Friday quick hits: Rural top-flick picks; dairy funds; heat can kill; racial voting division; bread debate; hop on a new train

Eita Okuno, Anna Sawai, and Hiromoto Ida in 'Shōgun.' (FX /IMDb image via The Daily Yonder)

On steamy days when the pool is too crowded and you can't handle any more of Mother Nature's energy-sucking heat, it might be time to chill indoors and take in a rural flick. From the "Mad Max Saga" to wrestling's fierce Von Erich family drama to the stunning "craftsmanship and costuming" in "Shōgun," Adam B. Giorgi of The Daily Yonder has some fine movie picks that will make relaxing in the AC much more fun.

In states with the highest number of drug overdose deaths, patients in treatment for mental illness often live with an opioid use disorder that mental health clinics are unable to treat, a study showed. "Despite high rates of opioid use disorder among people with mental health disorders, only a third of community outpatient mental health treatment facilities in 20 high-burden states offered medications for OUD," reports Shannon Firth of MedPage Today. "Among the 450 community outpatient mental health treatment facilities surveyed, weighted estimates showed that 34% offered medications for OUD, reported study co-author Jonathan Cantor, PhD. JAMA Network Open published the study in June.

Jersey Scoops capitalized on the USDA's new small
dairy initiative. (Jersey Scoops photo)

What's better than locally made ice cream or homestead cheeses? More of both. At least that's what the Department of Agriculture seems to think. The USDA is funding a new initiative that "aims to transform and diversify the dairy industry, one small producer at a time," reports Naoki Nitta of Civil Eats. "At 'Jersey Scoops' in Loleta, a small, unincorporated community in Northern California’s Humboldt County, the ice cream is as fresh as it gets. From pasture to parlor, its organic, butterfat-rich milk travels less than 10 miles, produced by a herd of Jerseys pasture-raised on the misty coast. . . . But Jersey Scoops didn’t get here on their own; they leveraged a $60,000 grant from the Pacific Coast Coalition’s Dairy Business Innovation Initiative to secure both the space and equipment." Learn about how local cheese ventures are leveraging this funding here.

As global temperatures continue to spike, awareness of heat-related illnesses is especially vital for outdoor workers and their employers. Heat can make workers sick, but it can also be deadly, reports Seth Borenstein of The Associated Press. "With much of the United States, Mexico, India and the Middle East suffering through blistering heat waves. . . several doctors, physiologists and other experts explained what happens to the human body in such heat." To find out how heat kills, click here.

Handmade bread is much different than mass produced
loaves. (Bluegrass Baking Company photo)

Bread is considered a U.S. family staple for affordable nutrition, but the processing that creates a uniform and stay-fresh loaf has landed "packaged bread in the middle of a fraught debate over 'ultra-processed food,'" reports Jesse Newman for The Wall Street Journal. "Less-processed foods tend to be more expensive and quicker to spoil. . . . For bakers like Jim Betts, owner of Bluegrass Baking Company in Lexington, Ky., most packaged bread is a far cry from the food that has been sustaining humanity for at least 10,000 years." To read why homemade bread is so dramatically different and more pricey than store-bought loaves, click here.

The U.S. rural-urban voter divide primarily exists among whites, a new study published in Politics, Groups, and Identities found. Kate Blackwood for PHYS.org reports, "When it comes to politics, Black and Latino residents of rural America differ far less, if at all, from their urban counterparts than do non-Hispanic white residents, the researchers report." One of the study's authors, Suzanne Mettler, told Blackwood, "Rural and urban Americans began moving apart politically in the late 1990s, and the division has widened and deepened since then. . .We wanted to know whether all Americans, regardless of race and ethnicity, are swept up in this growing cleavage.

A Borealis Amtrak train rounds the corner
surrounded by Midwestern fall colors. (Amtrak photo)

Midwestern states have been busy working to add more train services to their transportation portfolios. The new Amtrak Borealis service between Chicago and St. Paul opened last month after 12 years of planning, reports Daniel C. Volk of Route Fifty. "The new service was also a breakthrough. It is the first new passenger route launched in Minnesota since 1975, and the first in Wisconsin in more than two decades. . . . Officials in both states — like dozens of others across the country — are now planning for even more new passenger routes, because of incentives in President Joe Biden’s 2021 infrastructure law." Borealis trains include wide reclining seats, ample legroom, free Wi-Fi and views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and La Crosse, Wisc., in daylight in both directions across Wisconsin.

Opinion: Why America is still 'an experiment worth pursuing'

Abraham Lincoln wrote that while America's prosperity was dependent upon the union of the states,
'the primary cause' was the principle of 'Liberty to all.' (Adobe Stock photo)

Two hundred years ago, 19th-century French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville described the United States as "exceptional." Not even 10 years ago, Pew Research Center polls found Americans more upbeat than people in other wealthy nations. While not scientific, should you search "what's great about living in America?" or "what's great about being an American?" you'll discover pages upon pages richly filled with why America -- despite its failings and current political turmoil -- is still one of the best places to live in the world. In 2023, The Washington Post's Editorial Board offered an opinion on why Independence Day is still worth celebrating. Some lightly edited highlights are below.

There is a tide of worry about a lack of civic cohesion, intense partisanship, and, to some, a sense of hopelessness. July Fourth, however, is a day to celebrate, among other national virtues, the United States’ proven capacity for renewal and self-improvement. The staying power of our system comes from its ability to correct and recalibrate. Free elections and open markets create a dynamism that increases political and economic freedom.

The genius of America is that it’s built for give and take, accommodation and compromise, checks and balances, reform and reaction. People in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and Cuba aspire to freedom. But their systems don’t tolerate constructive dissent.

Yes, we hear people who should know better say things have never been this bad. Measured by almost every metric, the United States is better off than 200 — or even 20 — years ago. Start with economic well-being: The U.S.-led global order has brought millions out of poverty. America remains the capital of medical, technological and artistic invention.

The framers designed a self-healing system that also allows for moral growth. We carry the scars of the Civil War, the Jim Crow era, the Great Depression, McCarthyism, Watergate and Vietnam but came out of them a better people. The country that initially counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person twice elected a Black president.

