers with pandemic-related expenses.
• $1,400 in direct aid for people earning up to $75,000 per year, with declining amounts on a sliding scale to a hard cut-off at $100,000.
• An increase of the child tax credit from the current $2,000 per child to $3,000 for each child 6 to 17 and $3,600 for those under age 6. The credit would have the same income thresholds as the stimulus checks, and it would become fully refundable so more low-income parents could take advantage, Payments would be distributed monthly rather than as a lump sum once a year.
• Continuation of tax credits through Oct. 1 to employers who choose to offer paid family leave and sick leave. The mandatory leave approved in a previous relief package would not be reinstated.
• A 15% increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (formerly food stamps) would continue through September, instead of expiring at the end of June.
• $880 million for the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.
• States would be allowed to continue the Pandemic-EBT program, which provides families whose children's schools are closed with funding to replace free- and reduced-price meals that the kids would have received, through the summer.
• $195.3 billion to state governments, including the District of Columbia. 
• $130.2 billion to local governments, to be divided evenly among cities and counties. 
• $20 billion to tribal governments and $4.5 billion to territorial governments.
• $19.1 billion to state and local governments to help low-income households cover back rent, rent assistance, and utility bills.
• About $10 billion to help struggling homeowners pay their mortgages, utilities and property taxes.
• $5 billion to help state and local governments help the homeless.
• $14 billion for coronavirus vaccine research, development, distribution, and compliance outreach efforts. 
• $46 billion for coronavirus testing, contact tracing and mitigation, including laboratory capacity, community-based testing sites, and mobile testing units, especially in medically underserved areas.
• $7.6 billion to hire 100,000 public-health workers to support the coronavirus response.
• $128.5 billion for K-12 schools to make them safer to reopen by reducing class sizes, modifying classrooms to enhance social distancing, installing ventilation systems, buying personal protective equipment, and hiring more nurses and counselors.
• Nearly $40 billion for colleges and universities to defray pandemic-related expenses and provide emergency aid to students for expenses such as food, housing, and computer equipment. 
• $39 billion to help child-care providers with operating expenses.
• $25 billion for a new program benefiting restaurants and bars hurt by the pandemic. The grants would provide up to $10 million per business with a limit of $5 million per physical location.
• $7.25 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program. The bill would also make more non-profit organizations eligible for PPP funds.
• $175 million for outreach and promotion to help target businesses eligible for PPP funds.
• Expanded federal unemployment benefits would be extended, with an increase from $300 a week to $400 a week through Aug. 29.
• The federal minimum wage would gradually rise to $15 per hour by June 2025, and then be adjusted to increase at the same rate as median hourly wages. This provision may violate the parliamentary rules being used to pass the bill.
• Federal premium subsidies for Affordable Care Act policies would be made more generous, and the maximum income cap would be eliminated for two years. Enrollees would pay no more than 8.5% of their income towards coverage, down from nearly 10% now. And those earning more than the current cap of 400% of the federal poverty level (about $51,000 for an individual and $104,800 for a family of four) would become eligible.
• Federal subsidies for lower-income ACA enrollees would be eliminated completely, as would those for people collect unemployment benefits in 2021.
• Laid-off workers who want to remain on their employer's health-insurance plans would have to pay only 15% of the premium through the end of September.
• Federal matching funds for states that that expand Medicaid to low-income adults would be boosted by 5 percentage points for two years.
• $15 billion for the Emergency Injury Disaster Loan program, which provides long-term, low-interest loans through the Small Business Administration. Severely impacted businesses with fewer than 10 workers will be given priority for some of the money.

Small Business Saturday, an opportunity to support and promote local businesses, is Nov. 28

The pandemic has hit small businesses particularly hard, but here's a way you can help them: encourage folks to shop local on Small Business Saturday, which will be Nov. 28 this year.

American Express launched the observance in 2010, and has adjusted its messaging to reflect the pandemic. It is emphasizing online shopping this year, and notes that 62 percent of American small businesses reported that they must see consumer spending return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2020 in order to stay in business.

Local businesses often have a symbiotic relationship with local news media, so promoting Small Business Saturday helps everyone. The website includes a searchable map with a list of locally owned businesses in your area, as well as facts, graphics, and other resources for news stories. 

Study shows how rural small businesses' proximity to each other in town helps them weather the pandemic

The pandemic has hurt many small businesses and local economies, especially in rural areas. But relief is slower to reach rural businesses. So the Brookings Institution's Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking and the National Main Street Center studied how small businesses' proximity to each other in a commercial corridor, or shopping district, could help them survive, Michael Powe and Hanna Love report for the Brookings Institution.

"The benefits of urban downtowns are well documented, as density and proximity to people, jobs, and amenities can help fuel population and economic growth. And although NMSC has long touted the similar benefits of revitalizing downtowns in rural communities, the advantages of rural downtowns are not as widely documented," Powe and Love report. "Now, understanding these dynamics is more imperative than ever. The pandemic is putting rural downtowns—many of which are still struggling to recover from the last recession—in an increasingly precarious economic position due to their heavy reliance on retail and restaurants, as well as their limited access to the capital and broadband infrastructure small businesses now need to survive."

The Bass Center and NMSC recently conducted a survey of small businesses that netted more than 2,000 respondents, many in rural areas. They asked about the businesses' physical proximity to other businesses and how the pandemic has affected their bottom lines. "Regardless of location, small business owners reported acute economic hardship, with many drawing on personal savings, retirement accounts, and personal assets to cover their operating costs through the crisis," Powe and Love report. 

But proximity and density made a difference. In nearly every circumstance, small businesses in older commercial corridors and Main Streets—with proximity to other businesses, resources, and amenities—were more likely to leverage their physical location to withstand the crisis than businesses in other locations," Powe and Love report. "Prior to the pandemic, during stay-at-home orders, and at present, small businesses in commercial corridors and Main Streets more often used their locations to coordinate with other nearby businesses, collaborate with business associations, adapt operations, and attract people visiting other nearby businesses or tourist attractions."

Poynter offers primer for covering accelerating business bankruptcies during the pandemic

More than a hundred major businesses of all sizes, from J.C. Penney to J. Crew, have declared bankruptcy in recent weeks, citing the economic pressures of the pandemic as the underlying cause. But the phenomenon is much farther-reaching than that, and local journalists have much to cover.

To that end, Poynter offers a primer on bankruptcies, including what the different types mean and other important background information, a link to a frequently-updated Bloomberg database of larger business bankruptcies, and tips and tools to help journalists navigate court records and cover bankruptcy stories. Read more here.

80 groups plan economic transition for coal communities

Eighty national, regional and local groups have proposed a "National Economic Transition Platform to support struggling coal mining cities and towns, some facing severe poverty, in Appalachia, the Illinois Basin, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona and elsewhere," James Bruggers reports for Inside Climate News.

The plan funded by the Just Transition Fund "stresses support for small businesses and payments for workers while transitioning to family-sustaining jobs," Bruggers writes. "It calls for reclamation and reuse of coal sites and new community infrastructure, including public health facilities and schools. Coal companies, under the plan, would be held accountable during bankruptcies."

Some of the groups aren't for the Green New Deal, "the proposed massive shift in federal spending to create jobs and hasten a transition to clean energy that's divided Republicans and Democrats," Bruggers notes, but Just Transition Fund Executive Director Heidi Binko told him they agree on principles of community-based economic development for coalfield communities and their plan could be used as a template for any legislative initiatives aimed at helping them.