The U.S. Declaration of Independence voices the conflicts of the past and the country's ideals

The drafters of the Declaration of Independence present their document to the Continental Congress.
(Painting by John Trumbull, Wikimedia Commons)

Rereading the U.S. Declaration of Independence can be a worthwhile endeavor. Remembering our country's ideals can help us consider our country's past and envision its way forward. 

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Quick hits: Kentucky history in photos; rural SNAP use; world's biggest telescope; gloomy toy tariffs; radishes!

South Fork of the Kentucky River, Breathitt County, Kentucky, 1940. 
(Photo by Marion Post Wolcott, Farm Security Administration)

Even one photo of an event or a person during a historical era can add rich nuance to a story. Sometimes, photos can even be the story. "Imagine looking at a state in forty-year intervals. Documenting Kentucky: Three Photographic Surveys, does just that in a new show at the Frazier History Museum in Louisville, Kentucky," reports Ted Wathen for The Daily Yonder." From loading cut tobacco leaves to a handful of newly hatched guinea chicks to horse-led recliners, the photographs tell quite a story.

Far fewer rural families currently use the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, than they did in 2015. "SNAP use has declined in nearly every state," reports John McCracken of Investigate Midwest. "Rural states have seen major drops in the number of households using the program, with Iowa, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee seeing the most significant declines." The recently passed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" will reduce federal SNAP spending by $290 billion over the next decade.

A small section of the observatory’s total view of the Virgo cluster. Bright stars in the Milky Way galaxy shine in the foreground, and many distant galaxies are in the background. (NSF-DOE photo)

Outer space can be a shared adventure as the world's largest telescope starts taking pictures. "The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is poised to discover billions of new astronomical objects, revolutionizing understanding of everything from the history of the solar system to the workings of dark energy," reports Jay Bennett for Wired. "The telescope will create a decade-long, high-resolution movie of the universe. It will generate about 20 terabytes of data per day, the equivalent of three years streaming Netflix."

While Santa Claus hasn't commented on the subject, the U.S. toy industry is hurting from high tariffs on Chinese goods. "The cost of toys and games is rising at a record rate as the industry begins to feel the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China," reports Rhian Lubin of The Independent. "Nearly 80% of the toys sold in the U.S. are sourced from China, according to The Toy Association, and the industry is bracing itself. . . . Last month Mattel, the creator of Barbie, Hot Wheels, Uno, American Girl and more, was threatened by Trump for refusing to move its production to the U.S. – the ultimate goal of the president’s tariffs."

Radishes come in a wide variety of flavors, colors
and shapes. (Photo by Philippe Collard, Unsplash)

For some people, summer's glory is summed up in a trip to the garden or a local farmer's market, where a variety of colors and flavors await to be tossed together into a delectable meal. Some visitors love fresh sweet corn, while some are rhubarb aficionados, but others love root crops -- especially radishes. "Of all the root crops known to humankind, my favorite is the humble radish," writes Jerry Nelson of Successful Farming. "Radishes are a good source of vitamin C, minerals, and bad breath. But their benefits don’t end there. They don’t even begin there. . . ."

Despite all their flaws, people are remarkably adaptable and creative beings. "Humans are the only animal that lives in virtually every possible environment, from rain forests to deserts to tundra," reports Christina Larson of The Associated Press. "This adaptability is a skill that long predates the modern age. According to a new study published in Nature, ancient Homo sapiens developed the flexibility to survive by finding food and other resources in a wide variety of difficult habitats." In other words, we were born food foragers and farmers!

Long-term care facilities face immigration crackdown and looming Medicaid cuts

Jackline Conteh is a nursing assistant in Va. She emigrated 
to the U.S. from war-torn Liberia. (KFF News photo)

Long-term care facilities call for immigration reform and push against Medicaid cuts as the sector faces "a double whammy from President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrants and the GOP’s proposals to reduce Medicaid spending," reports Jordan Rau of KFF Health News. "More than 800,000 immigrants and naturalized citizens comprise 28% of direct care employees at home care agencies, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care companies."

While labor shortages are not new to the eldercare sector, once the Trump administration canceled the industry's "protected" status in January and allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to raid health care facilities, the dynamics changed. Katie Smith Sloan, president of LeadingAge, an association of nonprofits that care for older adults, told Rau, “People may be here on a green card, and they are afraid ICE is going to show up."