So why are many Americans no longer as proud of their country? Corrosive partisanship is no small part of the answer. . . . Alarmingly, across party lines, just 18% of 18-to-34-year-olds say they’re extremely proud of this country. This generation grew up amid the dislocation of the Great Recession, seemingly endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, school shootings and active-shooter drills. . . . .With these frames of reference, fear and hopelessness are unsurprising. A decline in national pride ought not be viewed in isolation from daily events, but these events also provide evidence of this nation’s resiliency. . .

Fourth of July weekend events are good places for Americans
to hang out together and celebrate. (Adobe Stock photo)

Even the chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border. . . is a reminder that this country remains a beacon of opportunity so powerful that people around the world are willing to take enormous risks to move into what they understand to be a promised land.

Between baseball and barbecue, let’s all take a deep breath. . . . Despite the corrosiveness of self-doubt and political tribalism, there is much to celebrate. American values have matured and endured, and while our union is still far from perfect, we continue to believe it’s an experiment worth pursuing."

Opinion: Indictments aren't enough to account for law enforcement's 'epic' failures at Uvalde school shooting

Teachers and students followed active shooter survival steps.
Law officers did not. (Adobe Stock photo)

On May 24, 2022, Salvador Ramos, 18, entered Robb Elementary School with his AR-15-style rifle and started looking for victims. When shots rang out from his gun, teachers and students implemented their live shooter training. The Uvalde, Texas, police arrived at the scene within five minutes of the first 911 call, but they did not enter the building. In the 77 minutes it took for police to breach classroom 112, 19 children and two teachers were shot dead.

Last week a grand jury indicted former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo and former school police officer Adrian Gonzales on criminal charges for failing to protect the victims, but many Uvalde residents feel the indictments fail to hold the larger law enforcement community accountable, writes Neil Sturdevant in his commentary for the Uvalde Leader-News. "Perhaps to some, the 29 felony indictments for child endangerment/abandonment feel like justice served, but we think otherwise. Other officers, especially those in leadership positions who failed to intervene. . . should not walk away without consequences."

Arredondo served as the "de facto on-scene commander," as concluded in the 575-page Department of Justice report released last January. "The veteran officer bore direct responsibility to protect life on the Robb campus," Sturdevant explains. But his mistakes multiplied the victims. He treated the shooter as though he was a "barricaded suspect" instead of an active shooter in a school filled with young pupils. 

Gonzales was the "first on the scene and was able to quickly identify the classroom where the carnage was unfolding. . . and yet he did not approach the classroom," Sturdevant writes. "Gonzales had undergone active shooter training and taught the course earlier that year." But Arredondo and Gonzales weren't the only officers who abandoned students and teachers. Four other officers actively delayed intervention, which allowed more children to be shot or bleed to death while they waited for help.

"We wonder how evidence presented to grand jurors failed to illicit similar indictments for [those other] men," Sturdevant asks. "The same can be said for members of the Uvalde Police Department, elite Texas Rangers and state police who milled in the Robb hallway during the rampage killing. . . . Now two men stand alone as the sole source of blame for one of the most incompetent police responses in U.S. history."

"How does Uvalde district attorney Christina Michell look families in the eye and say this is a good deal? Mountains of evidence outlined a failure of epic proportions," Sturdevant writes. "The children and teachers who were carried, limped or dragged from their classrooms. . .were clearly abandoned by police. Now our criminal justice system has failed to right those grievous wrongs."

Supreme Court blocks Purdue Pharma opioid settlement; agreement 'broke a basic tenet of bankruptcy law'

OxyContin's success made the Sacklers billionaires
and sparked the U.S. opioid crisis. (A.S. photo)

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Purdue Pharma opioid bankruptcy agreement that would have safeguarded Sackler family members from civil liability suits related to the opioid crisis.

"In a 5-to-4 decision, the justices found that the deal, carefully negotiated over years with states, tribes, local governments and individuals, had broken a basic tenet of bankruptcy law by shielding members of the Sackler family from lawsuits without the consent of those who might sue," reports Abbie Van Sickle of the New York Times. Purdue Pharma, which was owned by the Sackler family who developed and marketed the prescription painkiller OxyContin, is "largely considered to have ignited the [opioid] crisis."

Meanwhile, there are more than 100,000 opioid victim families waiting for financial restitution from Purdue Pharma. For some, the ruling is considered a setback. Other family members welcomed the decision. Van Sickle writes, "Although most creditors who voted on the proposed plan supported it, Justice Gorsuch wrote, 'fewer than 20 percent of eligible creditors participated' and 'thousands of opioid victims voted against the plan, too, and many pleaded with the bankruptcy court not to wipe out their claims against the Sacklers without their consent.'"

As Van Sickle reports, the court's majority "homed in on the method the Sacklers used to insulate themselves from opioid-related lawsuits, finding that a third party could not use the bankruptcy system to shield themselves from litigation, binding others without their consent. . . . This approach, Justice Gorsuch wrote, allowed them to win relief 'without securing the consent of those affected or placing anything approaching their total assets on the table for their creditors.'"

The proposed deal would have required the Sacklers to pay up to $6 billion over 18 years, but its building blocks demonstrate the tightrope negotiators are trying to walk between getting family members, states and tribes money now, even if the agreement shielded the Sacklers' personal wealth. "In a strongly worded dissent, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, "warned of the consequences for the tens of thousands of families seeking compensation," Van Sickle reports. "Justice Kavanaugh wrote that upending the settlement to prevent the Sacklers from escaping future litigation would only add to the pain of opioid victims and their families."

Within the deal's bankruptcy reorganization, Purdue Pharma "would become a 'public benefit' company with a mission focused on opioid education and abatement," Van Sickle reports. "The company, with the help of the Sacklers’ planned contributions, offered individual victims payments from a base amount of $3,500 up to a ceiling of $48,000." Purdue Pharma has committed to working toward a new settlement deal.

Opinion: Will the public be notified of water problems? EPA and states often let the information be obscured.

John Galer

The following is a column by John Galer, chair of the National Newspaper Association and publisher of The Journal-News in Hillsboro, Illinois.

