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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.

WI: Rural/Farming

The American Biogas Council says across the U.S., more than 2,300 digester sites are producing biogas. (Adobe Stock)
Digesters: Helpful in reducing farm emissions?

Wisconsin is part of a movement to reduce livestock emissions by converting manure into energy sources, and there are calls to weave in a careful …

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Wisconsin outreach specialists say determining land maintenance responsibilities, such as repairing irrigation lines, is important for new farmers in signing a land lease. They say that could make it easier for these farmers to avoid stalling progress on their new operations. (Adobe Stock)
WI experts: A strong lease could help ease land woes for new farmers

Farmers who produce the food we eat don't always own the land that food is grown on, including in Wisconsin. Those trying to get their operations off …

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Research work led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute found while massive flood events call attention to cost impacts for state and local governments, increased frequency of mid-scale flood events can wear on rural communities. (Adobe Stock)
Taxpayers, like farmers, can get a bang for their buck from conservation funding

If you live in a flood prone community, soil health from nearby farmland may have something to do with it. Ag voices in Wisconsin say government-…

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Congress averted a government shutdown in September by approving a temporary spending plan. But time is running out to come up with long-term appropriations, and political observers say a lot of uncertainty looms over budget talks. (Adobe Stock)
Wisconsinites warn of negative outcomes if federal programs are cut

Congress has one week to approve a new federal spending plan or risk a government shutdown, and some Wisconsinites are calling on lawmakers to keep …

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About 345,000 hogs and pigs live on Wisconsin farms, according to the latest USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service - Hogs and Pigs report. (Adobe Stock)
WI small-farm advocates push back on CAFOs

Family-farm advocates in rural Wisconsin are pushing back on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, as the livestock industry becomes more …

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The number of wolves in Wisconsin is estimated at 1,000, up from 200 when the state adopted its first management plan in 1999. (dnr.wisconsin.gov)
Wisconsin's wolf management plan back in the spotlight

The long-awaited Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan is up for adoption next week by the state's Department of Natural Resources, and the board will …

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Ag-based organizations say if there's a government shutdown, it would add more stress to those trying to adopt a new Farm Bill because lawmakers could not consult with furloughed USDA staff about the importance of certain programs. (Adobe Stock)
WI ag groups in 'wait-and-see mode' on Farm Bill

The current Farm Bill expires Sept. 30 and with a looming government shutdown, reauthorization does not appear imminent. Wisconsin farm groups say …

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As of June, the new Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance program says it has served nine counties around the state, with ten hunger relief sites receiving food deliveries from local farms. (Adobe Stock)
Hunger Relief Connections Put Small WI Farms on the Map

A new Wisconsin program strives to create a "win-win" scenario for regional food shelves and independent farmers. This month, a new directory went …

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One of the apple blossoms found at The Cider Farm in southwestern Wisconsin, which strives for biodiversity in protecting species. (Photo courtesy of The Cider Farm)
Embracing Biodiversity: WI Farm Helps Pollinators Survive Climate Change

By Lela Nargi for the Food and Environment Reporting Network.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Solutions …

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A state-level report says 21.8% of rural residents in Wisconsin lack access to standard levels of high-speed Internet, which is above the national rural average of 17%. (Adobe Stock)
WI Gets $1B from Feds for Boosting Broadband

As rural communities still suffer from the so-called digital divide, the Biden administration has announced the rollout of more than $42 billion for …

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Siena Chrisman of State Innovation Exchange, Kellon Patey of People's Action and Caitlin Cromwell of Northern Plains Resource Council discuss policy goals at the 2023 Rural Policy Action Summit. (Photo courtesy of Rural Democracy Initiative)
Wisconsin Voices Reflect on Rural Summit

Rural advocates from around the U.S. recently gathered to lay out policy priorities at the state and federal levels in hopes of making smaller …

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Electric vehicles, which can carry a battery pack with up to 50,000 volts of electricity, can be a danger, both to passengers and first responders, in accidents. (Adobe Stock)
Beyond Infrastructure, EV Movement Includes First-Responder Training

The auto industry and public agencies are looking ahead to a bigger transition to electric vehicles, and it's not just adding more charging stations…

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