The long-term and senior care industries are "urging the federal government to expand legal immigration channels for essential workers in healthcare and other sectors," reports Kimberly Bonvissuto of McKnights. "The Essential Worker Immigration Coalition sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that [said] the shortage of legal immigration channels for essential workers 'threatens the stability of our supply chains, the viability of small businesses and the strength of the American economy.'"

Besides additional staffing shortages brought on by immigration issues, long-term care facilities continue to lobby against the Republican party's Medicaid spending cuts, which passed the House and are under Senate review. Rau writes, "Federal spending cuts under negotiation may strip nursing homes of some of their largest revenue sources by limiting ways states leverage Medicaid money and making it harder for new nursing home residents to retroactively qualify for Medicaid."

Given the current issues, providers, patients and employees all have reasons to be concerned. "The long-term care industry expects demand for direct care workers to burgeon with an influx of aging baby boomers needing professional care," Rau writes. Jackline Conteh, a U.S. nursing assistant originally from Liberia, told him, "If all these people leave the United States, they go back to Africa or to their various countries, what will become of our residents? What will become of our old people that we’re taking care of?"

Report: Social Security trust fund needs attention now if it's going to stay viable past 2034

If changes aren't made, the Social Security trust fund 
will run out of money by 2034.  (Adobe Stock photo) 

Social Security benefits play a vital role in communities nationwide; however, rural areas may be more dependent on the program because their populations skew older. Regardless of region, 73 million Americans currently depend on the program’s monthly payments; however, its 2025 Trustee Report indicates that the program needs attention to meet its expenses, reports Gopi Shah Goda for Brookings.

The report outlines how the Social Security trust fund will run out of money by 2034, and will "no longer be able to make all of its promised benefit payments," Goda explains. According to the report, the shortfall will continue to grow since the program lacks sufficient payroll taxes to cover its ongoing and predicted future costs.

"The shortfall amounts to 3.82% of taxable payroll, meaning that the payroll tax rate would have to be raised immediately—and permanently—from the current rate of 12.4% of taxable earnings to 16.1% in order for the program to be able to pay all promised benefits through 2099," Goda writes. "In 2025, that increase would have amounted to an extra $374 billion in program revenue."

Even if the Trump administration were able to eliminate all Social Security fraud, overpayments and any other human error costs, it would not compensate for the billions needed. "Even this unrealistic, pie-in-the-sky scenario would only yield 'savings' of $10.2 billion per year, barely moving the needle in terms of the program’s $1.48 trillion annual cost," Goda adds. "Social Security is already a lean operation."

Cutting more Social Security staff members would likely result in reduced services and even longer wait times for disability determinations. Goda writes, "It is very likely that any additional cuts in staffing will make it harder for Americans — particularly the most vulnerable — to access benefits they have earned, with dire consequences."

While there are solutions, few are likely to be popular. "There is no free lunch. . .changes would involve difficult tradeoffs between beneficiaries and workers as well as current and future generations," Goda writes. "Policy options that raise revenues include increasing the payroll tax rate or broadening the income base to which that the payroll tax is applied. . . . .Cutting benefits across the board, raising the retirement age at which a beneficiary is eligible for full benefits, reducing benefits disproportionately for higher earners. . . .Some action will be necessary within the next decade."

A new study shows the 'surprising breadth of student reporting' in the United States

College students are working to keep American journalism connected and relevant in the communities they serve. A recent study by the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont used "FCC data, original research and outreach to stations to map the extraordinary overlap between America’s colleges and its public media outlets," reports CNN. Their research shows the "surprising breadth and scope of college student journalism at public media organizations." A few research highlights include:

• 88% of public media organizations provide opportunities for college students to help cover their community (282 of 319 NPR and/or PBS affiliates.)
• 59% of public media organizations provide intensive, regular and ongoing opportunities for college students (188 of 319 stations.)
• Some public media organizations (41 of 319) make teaching students their core mission.
• Students at these public media organizations serve rural, suburban and urban audiences, many in news deserts. Public radio signals reach over 95% of Americans.
• 50% of all public media organizations are licensed to a college or university (161 of 319 stations.)