If you are aware of the Marion County (Kansas) Record, it is probably because you winced at the dings and dents inflicted upon the First Amendment when the local police department conducted a raid on the Record’s offices in 2023. Publisher Eric Meyer stood up to the police with a civil liberties lawsuit, put his paper out in spite of the harassment from law enforcement and reminded audiences all over the country about the importance of community newspapers.

What you might not know is that the Record is at it again — this time exposing the damage to the public’s right to know when water quality public notices are entrusted to self-reporting on government websites.

Ironically, the Record is in the same state whose attorney general recently gave Wichita — the state’s largest city — the ability to eliminate its newspaper notices and instead publish on the city’s website.

How well does this self-reporting work? We need only to look to the EPA’s and state agencies’ reporting requirements for water quality.

EPA used to require a newspaper notice. Then it “modernized” its methodology and set up a three-tied communications system for alerting the public to drinking water problems. The new guidance now doesn’t even mention newspapers. For immediate risks to human health, the only requirement for use of news media is a mention to broadcast media (remember them—they are the ones who no longer have local reporters in a majority of their markets.) Presumably, this notification would be through a press release. Translation: free media. Presumably, the broadcast outlet would be free to ignore it or forget to read their email to pick it up in the first place.

The water agency also can post the notice in “conspicuous locations.” We are remembering a recent public health experience when most people didn’t go outside their homes. We wonder which “conspicuous locations” would have served then. Hand delivery of notices to persons served by the water system is also allowed. We are betting that is a rare occurrence.

How well does this new system work?

Not so well, according to EPA’s inspector general. Agencies responsible for issuing public notices failed to meet requirements about 6,000 times per year on average. As a result, citizens were not notified that the Safe Drinking Water Act passed by Congress in 1974 was not being followed. In short, people might have been drinking polluted water, unaware.

After the debacles in Flint, Michigan, where taxpayers had to foot millions of dollars in damages and legal fees for drinking water problems — per the existence of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water near key military bases in North Carolina and Georgia — a person might think water quality would be higher on enforcing agencies’ agendas.

Back to Marion, Kansas.

The notice used by the city water authorities was a copy of a compliance report included in water bills. But one month, the report didn’t show up. Meyer went on the hunt. He was met with defensiveness and accusations, according to his news story. Finally, he found a mention in one water bill of an internet address for a water quality report. And it turned out a link to the report was on the city website. But, lo, when Meyer followed the link, he got a “Forbidden” notice. He reported a series of deflections by city official: they couldn’t get testing supplies from a vendor, tests were not really required because it had stopped using one disinfectant after its injectors failed. On and on.

To Meyer’s credit, he doesn’t let the ire of city administrations stop him. We hope his readers love his temerity and that his readers find out what they need to know about their local water. Meanwhile, we hope the Kansas attorney general gets a wake-up call.

What’s wrong with this picture?

As with all of the wishful thinking that goes into removing newspaper public notices and requiring the public’s business to be posted on some obscure website, the ability of the public to educate itself gets washed away. If Marion County’s 11,000-some residents had at least been given a shot at real public notice, they might have found the water was bad. Or that it was safe. Either way, they could have found out. But EPA let the water authorities off the public notice hook. And now the state has allowed its attorney general to further the error in Wichita.

The problem is that lack of notice removes, in Marion’s case, some 11,000 private attorneys general who might have chosen to hold their government accountable. But none the wiser, they could not.

What will it take? As in all defenses of liberty, eternal vigilance. We can never give up on the right to know.

'Great Wealth Transfer' is coming, and some funders are working to plant philanthropy money in rural communities

Graph by Sarah Melotte, The Daily Yonder,
from Federal Reserve data

Over the next two decades, tremendous amounts of American wealth will transfer from generation to generation. "In the next 20 years, about $84 trillion will change hands. . . . Economists call it the Great Wealth Transfer," reports Sarah Melotte of The Daily Yonder. "Small-town philanthropies hope to capture some of that wealth for the benefit of historically underfunded rural communities. . . . Some experts worry the transfer might reinforce economic inequality [but] rural philanthropists are thinking about how people might invest this money to create healthier communities."

Ben Winchester, a rural sociologist with the University of Minnesota Extension, told Melotte, “You can get your cup under this wealth that potentially is going to be transferred, and pour it back into your town and bring that wealth here." 

As part of his research, Winchester recently released a report on the Great Wealth Transfer in rural Minnesota. "The report found that in the coming decade, $5.6 billion will change hands across 10 central Minnesota counties," Melotte explains. "If local foundations could capture even one percent of that transfer, it could funnel $56 million into local infrastructure."

Philanthropic work can build additional supports across a wide range of needs within rural communities that have "often been left out of larger sources of both private and public funding," Melotte writes. “Many rural economies also suffer from long-term lack of investment. As a result, residents of nonmetropolitan counties are more likely to live in communities with persistent poverty."

Executive Director Erin Borla of the Roundhouse Foundation, a rural philanthropy in Oregon, asked Melotte, "If you’re from a farming community, or a logging family or whatever the rural livelihood was, does the next generation [who controls that wealth] live in that same community?” Melotte adds, "Borla said that the local wealth that is generated in a rural community can end up redirected to other economies throughout the country as people move away. Small-town foundations are aware of this trend, according to Borla, which is why they’re focused on directing those funds back into local projects."

Rural Minnesota is receiving wealth-transfer guidance from one of its foundations, CommunityGiving. Steve Joul, president of CommunityGiving, advises rural communities to envision what a healthier future for their town might look like. Joul told Melotte, "You need to have all the players at the table. It’s an open invitation to the community to come to the table to craft an idea and vision for where you want to go.”

According to Joul, everyone means everyone. Melotte adds, "Joul emphasized the importance of avoiding the common trap of only including residents with power and resources. Engaging more stakeholders helps mitigate worsening wealth inequality."

'On the Front Porch' is hosting an expert-led discussion on July 8 about the opioid crisis in rural America

Tony Pipa and Brent Orrell are back "On the Front Porch" hosting rural-focused conversations starting on Monday, July 8, from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. E.T.

Their July 8 event will include insights from Keith Humphreys, a professor at Stanford University, and Sally Satel, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, both of whom are experts on opioid use disorder and its impact on rural communities. Their discussion will look at the causes of and potential solutions to the nation’s drug epidemic, especially as that challenge presents in nonmetropolitan areas.

