PNS Daily Newscast - March 5, 2021
New rules should speed large-scale clean-energy projects in NY; Texas' Gov. Abbott tries to shift COVID blame to release of "immigrants."
2021Talks - March 5, 2021
A marathon Senate session begins to pass COVID relief; Sanders plans a $15 minimum wage amendment; and work continues to approve Biden's cabinet choices.
Public News Service - IA: Rural/Farming

DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa has taken steps to prevent floods following historic disasters in recent decades. At the center of these efforts are local coordinators, working to keep jurisdictions on the same page. Now, a proposal is being offered to better fund these positions. As lawmakers craft the n

AMES, Iowa -- An arctic blast has left all of Iowa frozen in recent days, but the spring planting season is inching closer. A new report suggests those who work on farms still face obstacles when it comes to workplace protections, and some of the Iowa data isn't pretty. The nonpartisan Economic Po

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa is among the top states when it comes to the number of organic farms in operation, but producers have long struggled to obtain crop insurance that can better protect them from losses. A new initiative aims to help close these gaps. Last summer's derecho storm left many Iow

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa hasn't seen as much economic pain as some other states during the pandemic, but many residents and small businesses are still struggling. Supporters of expanding the state's solar tax credit say it could help with any recovery from the crisis. The reimbursement budget for I

DES MOINES, Iowa -- In the coming weeks, political candidates will fan out in rural America, promising voters that struggling communities will get federal help. But in states such as Iowa, some say those pledges don't result in real investment and that a new approach is needed. Matt Hildreth, exec

DES MOINES, Iowa - The wind-energy industry has a strong presence in states such as Iowa. But for more projects to move forward, a new report says local governments and developers need to be diligent in sorting out zoning issues. Iowa is among the top ten states for renewable energy from wind farm

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The corporate meat industry is the target of a new campaign that asks consumers to boycott products from large operations. Those behind the effort point to recent situations in Iowa as examples of longstanding issues that need to be resolved, and cite a wide range of issues inclu

JEFFERSON, Iawa -- Farmers in the nation's heartland are strongly encouraged to adopt conservation practices to lower their costs and help the environment. But an Iowa farmer says there's a side benefit that nobody talks about: job creation. Farmer Bill Frederick said he has turned conservation wo