Yellow circles indicate some level of student reporting. Grey circles indicate little or no student reporting. Eighty-eight percent of NPR stations provide opportunities for college students.

Study researchers suggest that "even more student journalists could contribute to public media organizations through deeper news/academic partnerships involving both internships and in-class production."

West Virginia's waterway 'reclamation' yields cleaner water, rare earth metals and a growing outdoor industry

Deckers Creek is flowing with fresh water and 
wildlife again. (Wikipedia photo)

Coal mines left waterways across West Virginia polluted by sulfuric acid and metals, but that’s not the end of their story. "Set on a quiet hillside, a series of cascading ponds are doing their small part to fix a big problem," reports Mira Rojanasakul of The New York Times. The three-pond system slowly "reclaims" the state's waterways for wildlife and people to enjoy once again, and it comes with a side benefit of rare earth elements.

The three-pond system works to reduce water acid and then remove metals. The first pond allows water to "percolate through limestone and organic matter," Rojanasakul explains. The second pond completes more filtration, allowing the aluminum to drop out. By the time the water flows from the third pond, the iron has dropped out. "Fish and sensitive species like salamanders and frogs are returning to Deckers Creek, which for decades flowed rust-orange and lifeless from iron and other pollution."

Deckers Creeks is "one of dozens of cleanup sites being installed across West Virginia, helping the state make progress on a global environmental issue: waterways poisoned from coal mining," Rojanasakul reports. "A few miles downstream, a new, higher-tech version of this cleanup process is yielding an unexpected bonus: 'Rare earth' elements, essential for clean energy technologies and military equipment, are being recovered from the pollution."

Decreasing water acidity and removing metals isn’t just helpful for wildlife and biodiversity -- acid mine drainage "can corrode pipes and threaten drinking water for many residents of rural West Virginia who rely on backyard wells," Rojanasakul writes. 

Federal and state officials help guide West Virginia's waterway reclamation efforts, but the "boots on the ground" are often small nonprofits. Rojanasakul adds, "They monitor sprawling watersheds and build relationships within communities, even talking private landowners into opening up their backyards for cleanup work."

Many locals view their reclaimed waterways as a potential path to a new revenue source for residents and the state. Rojanasakul reports, "Employment in the state’s outdoor recreation economy is starting to rival other industries, with 20,300 jobs in 2023 compared with 17,700 workers in mining and support activities that same year."

Flora & Fauna: Axolotl is the 'comeback king;' corn seed miracle; big snake haul; two-note song; tracking butterflies

Known for their regenerative powers, scientists are learning
from the 'adorable' axolotl. (Photo by TK, Unsplash)

Limb regeneration may sound like an 'X-Files' episode, but U.S. scientists are working on it. "With a silly smile and frilly gills, the axolotl has wriggled its way into the hearts of millions," reports Dino Grandoni of The Washington Post. "But this adorable species of salamander is also helping researchers investigate a serious medical mystery: Could the human body be coaxed to regrow a severed arm or leg? Scientists are turning to the axolotl because it is an expert at regeneration. . . .The species is also a comeback king, able to regrow not only lost limbs but also tissue in the heart, lungs and even the brain."

It's hot and humid, and corn tasseling season is almost here. "If someone writes a book about the 'seven great wonders of agriculture,' tasseling and pollination must be on the list," reports Tom J. Bechman of Farm Progress. "The process of producing hundreds of new corn kernels per plant, all from one original seed, is simple yet complex at the same time." Read how the miracle of corn happens here.

135lb female Burmese python found while radio-tracking 
a male scout snake. (Conservancy of Southwest Florida photo)

'Snakes on a Plane' might be a good summer movie fun, but in Florida, hundreds of people drop the film drama and eradicate snakes on land. "It was a milestone moment in Florida’s 25-year war on invasive Burmese pythons: an eye-popping announcement that biologists had removed 20 tons of the slithering invaders from waters in and around the Everglades in little more than a decade, as well as shattering their previous record for a single-season haul," reports Richard Luscombe of The Guardian. "The successes of the team at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida showcase the progress that has been made in efforts to reverse the snakes’ takeover of the state’s natural wilderness."