Register here. If you have missed previous On the Front Porch conversations, you can find them here.

In other rural news, the second season of Pipa's Reimagine Rural podcast continues with new episodes every three weeks this summer. The most recent episode explores Licking County, OH, the future home of Intel’s two new semiconductor factories, which is the largest private sector investment in Ohio’s history. Pipa speaks with elected leaders of nearby jurisdictions about the inevitable changes they face and the collective planning process they developed to protect the integrity of their towns after being left out of the siting decision. You can listen to that episode here or on your favorite podcast platform.

Past episodes, including all of season 1 and the first three episodes of season 2, can be found here.

Large rural cooperative is adding solar projects in Colorado in an effort to expand 'cleaner power' options

Tri-State service territory in blue (Tri-State photo)

Once a stalwart provider of coal-powered energy, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association will purchase Axial Basin Solar, a 145-megawatt project in Moffat County, Colorado, and Dolores Canyon Solar, a 110-​megawatt project in Dolores County, Colorado, reports Julian Spector of Canary Media. The acquisitions are part of the company's new commitment to providing cleaner energy to its "massive western service territory."

Tri-State is one of the largest rural cooperative utilities in the United States, and it provides power to customers in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Nebraska. "The customer base spans 200,000 square miles, more land than the entirety of California," Spector writes. "Just a few years ago, two member cooperatives quit Tri-State to seek cheaper, cleaner power elsewhere. Since then, Tri-State has rolled out a series of clean energy commitments."

Benefit changes within the Inflation Reduction Act have made switching to renewable energy more financially doable for cooperatives. Spector explains, "Chief among them is a ​'direct pay' option that lets nonprofits access the same generous clean energy tax credits as their for-profit peers — even with little to no tax burden. Once Tri-State’s leadership saw clarity on the tax rules, they decided this was the time to strike."

Tri-State is working to provide a balance of energy that will be dependable, affordable and as clean as safely possible. "Now the utility sees ample savings and benefits for its customers in maximizing low-cost renewable generation while ensuring it has enough ​'firm' power — today provided by coal and fossil gas plants — to keep the lights on," Spector reports. "The utility recently hit a new record for instantaneous renewable production on May 24, when wind and solar delivered 87% of its generation for half an hour."

Rural Florida community makes dramatic changes to prep for a new airport; an opportunity to 'move the needle'

Becoming home base for a major airport hub takes
monumental community efforts. (Adobe Stock photo)

When your community is surrounded by swamps and has low education levels, opportunities to gain infrastructure dollars don't come often, which is why rural Hendry County, Florida, is taking on the challenge of proving it can provide for the new "Airglades" airport," reports Nick Fouriezos of Open Campus. "The $300 million cargo hub could transform [the county] economy. . . . Local leaders see the project as a generational opportunity that could bring more than 1,400 new high-skilled jobs to their largely agricultural community at the edge of the Everglades." 

To reach their labor goals, Hendry community developers must educate and train their workforce to meet a dynamic shift in educational and labor needs. Getting that done is daunting. Fouriezos explains, "A third of Hendry County’s working-age adults lack a high-school diploma. And almost half speak a language other than English at home. Educators must first help them earn their GEDs and learn English."

The area must also work through logistics to transform its small private airport into a major U.S.-Latin America trading zone.

Location of Hendry County
(Adobe Stock map)

With help from the FutureMakers Coalition, a community organization that spearheads education retraining efforts, the county has opened two adult education centers. Fouriezos reports, "Spanish-speaking students have filled the adult education center in LaBelle, the 5,000-person county seat. . . . Even before the airport arrives, there are still plenty of local employers waiting to hire the students."

Part of the challenge of providing all the training and teaching was finding teachers. Michael Swindle, the county schools superintendent, "had to recruit a U.S. sugar worker to teach welding and coaxed a school bus mechanic out of retirement to lead the diesel mechanics program," Fouriezos adds. "Still, the program has been so successful the county is using tuition revenue and donations to open another training facility in LaBelle focused on HVAC and plumbing."

Swindle told Fouriezos: "We’re not just talking about an airport. We’re looking at this as an opportunity to move the needle on unemployment, on poverty, to a better place.”

Report: Chicken plant in West Virginia has recorded a number of serious injuries; immigrants 'shoulder' more risks

Chicken segmentation line (Adobe Stock photo)

Working in any U.S. factory comes with some risk of injury, but immigrant workers at Pilgrim’s Pride’s chicken factory in Moorefield, West Virginia, have faced compounded dangers, according to a report.

"Over the past 30 years, thousands have left their homelands and come to Moorefield to work at West Virginia’s only industrial poultry plant," reports Allen Siegler of Mountain State Spotlight. "Seeking safety and a better life, they’ve often faced unsafe working conditions. . . . Throughout the last decade, Pilgrim’s Moorefield plant has been one of the most dangerous non-coal industrial workplaces in West Virginia."

Large knives, saws and automated equipment make poultry production inherently dangerous. This plant has had a number of documented injuries. "From 2015 to late 2023, 12 factory employees had workplace injuries that led to amputations or overnight hospitalizations, according to data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration," Siegler writes. Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA chief of staff, told Siegler, "This is a red flag on safety conditions in the plant."

Federal data doesn't include all injuries. Siegler explains, "In 2022 and 2023, local paramedics responded to calls to the Moorefield factory 138 times — about once every five days — according to the Hardy County Emergency Ambulance Authority. . . . In a state in which 91% of residents are white, a disproportionate amount of the danger is shouldered by the plant’s large immigrant workforce."

Immigrant workers often fear deportation should they speak up about workplace dangers or ask questions about how a job should be done. Others don't speak English, so a job at the Moorefield plant is one of their few options, Siegler reports. 

Despite efforts to get local or corporate Pilgrim's Pride officials to comment, "they didn’t answer a letter with over a dozen questions related to this story," Siegler writes. "A recent lawsuit against major American poultry corporations, including Pilgrim’s Pride, alleged the companies recruited vulnerable immigrant workers to staff some of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. . . . Pilgrim’s denied these allegations and said the workers’ lawyers were selectively pulling unflattering quotes from various reports and people."

