industry

Katy Rogers, the farm manager at Teter Organic Farm and Retreat Center in Noblesville, Indiana, inspects produce growing in one of the high tunnels at the farm on June 21, 2022. Members of Congress are pushing to expand a USDA program aimed at organic farmers. (NRCS/USDA photo by Brandon O’Connor)

As consumers flock to organic foods, lawmakers urge more federal grants for farmers

BY: - October 9, 2023

WASHINGTON — U.S. lawmakers are pushing a bill that would boost support for organic farmers amid rising demand for their products. U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Angus King of Maine in the Senate, alongside U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree of Maine and Annie Kuster of New Hampshire in the House, introduced the Organic Market […]

Kids at work: States try to ease child labor laws at behest of industry

BY: - April 7, 2023

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in 11 states have either passed or introduced laws to roll back child labor laws — a push that’s come from industry trade organizations and mostly conservative legislators as businesses scramble for low-wage workers.  In the past two years, those states have moved to extend working hours for children, eliminate work permit […]

Natalie Bell, 23, an art student turned welder from Columbus, Ohio, says a welding class and a chance pizza delivery led her to a career in construction. She's worked in construction since 2019. (Photo by Graham Stokes for States Newsroom)

Help wanted: Women needed for U.S. chips manufacturing plan to succeed

BY: - March 27, 2023

Natalie Bell was thinking about a career in art after college when a welding class and a delivery of four pizzas changed her career trajectory.  “I was taking a delivery out to a construction site, and I met an ironworker who I was taking the delivery to,” said Bell, who lives in Columbus, Ohio. “I […]

A Cargill chicken farm near Ponca, Arkansas. Pinpointing the locations of chicken farms in Arkansas can be hard because individual nutrient (waste) management plans are not public records. (Image from Google Earth)

Chicken farms hide in plain sight under Arkansas law

BY: - March 6, 2023

If you drive down the winding country roads west of Ponca, Arkansas, you might come across a stretch of land with three long structures — metal roofs, green siding. Just off the county highway, down a short clip of gravel road, you’d see a sign marking the poultry farm as a Cargill operation. It would […]

Standard Lithium signage at offices on East Elm Street in downtown El Dorado. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate 02/28/2023)

Southwest Arkansas and the promise of ‘green’ lithium extraction

BY: - March 1, 2023

Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series looking at the promise and possible environmental peril of lithium extraction in Southwest Arkansas. Part Two can be found here. At 4:30 p.m., Jan. 10, 1921, the Busey No. 1 well drilled 2,233 feet and sent a thick black column of gas, oil, and water […]

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addresses the 99th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum at the Crystal City Gateway, Crystal City, Virginia, on Thursday, February 23, 2023. (USDA photo by Tom Witham)

Market innovation a path to economic equity in farming, Vilsack tells ag conference

BY: - February 25, 2023

WASHINGTON – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged the private sector and government officials to address inequity and promote innovation in what he called a “pivotal moment” in the nation’s history at an industry conference Thursday. In the opening session of the 99th USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum, Vilsack said new income streams and markets will […]

U.S. Army soldiers at Fort Carson, Colorado, transport their M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System vehicles. HIMARS are made in Camden, Arkansas, by Lockheed Martin. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Nathan Clark/Released)

White House unveils $2B in weapons for Ukraine on one-year anniversary of Russian invasion

BY: - February 24, 2023

WASHINGTON — On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration announced an additional $2 billion in weapons and a host of new sanctions targeting Russia’s key industries and government officials. The Friday announcement came on the heels of President Joe Biden’s historic and surprise visit to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, where […]

An American Airlines plane takes off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Breakdowns in the nation's aviation system this month have highlighted the lack of a Senate-confirmed head of the Federal Aviation Administration. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Aviation turmoil shifts attention to stalled confirmation of FAA chief

BY: - January 23, 2023

A breakdown in the federal aviation system earlier this month threw a spotlight on the absence of a Senate-confirmed leader of the Federal Aviation Administration, prompting Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to push for the chamber to confirm President Joe Biden’s choice to lead the agency. But key Senate Republicans have raised concerns about that nominee, […]

Motley marijuana laws drive consumers — and revenue — across state lines

BY: - January 16, 2023

SOUTH BELOIT, Ill. — Less than half a mile south of the Wisconsin border in Illinois, the Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary bustles with activity. Cars with license plates from Wisconsin, Minnesota and other pot-banning states slide in and out of the shop’s expansive parking lot. The bright and airy retail store is an easy hop off […]

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (left) and Democratic Sen. Pat Leahy of Vermont at the U.S. Capitol head to lunch with Senate Democrats prior to a vote on an agreement to avert a looming rail strike on Dec. 1, 2022. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)

U.S. Senate averts freight rail strike, but bid to include worker sick leave fails

BY: - December 1, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to codify an agreement the White House brokered between rail unions and freight companies in order to avoid a catastrophic rail strike, but fell short of enough votes to include paid sick leave for workers. The Senate backed the rail deal on an 80-15 vote and rejected […]