The only thing sharks can regenerate is their teeth.
That's probably enough. (Photo by Wai Siew, Unsplash)

Two notes + Razor-sharp teeth = One summer blockbuster. “Da, duh. E and F have become synonymous with tension, fear and sharks, representing the primal dread of being stalked by a predator," writes media history scholar Jared Bahir Browsh for The Conversation. "Fifty years ago, Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster film – along with its spooky score composed by John Williams – convinced generations of swimmers to think twice before going in the water. . . . I decided to take a deeper dive into the staying power of these two notes. . . "

Pollen is a way to track butterflies.
(Jozsef Szabo photo, Unsplash)

If you want to help the world be a better place for all creatures, then do one small thing to help insects: Provide an insect-friendly habitat. "This includes supporting a variety of native plants that can provide both nectar and leaves, which are food for many herbivorous insects throughout their lives. A good habitat also provides places for insects to nest, such as bare ground or leaf litter. Bigger patches are better, but even small gardens can be helpful," write Christopher Halsch and Eliza Grames for The Conversation. "At the same time, limiting exposure to other threats is important. Actions such as dimming artificial lights at night and reducing the use of pesticides can help."

How can the fluttering trails and migrations of butterflies be traced and mapped? With pollen. "Those tiny pollen grains are helping researchers study a process that until now has been largely inscrutable: the migratory patterns of insects as they move around the globe," reports Saugat Bolakhe for Knowable magazine. "Analyzing pollen collected from 264 butterflies from 10 different countries . . researchers identified 398 different plants they could use to track the butterflies’ movements."

House panel has a ‘near-universal consensus’ on pausing the U.S. Postal Service’s planned changes

The USPS will have new leadership who may rethink
 recent plans. (Photo by Clay Leconey, Unsplash)

Over the past few decades, the United States Postal Service has struggled to stay financially afloat and transition from a letter-delivery service to more of a package-delivery service. USPS leadership has faced an uphill battle to maintain its mission — to accept and deliver mail to every address in the U.S., its territories, and possessions — while remaining solvent.

The last Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, retired after his 10-year plan, Delivering for America, floundered and repeatedly angered lawmakers. “As a new leader takes the helm of the U.S. Postal Service, a House panel debated the future of the independent entity,” reports Sean Michael Newhouse of Government Executive. “There was a near-universal consensus on pausing and even reversing" DeJoy's plans. 

Mike Plunkett, the CEO and president of the Association for Postal Commerce, told the panel, “Under the Delivering for America plan, our members have suffered unprecedented rate increases and service degradation. . . . If the incoming PMG is to have any chance at success, the postal service must immediately pause implementation of Delivering for America.”

Plunkett suggested a “moratorium on rate increases, a pause in spending on building new facilities and halting any product changes while new leadership assesses what reforms to keep, modify or unwind,” Newhouse writes. “Jim Cochrane, the CEO of the Package Shippers Association, a trade organization, testified that USPS needs a ‘new vision’ to improve its finances.”

David Steiner, who previously served as the CEO of Waste Management and as a member of the FedEx board, was selected by the bipartisan USPS Board of Governors to become the next Postmaster General.

“DeJoy was pressured to resign [in March] due to conflicts with the Department of Government Efficiency," Newhouse reports. “President Donald Trump, who reportedly backed Steiner, has mused about privatizing USPS or folding it under the Commerce Department.”

Heirs' property can leave family members with 'tangled titles' that limit wealth and contribute to rural housing shortages

A home, right, Rural Studio helped build on heirs’ property 
in Ala. (Photo by Timothy Hursley, Auburn University, CC BY-SA)

Imagine being born into a family that had settled land and passed it down from generation to generation for the past few decades. “Several of your relatives already live on the land, and you’d like to do the same, but you can’t get a loan to build or renovate a home without permission from all the relatives who also share ownership,” write Jennifer Pindyck, Christian Ayala Lopez and Rusty Smith for The Conversation. “At any moment, another heir could sell their share, triggering a court-ordered sale that could force you off the land.”

This shared ownership is an example of “heirs’ property: land passed down informally, without clear wills or deeds, which results in a ‘tangled’ or ‘clouded’ title,” researchers Pindyck, Lopez and Smith explain. “It’s more common than you might think in the U.S., especially in rural areas, and it presents significant challenges to long-term housing stability.”