Opinion: Farmers are working to bridge the producer-consumer divide. Here are ideas on how to do it.

GMO crops still make some Americans leery. Explaining what
they are can help create understanding. (Adobe Stock photo)

Some Americans believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows. Some think Genetically Modified Organism crops, also known as GMOs, can cause autism. While neither of these ideas is true, they are examples of how removed many Americans are from their food sources, which is something U.S. farmers are working to change, writes Holly Spangler in her opinion piece for Prairie Farmer.

Since the early 2000s, U.S. farmers have invested millions of dollars "to help consumers understand where their food comes from and how modern ag helps feed the world," Spangler explains. "To fight the agriculture disconnect, the Illinois Farm Families Coalition has produced two Super Bowl commercials, bussed moms to farms, bussed farmers to Chicago, and reminded Illinoisians that farm families own and operate 96% of all farms in Illinois, via the We Are the 96 campaign."

But as long as Americans remain uncertain about where and how their food is produced, there will be a significant degree of distrust between farmers and consumers. "A 2022 University of Minnesota study revealed that just 24% of U.S. adults have a high degree of trust in the information they receive about food production," Spangler writes. "Only 27% of all survey respondents said they had a 'very favorable' impression of U.S. agriculture and food production. . . . It’s no surprise that farmers feel misunderstood or even under attack."

How can the farmer-to-consumer information breakdown be repaired? Through connection. Spangler explains, "What really connects with consumers? Shared values. When you share that you worry about the safety of your drinking water the same way they do, they will pay attention. And when you share that you want your family to eat healthy and safe food the way they do, they will listen."

When farmers share their values, such as humane animal
treatment, they can reconnect with consumers. (AS photo)

Even when connections can't be immediately forged, Spangler says, "There's still plenty to talk about. . . . Like, explaining the science behind GMO crops and how they don’t cause cancer, autism, allergies or gluten intolerance. . . . Arm yourself with good news. I often think back to farmer Mike Martz telling a group of Chicago women about the healthy and unhealthy fats in steak. 'The fat in the marbling is actually monounsaturated fat. That’s the healthy fat, like olive oil. We call those flecks of flavor!' Martz said. The unhealthy fat? That’s the thick white stuff on the outside that you usually cut off."

Bring the facts and be ready to have a conversation. Spangler adds, "Statistics don’t change people’s minds. People change people’s minds."

Flora & Fauna: Canine pals help veterans with PTSD; finding rice paddies in Appalachia; welcoming bats; go fish!

Psychiatric service dogs can help veterans cope with
PTSD. (Adobe Stock photo)

U.S. veterans or military workers who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can feel and function better with the help of a psychiatric service dog, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Veterans with a canine pal "endured less severe symptoms and experienced significantly less depression and anxiety." This is the first NIH-funded study — and the largest ever — to focus on service dogs for military-related PTSD. It’s also the first study on this topic to use blind ratings, meaning that clinicians who assessed patients’ outcomes didn’t know whether they had a dog or not." Read the study and findings here.

Colorful, savory and full of history are a few ways to describe this heritage rice. "Black shell, red, purple, white and green. The Laotian rice that thrives in the North Carolina foothills is a treasure to Hmong farmers – and a revelation to others," writes Sheri Castle for The Bitter Southerner. "I never figured I’d be in a rice paddy at all, much less one in the Appalachian foothills of Western North Carolina. I was about an hour from where I’d grown up, but a world away. It was like finding a pearl in a potato."

When you go fishing, you can make memories and dinner. Having fun while snagging fish is what the group "Let's Go Fishing" aims to do through fishing boat tours for seniors, veterans, disabled adults and children. "We’re always looking for new communities to serve. If there’s a lake, we can help you put a pontoon on it and bring the joy of fishing to more people." Find out about starting a chapter.

Purple coneflowers are now common in
home gardens. (Adode Stock photo)

Once called weeds, native prairie plants are returning to their natural habitats through gardening education. "We find ourselves in the age of the pollinator plant, and the pollinator garden, and interest keeps growing. But it wasn’t always so," reports Margaret Roach of The New York Times. Expert gardener Neil Diboll remembers when purple coneflowers weren't welcome, but around 1989, sentiment changed. Diboll told Roach, “Purple coneflower was elevated from wildflower to quote-unquote perennial, and it was allowed inside the garden gate. . . . It paved the way for other native flowers and grasses to enter."

Hedge parsley is sometimes called
'Burn it.' (Nativetexaspark photo)

Gardening delight can go sour when it turns out those lovely white buds are invaders. "Torilis arvensis, known as hedge parsley has reedy stalks with tops that explode in tiny white flowers come springtime. It grows quickly and can be found in most regions of Texas, but it’s not native to the state or even the country," reports Amanda O’Donnell for Texas Monthly. "The plant has seeds that present as minuscule, stubborn burrs after a bloom, notorious for embedding themselves in clothes, animal fur, leg hair, and absolutely anything else that can aid in their proliferation." Hedge parsley isn't the only invader. "Many Texans have added bastard cabbage, or Rapistrum rugosum, to their list of vegetal enemies." To read how to remove or burn these interlopers, click here.

Bats are picky about their real estate options.
(Adobe Stock photo)

Bats are a farmer's best friend when eradicating crop-destroying bugs such as codling moth larvae -- but there's a catch. "Scientists have discovered significant effectiveness of bats for orchard pests. But the nighttime hunters are fickle about where they settle down," reports Sarah Derouin of Ambrook Research. To get bats to live and breed in an orchard area means creating spaces that are as bat-friendly as possible. "Agroforestry practices of incorporating trees into agricultural landscapes can go a long way for farm biodiversity and bat support. Treelines or patches of trees can provide bats with alternate places to forage while different cycles of pests emerge throughout the season."

Bird flu continues to infect cattle, but national testing for humans is stymied; only about 45 people have been tested

So far, H5N1 has not spread from human to human.

Despite studies showing Americans have little to zero immunity to H5N1, the strain of bird flu that has infected more than 100 herds of dairy cows and at least three farm employees, the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration are distributing bird flu tests at a snail's pace. "The U.S. has tested only about 45 people across the country," reports Amy Maxmen of KFF Health News. Without more testing, knowing how many dairy workers are infected is impossible. "A lack of testing means the country might not notice if the virus begins to spread between people — the gateway to another pandemic."

