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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

IL: Rural/Farming

Agricultural officials saod bringing broadband connections to rural Illinois countries could provide farmers with data that could increase both crop yields and annual profits. (Wikimedia Commons)
New tool gauges economic effects of expanded broadband in rural IL

By Will Wright for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Illinois News Connection reporting for The Daily Yonder-Public News Servi…

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The Illinois Department of Agriculture says the state's farmland covers 27 million acres, or about 75% of Illinois' total land area. (Adobe Stock)
IL farm group wants improved safety measures for pipelines

A pipeline project to transport carbon dioxide captured from ethanol and fertilizer production to a permanent storage site in Illinois is raising conc…

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The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 2020-2022 report indicates 85% of the state's streams are
IL environmental network creates plan for cleaner waterways

Illinois rivers, lakes and groundwater have become unsafe for humans and wildlife. One organization has started the New Year with a "Clean Water …

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Farmers in Illinois and across the country are concerned over whether Congress will complete its work on a new Farm Bill by the end of the current term. (Adobe Stock)
Farm Bill delays could affect food benefits for many Americans

The once-every-five-year Farm Bill will likely be extended to six years this time around, as Congress seems months away from finding a path forward…

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A University of Illinois report says such factors as climate change, fluctuating markets and the cost of operations are major stressors that farmers can't always control. (Adobe Stock)
Illinois Expands Farmers' Access to Mental-Health Services

Research shows that farmers die from suicide at a rate twice as high as the rest of the population, and Illinois officials are taking steps to help …

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Researchers used
Illinois Environmental Group Seeks Ban on Pesticides Harmful to Bees

An Illinois group reported toxic pesticides are causing irreversible damage to young, developing bees, putting the bee population in decline and food …

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Statistics show more than 90,000 U.S. farmworkers contracted the COVID virus, and at least 100 died during the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)
Report: Government Program to Protect Farmworkers Failing

By Sky Chadde and Johnathan Heddinger for Investigate Midwest, with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.Broadcast version by Mark …

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Mexico and Canada are the largest importers of meat into the United States, but other countries such as Brazil, Australia and Japan sell significant amounts of beef, pork and lamb here as well. (Simone van den Berg/Adobe Stock)
Proposed USDA Rule Change Would Limit Use of 'Product of USA' Labels

A proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would change the rules on what foods can be labeled "Product of USA." Current regulations allow …

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Many of Illinois' soil and water conservation priorities are laid out in the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, which was released in 2015. (Adobe Stock)
IL Advocates Push for Greater Awareness of Soil Health

Illinois environmental advocates are pushing lawmakers in Springfield to recognize the importance of soil health. The General Assembly is …

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According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 15,000 water bodies across the country have nutrient-related environmental problems. (Adobe Stock)
IL Bill Could Impact Waters as Distant as Gulf of Mexico

Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill proponents say could benefit water quality not only locally, but in places as far-flung as the Gulf of …

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Nearly 80% of farmers do not have the option to change service providers if their connections are slow, according to a 2019 report from the United Soybean Board. (Budimir Jevtic/Adobe Stock)
Report: Farmers Need Broadband Access in Offices, Fields, Community

FILLMORE, Ill. - A new report says farmers in the United States need better broadband and in more places - their home offices, their fields and their …

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Illinois is responsible for 20% of the nitrates that have caused a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, and thousands of rural water wells across the state have high levels of nitrates. (bmargaret/Adobe Stock)
Report: More Data Needed on Nitrates in Rural IL Wells

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A new report finds that thousands of drinking-water wells in Illinois are contaminated with high levels of nitrates. Clean-water …

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