Historically, property owners would leave their lands without “clear will or deed” because their region lacked legal services or the original owners didn’t trust the legal system. “Once the land is passed down to the next generation, the heirs are known as ‘tenants in common,’ meaning they own an undivided interest in the entire property,” they write, “As the property continues to pass down from generation to generation, the number of tenants in common increases exponentially.”

When a couple passes down land to their children – and then those people pass it down to their kids – the number of heirs dramatically increases. (Illustration by Auburn University, CC BY-SA)

After decades of sharing, property ownership can become a complex arrangement that opens all its tenants to potential homelessness. “Any tenant in common can sell their share to an outside party. These outside parties – either individuals or companies – can then request a court to order what’s called a partition by sale, which can push every other owner off the land,” Pindyck, Lopez and Smith explain. Some family members have sold their share of a property to real estate developers, unaware that their sale could trigger the loss of the entire estate.

Several organizations are working on heirs’ property resolutions, which can include “clearing titles, establishing shared land agreements and teaching landowners how to avoid having their property fall into a tangled title situation,” Pindyck, Lopez and Smith write. “The Florida Housing Coalition, Housing Assistance Council and the Alabama Heirs Property Alliance are actively engaged in community education, legal support, data mapping and policy advocacy.”

The Rural Studio assists heirs’ property tenants by using a “build first strategy,” they write. “Using funds from research grants and donations, we simply start building on heirs’ properties with the permission of families. In the process, we show that if tangled titles were no longer an obstacle, much more housing could be built. . . . One of our recent Rural Studio projects is the 18x18 House, a compact, multistory home built for a young man living on heirs’ property in Alabama.”

Pindyck, Lopez and Smith are Auburn University researchers and Rural Studio collaborators who study heirs’ property and “its role in shaping housing access. Based in Hale County, Alabama, Rural Studio has completed more than 200 projects – many of them homes built on heirs’ property – providing critical housing for families facing complex land ownership challenges.” 

Kennedy pledged to protect Native American health, but staffing and funding cuts have already taken a toll

Navajo Nation leaders took turns hiking alongside Kennedy to detail
the tribal nation’s priorities. (Photo by Katheryn Houghton, KFF) 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to make Native American health a priority, but federal cuts have already sliced into plans and services tribal members need.

While Kennedy’s intervention saved the Indian Health Service from some government cuts, "health officials across tribal nations say those overtures are overshadowed by the collateral harm from massive cuts to federal health programs," report Katheryn Houghton, Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez and Arielle Zionts of KFF Health News.

Tribal members living in more remote areas will have the most difficulty accessing medical services not affiliated with the Indian Health Service. "Many tribal members don’t live near an agency clinic or hospital. And those who do may face limited services, chronic underfunding, and staffing shortages,” KFF reports. “To work around those gaps, health organizations lean on other federally funded programs.”

"Tribes have lost more than $6 million in grants from other HHS agencies, the National Indian Health Board wrote in a May letter to Kennedy," Houghton, Rodriguez and Zionts write. Across many Native American communities, HHS staffing and grant cuts have chipped away at overdose prevention programs, heat and cooling assistance, and vaccination initiatives.

Native Tribal leaders continue to voice deep concerns over the GOP’s “proposed cuts to Medicaid,” KFF reports. "About 30% of Native American and Alaska Native people younger than 65 are enrolled in Medicaid, and the program helps keep Indian Health Service and other tribal health facilities afloat.”

“Some tribal leaders say the recent cuts, and the way the administration made them, violate treaties in which the U.S. promised to provide for the health and welfare of tribes in return for taking their land,” KFF reports. “Tribal consultation is legally required when federal agencies pursue changes that would have a significant impact on tribal nations."

The Natural Resources Defense Council offers a new map of lead pipes, which are a problem in all 50 states

For investigative reporters tracking lead pipes that still deliver drinking water, the Natural Resources Defense Council’s new Lead Pipe Data Map Tool is a smart place to start exploring.

“Whether you want the local or the national perspective, this data map looks to be the most current and detailed available,” reports Joseph A. Davis of the Society of Environmental Journalists. “We care about lead in drinking water because it is a neurotoxin that robs children of IQ points and causes a host of other health problems, even in adults.”