The CDC has around 1 million tests available, but the channels for getting the tests aren't the norm. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the CDC, "is concerned because the CDC and public health labs aren't generally where doctors order tests from. That job tends to be done by major clinical laboratories run by companies and universities, which lack authorization for bird flu testing," Maxmen explains. "Researchers cite testing failures as a key reason the U.S. fared so poorly with Covid."

Testing is critical to stemming a pandemic, but the U.S. needs to include clinical laboratories in the testing supply chain. Alex Greninger, assistant director of the University of Washington Medicine Clinical Virology Laboratory, told KFF News, "Clinical labs are part of the nation's public health system. . . . Pull us into the game. We're stuck on the bench."

Meanwhile, H5N1 will continue to evolve, and the virus could begin to spread from person to person vs. cow to person, which is yet another reason "to involve clinical laboratories. . . so the nation can ramp up testing," Maxmen writes. "The fastest way to get clinical labs involved, Greninger said, is to allow them to use a test the FDA has already authorized: the CDC's bird flu test. . . . The CDC opened up that possibility by offering royalty-free licenses for components of its bird flu tests to accredited labs."

While several commercial labs requested those licenses, getting FDA approval has hampered progress. "The CDC has given seven companies licenses for its tests — although none have been cleared to use them by the FDA," Maxmen reports. "Greninger said the delays and confusion are reminiscent of the early months of Covid, when federal agencies prioritized caution over speed. Test accuracy is important, he said, but excessive vetting can cause harm in a fast-moving outbreak like this one."

To learn more about the evolution and transfer of viral zoonotic diseases, click here. 

Drinking raw milk might have a cult following, but it contains harmful pathogens that make people sick

Pasteurized cow's milk is safe and nutritious
to consume. (Photo by Suvrajit, Unsplash)

Advocates may tout raw milk as nutritionally superior to pasteurized milk, but little research supports their claim. The risks involved in raw milk consumption outweigh any possible benefits, write Juan Silva, Joel Komakech and Mandy Conrad for The Conversation, a journalistic platform for academics. "Despite an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows, the popularity of raw milk has only risen. . . . Since cattle can shed viral material into their milk, not only can pathogens end up in milk, but at least three farmworkers reportedly contracted H5N1. . . . Farmworkers can get sick by handling infected animals or their byproducts, such as raw milk." 

Below are the authors' slightly edited answers to questions about pasteurized and raw milk. 

What is pasteurization? Does it destroy nutrients?
Pasteurization uses heat to kill harmful microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and parasites. The process "reduces the total number of microorganisms in the product and also inactivates enzymes that could contribute to spoilage. . . . The taste, nutritional value and quality of pasteurized products aren’t significantly affected by the process."

Is raw milk healthier? No. There is little science behind this idea:

• Raw milk does not improve lactose intolerance.
• Raw milk also does not have more vitamins than pasteurized milk.
• Vitamin D is added to pasteurized milk to enhance your body’s ability to absorb the calcium in milk.
• Raw milk is generally lacking in probiotics and has significantly more harmful bacteria.
• Raw milk does not help consumers "gain" H5N1 immunity. No scientific evidence supports that drinking raw milk can improve immunity against disease.

Can consuming raw milk make someone sick? Yes. Unpasteurized milk can contain harmful microorganisms: "Raw milk has been associated with hundreds of foodborne disease outbreaks. . . . A number of outbreaks and recalls related to pathogens in raw milk have already occurred in 2024. In all cases, pathogens in the raw milk that cause human diseases were directly responsible for these illnesses. . . . Some illnesses from the pathogens in raw milk can have serious long-term effects, including paralysis, kidney failure and death."

Is eating products such as cheese or yogurt made with raw milk safe? No. "Only products that undergo a process to inhibit or kill harmful microorganisms may be safe enough to be made from unpasteurized milk. However, the potential for cross-contamination of raw and cooked food as well as the survival of pathogens from inadequate processing is high when products are made with raw milk."

Can pasteurized milk cause illness? "The few reported outbreaks associated with pasteurized milk can be traced to contamination after pasteurization. When handled properly, pasteurized milk is a very safe product."

Final thoughts? Drinking raw milk that contains H5N1 can make a person sick and help the virus evolve into something more dangerous. "People who contract bird flu from raw milk run the risk of transmitting it to other people or animals by giving the virus a chance to adapt and improve its ability to spread between people. This increases the risk of more widespread disease outbreaks."

An EMS system in Letcher County, Kentucky, could serve as a warning for other struggling rural emergency services

When rural fire departments struggle to make ends meet, taking out a loan to cover costs may make sense. But as emergency services in Letcher County, Kentucky, discovered, that can lead to serious problems.

"Letcher Emergency Medical Service is deep in debt and hemorrhaging money, with some employees saying they have missed paydays and a Chicago area lender with a history of lawsuits against it threatening to repossess everything the service owns," reports Sam Adams of The Mountain Eagle in Whitesburg, Kentucky. "Employees say most if not all of those who missed checks have now been paid, but some have left the ambulance service for other pursuits, worried there won't be any money to pay them."

A natural disaster followed by missteps that hurt Medicaid reimbursements is partly blamed for Letcher EMS's financial woes. "After the 2022 flood, Letcher EMS changed its mailing address from the destroyed firehouse and ambulance station to a board member's home," Adams explains. "When Medicaid figured out it was a residential address, it stopped sending checks. That problem ballooned into another one. No checks from Medicaid, no checks to employees and no money to pay debts."

Shawn Gilley, executive director of the service, agreed that the "service has had financial difficulties, but said he has partnered with an unnamed financial backer to pay off debts and try to keep the service open," Adams reports. "Beginning earlier this year, a man identifying himself as Paul Graver of First Government Lease in Northfield, Illinois, began calling The Mountain Eagle asking for information about Letcher Volunteer Fire Department and Kingscreek Volunteer Fire Department and trying to get the newspaper to write a story saying Letcher owed him money."

Grave "listed 11 ambulances and fire trucks as being subject to repossession in a phone call with the newspaper."

While Letcher EMS leadership admitted to borrowing from First Government Lease, it's difficult to say how much is owed or what equipment could be repossessed. "Gilley acknowledges that he borrowed the money. . .. Both [Gilley and Fire Chief Wallace Bolling] have said that First Government has no claim on the fire trucks," Adams reports. 

Letcher EMS is one of several EMS organizations that are financially entangled with First Government Lease. "Court records show fire departments from Warfield, Ky., Pigeon Roost, Ky., Pinecrest, Tenn., Clinton, La., Alexander, Ark., Scott County, Ark., and Illinois" are involved with the company, Adams writes. 

East Palestine's controlled chemical burn in 2023 spread pollutants to at least 16 states, new study shows

Norfolk Southern's controlled burn spread chemicals
to surrounding states. (Adobe Stock photo)

In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, leading to an explosion and a toxic vinyl chloride spill. The subsequent controlled burn, which was intended to prevent further explosions, created a plume that spread air pollutants to at least 16 states, according to research published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, Zack Budryk of The Hill reports. The cloud "reached as far north as New England . . . according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin. They found the overall radius spanned more than 540,000 square miles."

Researchers studied soil samples before and immediately after the spill to evaluate the burn's reach. "They found evidence of high chloride concentration in states including Virginia, South Carolina and Wisconsin, as well as particularly high concentrations near Canada's border with New York, an area downwind of the crash site," Budryk explains. 

The chemical plume may have also changed precipitation pH levels in surrounding areas. "Researchers found unprecedentedly high, or more basic, pH values across a broad belt in the Midwest and Northeast," Budryk reports. "They also found elevated alkaline and earth metals levels, in some cases within the 99th percentile of measurements for the last decade."

The study's lead researcher, David Gay, said, "All of these pollutants are important in the environment because their accumulation has an impact on the Earth's aquatic and terrestrial environments in many ways."

In March 2024, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, testified at a Senate hearing that the deliberate burn was not necessary because there was no risk of additional explosions.

A simple tool can help identify and treat addiction while creating data for future programs and policies

Using evidence-based addiction screening tools can help
current and future patients. (Adobe Stock photo)

Treating opioid addiction requires practitioners to use multifaceted approaches, and adding process for regularly screening for Opioid Use Disorder is a small tool that can make big difference in patient intervention and data-driven policy, reports Kaitlyn Levinso of Route Fifty. "An under-utilized 'starting point for evaluating care is measuring what portion of the population is diagnosed with OUD. Knowing this information will help policymakers understand how well treatment systems identify people with OUD, which is the first step in getting them needed care,' said Alexandra Duncan, project director of Pew Charitable Trust's substance use prevention and treatment initiative."

Only two states are measuring for OUD as a part of their regular assessment tools for Medicaid patients. "Indiana and West Virginia have leveraged the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment, or SBIRT, model, an evidence-based approach for talking with patients about the use and misuse of drugs and alcohol," Levinso writes. "It helps health care providers flag concerning substance use behaviors in Medicaid patients and intervene with necessary resources and services to aid patient prevention or treatment and recovery of SUDs."

The Indiana SBIRT program provides practitioners with alcohol and drug abuse screening tools, Levinso reports. They also use "the CRAFFT tool, which helps identify substance use and associated behaviors in youth and adolescents, among others. The SBIRT model has been expanded for use at community health centers, federally qualified health centers and rural health centers in Indiana."

As states receive opioid settlement funds distributions, it could be an opportune time to focus on screening as a relatively inexpensive way to combat OUD. Duncan told Levinso: "These data will provide states with crucial information on allocating scarce resources more effectively, whether through increasing SUD screening or other data-driven treatment system improvements."

Where tornadoes develop has shifted more to the East; Southern and Midwestern states are now at greater risk.

With the right elements, tornadoes are possible
in all 50 states. (Adobe Stock photo)

Over the past 50 years, where tornadoes develop has shifted from the Great Plain's infamous "Tornado Alley" to Midwestern and Southeastern states, a new study published in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology finds. The recent research "confirms the legitimacy of this shift and highlights a change in when tornadoes are likely to occur," reports Matthew Cappucci of The Washington Post. "The results spell problems for residents of the Midwest and Southeast, where a higher population density and a greater prevalence of mobile homes lead to a more serious vulnerability to tornadoes."

Researchers don't know why tornado prevalence has shifted East, but their findings show an increased tornado risk across the South, with lower risk in the Plains. "Researchers not involved in the study said the reported trends are convincing but pointed out some limitations in the analysis," Cappucci explains. Karen Kosiba, a tornado researcher at the Center for Severe Weather Research, said "the greater population density in the Southeast compared with that in the Plains exposes it to more damage. That may be part of why twisters in Alabama and Mississippi appear to be on the ground for longer compared with their Plains counterparts."

The study confirms what many social scientists and meteorologists had feared. "The South, where tornado vulnerability is particularly high because of its dense population and concentration of mobile homes, may now be subject to an even greater risk," Cappucci reports. "It remains unclear whether this apparent eastward shift in tornado incidence is something that will reverse or become more pronounced. . . . Researchers hesitate to say what will happen next."

Victor Gensini, a leading researcher on tornado trends in the United States, "isn't persuaded that the shift is enduring," Cappucci adds. "Because twister hot spots jump around so much, Gensini and other researchers have expressed a general dislike for the term, 'Tornado Alley.'" Gensini told him: "We need to stop using tornado alley to describe a specific region. The reality is that tornadoes can occur in all 50 states on any calendar day if the ingredients are present."

Reporting on tornado protocols and resources can help your community be safer should a twister touch down

Tornadoes in Pender, Nebraska, pop. 1,100, on June 16, 2014.
(Photo by Brent Koops/NOAA, Flickr CC via SEJ)

More than 100 tornadoes touched down across the Great Plains and Midwest in April, leaving swaths of wreckage and some fatalities in their wake.