The news about lead-tainted water in Flint, Michigan, may have sparked outrage, but “lead pipes in water systems are a serious problem in all 50 states,” Davis writes. “The Environmental Protection Agency updated its Lead and Copper Rule in October 2024. . . .The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of November 2021, committed $15 billion to fund the replacement of lead service lines that take water from mains to individual buildings (the main source of the problem).”

Under the new Lead and Copper Rule, all drinking water systems must inventory their lead service lines and report their findings to the EPA. “Much of the data comes from the EPA as utilities report in,” Davis explains. “The map not only tallies known lead service lines — but also service lines whose metal composition is unknown or estimated.”

To use the data efficiently, focus on the NRDC’s mapping tools and remember that utility service areas can differ from municipal boundaries. Davis reports, “One of the nifty features NRDC gives you is the ability to add multiple overlays to the map as you use it.” 

Find the tiny icons in the top-left and top-right corners of the map to alter map layers. The mapping overlay feature can also show active lead pipes according to their congressional district.

While data and numbers don’t tell the full story, they provide a good foundation for a narrative to take shape. Davis also advises gathering information from your community:

• Ask water customers about their awareness of lead pipes carrying drinking water. What's their ability to pay for service line replacement?
• Talk to utilities about their plans and concerns regarding pipe replacement. 
• Discuss drinking water safety and remaining lead pipes with state and EPA/state regulators.
• Ask your congressperson how budget cuts could affect funding for this critical work.

Many farmers share positive experiences about using Roundup, despite possible links to cancer

Many U.S. farmers still favor glyphosate as an effective
and affordable herbicide. (Photo by Gabriel, Unsplash)

Many American farmers have favorable opinions on Roundup, a herbicide that remains a global favorite despite some studies linking its active ingredient, glyphosate, to human cancer. Many U.S. farmers say they still plan to use glyphosate, even if its current maker, Bayer, stops producing it. They shared their views on Roundup and weed-mitigation experiences with Lena Nargi of Offrange, formally known as Ambrook Research. 

Brent Searle, an organic raspberry, tomato, garlic, and winter squash farmer in eastern Idaho, “expressed a strain of ‘meh.’ He uses OMRI-approved herbicides on his crops but glyphosate on his three acres of driveway,” Nargi writes. Organic chemicals, he said, ‘hit you with a six-times cost’ that is ‘astronomical’ for small-scale growers, ‘and honestly, they don’t work as well.’”

Rick Machado, who breeds seeds for experimental crops in California, despised Roundup and its original maker, Monsanto, but ended up using glyphosate when “he got hit with bindweed,” Nargi writes. He told her, “I used it [Roundup], I kicked myself, but there was nothing I could do."

Jeff Stoltzfus believes glyphosate is the key to his successful no-till farming practice. Nargi adds, “The conservation plan for his 45 acres connected to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which is plagued by sediment issues, requires that he use no-till practices." He told Nargi, “There’s no herbicide I’d rather use.”

Jimmy Tosh agrees with Stoltzfus. “On his 17,000-row crop and hog acres in Henry, Tennessee, the use of glyphosate is 100% a given,” Nargi writes. “It’s helped him control Johnson grass. . . . He believes claims that Roundup causes health issues are ‘ridiculous,’ he said. ‘Most studies show it to be a safe and effective chemical.’”

Mark Nussbaum will continue to use glyphosate “on his 800 acres of hardwood trees,” Nargi writes. “And he said he’ll continue to do so until ‘there becomes scientifically based, peer-reviewed evidence that glyphosate is harmful.’”

Many farmers agreed that while Bayer may stop making Roundup, they will purchase glyphosate from another producer. Nargi explains, “Since its patent expired in 2000 — and with it, Monsanto’s exclusive right to use it in products sold here — off-brand formulations for agricultural use, with names like Buccaneer and Killzall, have been widely available at the local farm supply."

A rural community bets on a beef slaughterhouse dedicated to changing the industry to attract American workers

The Sustainable Beef plant is the size of 10 football fields.
(Sustainable Beef photo)

In a bid to oust the slaughterhouse industry's bad reputation and attract American workers, Sustainable Beef opened a brand new plant in rural North Platte, Neb. 