With continued severe weather still possible, journalists can help keep their communities informed on tornado protocols and what to do if a touchdown is imminent. "With preparedness, many fatalities and injuries can be prevented or minimized," reports Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists. "Public awareness of how to improve safety can be made better with media coverage." The best time for journalists to ask themselves what they can do to ensure their community is ready should disaster strike is before an emergency. Below are some edited story tips from Davis:

• What is the historical record of tornadoes in your state? What are the most recent trends? Ask researchers at local universities.
• Does your community have Doppler radar coverage? Researchers have found "radar gaps," which leave some communities less protected.
• Ask local meteorologists how they get their tornado information.
• How (and how well) does the emergency notification system work in your area? Who runs it? Who cooperates? What technology platform does it use? Is it effective at warning people? Is there a big siren? How does it work in remote areas?
• Is your community hooked into the federal Emergency Alert System? Does it have "reverse 911"? Do people know how to get alerts on their phones?
• Do people in your community have tornado-safe shelters such as storm cellars? Do people typically have basements?
• Does your community have mobile home parks, nursing homes, schools or daycare facilities? Talk to the managers and residents of these especially vulnerable facilities about whether/how they are prepared to handle tornado emergencies.

Weather reporting tools:

• NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory: Centered in Norman, Oklahoma, this federal agency under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is all about tornadoes.
• National Weather Service: NOAA agency makes basic weather predictions. Most important is the national network of local NWS Forecast Offices (see the directory here).
• NWS Storm Prediction Center: This part of the NWS predicts severe storms, including tornadoes.
• State emergency agencies: Most states have one, although names may vary. Use this directory search to find your area.
  

Standard tornado-preparedness advice: The Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Weather Service, and the American Red Cross provide many easy-to-use summaries of good advice on safety in tornadoes.

The U.S. is in the middle of a 'silver tsunami' as the country is becoming 'the land of the senior citizen'

As America ages, more citizens will require unique
care from multiple sectors. (Adobe Stock photo)

As millions of Americans enter their mid-60s, the country is fast becoming "the land of the senior citizen," where government agencies and systems are busy working to accommodate an aging population. "More Americans are about to be 65 years old than ever before. A record number will hit the milestone this year—about 4.1 million. But it's just one of many waves in the 'silver tsunami,' a metaphor often used to describe the aging of America," reports Susan Miller of Route Fifty. "Since 2011, 10,000 Americans have been turning 65 every day, a trend that the Pew Research Center says will continue through 2030." The need for aging accommodations for rural residents may be particularly needed since its population already skews older.

As the number of older residents increases throughout the United States, health care, housing and transportation systems will need additional resources to meet senior needs. To help states support the transition, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a report outlining supportive measures for aging Americans. Miller explains, "It details the web of services an aging society will need beyond financial security, safe housing and adequate health care. . . . The framework comes as several states have also started planning for their aging populations."

Some states have already created programs aimed at helping aging Americans. "New Jersey released its 'age-friendly blueprint,' which provides strategies and best practices to improve the state’s communities for older adults and enable people to remain in their homes and communities as they age," Miller reports. "The state is also putting some funding behind its plan. . . . [Its] Human Services Department is dedicating $5.5 million to launch an age-friendly community grant program later this year."

Other states are developing 10-year plans, also known as "multisector plans for aging," which outline "restructuring state and local government to address the needs of older adult populations," Miller writes. "According to the federal strategic framework, four states have legislation or an executive order to develop an MPA, and seven are in varying stages of implementing plans."

When relatives want to age at home, family caretakers struggle with two jobs. It's more difficult for rural residents.

Responsibility for aging family members can take a toll
on home caretakers. (Adobe Stock photo)

A growing number of Americans are working two jobs: one to pay the bills and a second unpaid job caring for an aging family member. "The double shift can come at a career cost. Caregivers who are also working full-time report turning down promotions or seeking less-demanding assignments," reports Clare Ansberry of The Wall Street Journal. "Some switch companies or say they've had to choose care duties over their careers." Even if the older relative still lives independently, the juggling still can be taxing.

In rural communities, aging residents prefer to have family members care for them, but they have additional challenges. "Like older adults across the country, rural seniors tend to want to age in their communities, amid familiar people and places," report Martha Hostetter and Sarah Klein for The Commonwealth Fund. "But with fewer health care providers, fewer professional caregivers, and fewer young people than in urban areas, rural communities struggle to care for aging residents."

Both rural and urban families struggle to balance elderly care with life's other duties. "An estimated 29 million workers, from senior managers to retail clerks, work while also caring for an adult family member, according to research by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving," Ansberry writes. "Care demands on workers are growing because people are living longer with chronic illness. . . . A large share of people want to age at home but need lots of help from family members to do so."

Many companies don't offer eldercare options, so employees often have to sandwich in a loved one's medical appointments during breaks and use vacation time. "Some working caregivers have been called in to talk with their bosses about performance. Others say they haven't used a vacation day for an actual vacation in years," Ansberry reports. "Tensions can run high between employees and employers over caregiving."

Rural communities are working on ways to help residents get to appointments and social events without solely relying on family members. "St. John's United, a member of the Rural Aging Action Network, provides senior housing in and around Billings, Montana," Hostetter and Klein report. "In 2019, St. John's launched 'At Home' services for clients living in their own homes. This monthly subscription service is offered on a sliding scale and provides seniors with rides to medical appointments, help with household tasks, social outings, and other supports."

For information on aging in place and what creative solutions and resources exist or can be cultivated, click here. 

Today at 1 p.m., E.T.: Exploring and celebrating rural America with The Rural Assembly's "Rural Everywhere" event

Amid election tensions, negative news and an inflationary economy, it can be important to focus on the good things America has going — especially in rural places.

To that end, The Rural Assembly is hosting a free virtual gathering, Rural Assembly Everywhere 2024: Nurturing Thriving Communities, on Thursday, Aug. 1, from 1 to 3 p.m., E.T. While the session is open to anyone, it is specially designed for rural advocates and the rural-curious listeners and leaders.

To register, click here.

The event will unpack the essence of rural life and examine how rural people can enrich their communities. 

To help others join the conversation, The Rural Assembly is seeking rural stories or video submissions that showcase the nurturing and thriving spirit within rural individuals, communities or organizations. The Assembly also will host a community chat with questions and discussions before the event.

For more information on submissions or joining the conversation, click here.