The old rail town needed the financial lift and the "company believes the gleaming plant will appeal to locals who never would have considered doing such work," report Scott Calvert, Arian Campo-Flores and Patrick Thomas of The Wall Street Journal. "Town officials are pinning their hopes on [the] slaughterhouse, which promises an economic jolt but represents a risky bet. . ."

A shiny building isn't the only benefit Sustainable Beef offers -- the company has upended some slaughterhouse mainstays to increase its appeal. "The facility’s single daytime shift lets employees attend their children’s sports games after work," the Journal reports. "The company touts ergonomic work stands and individual lockers — even the plentiful toilets are an upgrade from typical meat plants." Pay starts at $22 per hour, which is average for the area.

Even with its upgrades and no third shift, Sustainable Beef faces stiff competition, possible worker shortages and a tight beef market. The company is "taking on the Big Four meatpackers —JBS, Tyson Foods, Cargill and National Beef — that control 85% of the beef industry," according to the article. "Nebraska faces persistent labor shortages, as workers age out or leave. . . . Cattle herd sizes have hit a 75-year low."

Location of North Platte, Neb.
(Wikipedia map)

But the company's investors have a shared goal of giving the industry's "Big Four" a run for their money. The new plant is "the size of 10 football fields, aims to process 1,500 head of cattle daily, with most of the beef going to Walmart, a minority stake investor in the project," the Journal reports. "The plant expects to hire about 850 workers by year’s end, which would make it the city’s third-largest private employer."

Fearing the possibility of crime brought on by immigrant workers, some North Platte residents pushed against the deal, but city leaders planned for predictable changes. Calvert, Campo-Flores and Thomas write, "The city is offering developers incentives to build housing, and up to 2,000 units are in the pipeline. Schools are boosting English as a Second Language instruction. The police department has outfitted officers with portable translation devices."

WSJ's full story includes Sustainable Beef's colorful beginnings in North Platte and details on how this plant is pushing competitors to upgrade their employment offerings.

Despite concerns over lost sales and expenses, many farmers still support the Trump administration's tariffs

Like many farmers, Roberts supports the tariffs as a trade tool.
(Photo by Nick Judin, Mississippi Free Press)

Part of the Trump administration's tariffs target U.S. agricultural goods, but many U.S. farmers support the levies despite any current economic pain. "A May survey of 400 U.S. producers found that 70% believe the tariffs will strengthen their industry in the long term," report Illan Ireland and Nick Judin of the Mississippi Free Press. "The same poll found that just 43% of respondents think the levies will hurt their earnings this year, down from 56% a month earlier."

Many American farmers who favor the tariffs are thinking about longer-term trade benefits. Ireland and Judin explain, "China is a top destination for U.S. agricultural exports like soybeans, and getting it to buy a set amount of crops each year would guarantee a market for producers without the threat of competition, one economist explained. That certainty, in turn, would stabilize commodity crop prices."

The tariffs also pose risks, including helping South American producers grab a bigger share of the Chinese soybean market. That risk, along with high input costs and possible labor shortages has spurred concerns among some farmers. The Free Press reports, "Trump’s trade war has proven divisive for American farmers — a group that overwhelmingly backed the president during last year’s election, according to a county-level analysis by Investigate Midwest."

At present the tariffs between the U.S. and China remain in play. Ireland and Judin write, "As of June 11, the U.S. and China have reportedly reached a tentative accord to de-escalate their trade dispute without inking a significant deal. According to The New York Times, some tariffs will remain in place on both sides. . . . China has canceled mass shipments of American farm products, and industry groups warn that a lengthy trade dispute could further reduce demand for U.S. exports."

Mississippi farmer Pepper Roberts says he's planning for an uncertain season. Ireland and Judin add, "Roberts steadfastly supports the tariffs. He also has some savings from past years to fall back on if things go south." Roberts told reporters, "You can’t hit a grand slam every year. We all want the biggest profit we can ever make, but when I cross (the) break-even point, I’m ready to lock something in.”

Rural communities that once enjoyed bustling shopping malls struggle to repurpose the failing properties

The Berkshire Mall in rural Lanesborough, Mass., once 
bustled with customers but has fallen into disrepair.

Rural communities that seemed lucky to have a big shopping mall two decades ago have watched the glory days of their mall fade. The communities are often left with a sprawling abandoned building, frustrated property owners and a town budget still reliant on mall property taxes.

The once-packed Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough, Mass. is a striking example of how small-town malls have declined and closed throughout the United States. "The 720,000-square-foot mall, which opened in 1988, has long been Lanesborough’s single largest taxpayer. . . . In its heyday, [it] was the place to go," reports Jim Zarroli of The New York Times. "Business had fallen off sharply by the mid-2010s. Big-box stores like JCPenney and Sears closed. . . . The movie theater went dark in 2019."

What to do with Berkshire Mall remains a problem. "As the mall sits unused, the town wants its owners, Boston-based JMJ Real Estate Holdings and its partners, to sell the property for redevelopment," Zarroli explains. "But the owners have refused, and the standoff has no end in sight."

The challenges of reinventing a mall space are more difficult and take longer in rural America. "In small towns like Lanesborough, malls are often the largest tax generator, and local officials can be reluctant to admit the big-revenue days are over, continuing to rely on that money," Zarroli writes. "They can also find themselves butting heads with mall owners, who may have different ideas about what should be done with the site."

Meanwhile, communities deal with a stretch of decaying buildings and an owner who often lives miles away. "In Maine, town officials sued the owner of the Bangor Mall, accusing it of failing to make basic repairs," Zarroli adds. "In Massachusetts, the parking lot is mostly empty. . . .Break-ins have been frequent, the police said."

The best bet is to have old mall properties repurposed or torn down, but there are obstacles. "It can take years for redevelopment to begin. In West Mifflin, Pa., near Pittsburgh, a sharp drop in business at the Century III Mall left schools, in particular, short of funds, and the owners refused to make even modest repairs, Mayor Chris Kelly said," Zarroli reports. "Century III closed in 2019 and is now being demolished. Kelly said the town was optimistic that it could redevelop the 50-acre site."

If you get bitten by a tick, save it -- and other tips for dealing with ticks' ever-spreading presence

Illustration of a tick biting. 
(Art by Sebastian Kaulitzki, Adobe Stock)

What's to like about ticks? They are an important food source for wildlife, such as birds, lizards and bats. What's not to like? For humans, the list is long. 

Ticks can carry and spread more than 12 different "disease-causing agents including toxins, allergens, bacteria, parasites and viruses," reports Pien Huang of NPR. Across the U.S., some 31 million people are bitten by ticks every year.

Although not every tick bite ends in disease, many do. "Most reported cases of vector-borne disease (including mosquitoes) come from ticks, which can carry pathogens with terrible consequences," Huang explains. "Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the U.S., estimated to affect more than 470,000 people each year."

When it comes to ticks, working to avoid contact is the first line of defense; however, knowing what to do if you find one attached or have suspicious symptoms such as a rash is just as important.

If you find a tick attached, remove it immediately, but place it in a plastic bag or container it can't escape. Huang writes, "Identifying some key information about the tick can help determine your risks. That includes what kind of tick it is, whether it's in the nymph or adult stage and how long it's been feeding on you." 

The University of Rhode Island's website contains tick identification tools and instructions on how to submit the tick's photo to a tick-tracking expert.

An engorged deer tick. (CDC photo)

The ever-growing list of diseases ticks carry often depends on geography, although warming temperatures have led some tick species to spread into new regions. "In the past 20 years, scientists have discovered at least seven new tick-borne pathogens in the U.S.," Huang reports. "The mid-Atlantic recently saw its first fatal case of Heartland Virus."

For people heading outdoors, Huang provides this tick-avoiding guidance from CDC experts:

• Do careful and frequent tick checks on yourself and your family members and pets.
• If you're hiking, it helps to stay in the middle of a well-maintained trail, since ticks tend to hang out in the shrubs and foliage around the edge.
• Treat outdoor clothing with permethrin, a chemical similar to chrysanthemum extracts that stops ticks from biting.
• Additionally, treat your exposed skin with EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picardin, or other active ingredients that deter ticks. (Use the EPA's search tool to find one that works.)