News from around the nation.

Congressional leaders unveil short-term spending bill tied to disaster aid; MO farmers work to stop 'Farm Act' from becoming law; Increasing recycling access in rural CO communities; OH students fight for fair, livable on-campus wages. 

Transcript

The Public News Service Wednesday afternoon update, I'm Mike Clifford.

Congressional leaders Tuesday unveiled legislation that would keep government funding flowing through the middle of March and provide nearly $100 billion in aid for communities ravaged by hurricanes and other disasters.

That's from the New York Times.

They report negotiators in both parties had been toiling to reach a deal ahead of a Friday deadline to avert a shutdown.

The sprawling bill, more than 1,500 pages, includes $10 billion in direct economic assistance for farmers, another $21 billion in disaster relief for farmers.

Meantime, a Missouri-based farm group is fighting to keep the proposed Farm Act from becoming law, warning it would benefit large corporate farms at the expense of smaller ones.

The nonpartisan Farm Action Fund contends the proposed legislation in Congress, which is an extension of the five-year Farm Bill, would funnel more money to big corporate farms, giving them an unfair advantage and making it harder for small and mid-sized farms to survive.

Farm Action Fund President Joe Maxwell believes the legislation is making history, but not in a good way.

As far as I know, and I've been doing this for about 40 years, it's the first time there's been policy that would discriminate among the commodity crop growers in the United States saying that the largest ones get more money.

Oftentimes, they're the ones that need the least money.

The National Farm Coalition reports that 20 percent of farms control nearly 70 percent of U.S. farmland.

The Farm Act would allocate around $21 billion in aid.

Crystal Blair reporting.

Recycling is a given in many metropolitan areas, but due to lack of funding and infrastructure, the complicated work of keeping reusable materials out of landfills in rural Colorado has largely fallen on individual consumers.

We get an update in this daily Yonder Colorado News Connection collaboration.

A new law passed by the Colorado legislature will soon require companies that create packaging that can be recycled to pick up those costs.

Olivia Barker works with the Circular Action Alliance, which was selected to create a program plan for the new law by February 1st of next year.

Producers in Colorado have to pay for 100 percent of the costs of collecting, sorting, and processing the material that they sell or supply into Colorado.

This story was produced with original reporting from Alana Newman for the Daily Yonder.

I'm Eric Galatas.

Next to Ohio were college students who also work in on-campus jobs or calling for higher wages to ease financial pressures.

Nika Emanuel-Delgado with Kent State's chapter of the Ohio Student Association says she works multiple jobs, both on and off campus, and for some students their pay still falls short of meeting basic needs.

If you change your Spotify subscription or need a new backpack, you just don't have to worry about counting the pennies in your wallet to make sure that it's something you can afford.

The push comes amid rising living costs, despite Ohio's state minimum wage of $10.45 an hour, which will rise to $10.70 an hour in 2025.

This is public news service.

Birth doulas across Arkansas have formed a new organization to improve maternal health care across the state that they hope will make doula services accessible to more families.

Doulas are members of a birthing team that provide emotional, physical, and educational support to expectant mothers.

Vice President of the Doula Alliance of Arkansas, Cora Crane, says research shows doula services can reduce cesarean sections, premature deliveries, and length of labor.

We have people reaching out to us.

This is their first time.

They don't know what they don't know.

It's all very overwhelming.

There's definitely a certain amount of fear that a lot of people are bringing to the birth experience.

And then, of course, if you've had a doula in your previous birth, then you usually continue.

Doulas provide services during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.

I'm Freda Ross reporting.

Next to Nebraska, where the legislature there kicks off the new session a few weeks from today, issues related to gender identity are likely to be part of the mix.

Last year, a Nebraska bill to ban transgender students from playing school sports consistent with their gender identity narrowly failed.

Republican Governor Jim Pillan says he'll try again this year.

Grant Friedman with the ACLU of Nebraska says anyone opposed should try to set aside time with lawmakers to explain their concerns.

From his perspective, Friedman says policy makers should know other matters need attention.

Getting folks to realize they're there to make Nebraska a better place for everyone and focus on the issues that need to be dealt with and not kind of these fringe issues.

With Nebraska's budget on shaky ground and the need to address affordable housing gaps, he says advocates can pinpoint a number of topics they want lawmakers to look at instead.

Polls show most Americans oppose transgender restrictions, but Republicans' recent campaign messages have found some captive audiences.

I'm Mike Moen.

Finally, Montana's wildlife firefighters face a drastic pay cut at the end of this week without congressional action.

The law gave Interior Department or Forest Service employees an annual raise of either $20,000 or a 50 percent base salary increase.

Wildland firefighters can make as little as $15 an hour doing one of the country's most dangerous jobs.

Jonathan Golden with the advocacy group Grassroots Wildland Firefighters describes the pay raise as a game changer.

That really sent a message and a signal to the workforce that they were acknowledged for their hard work, their dedication, their sacrifice.

And that hard work also includes the off season when they are recovering.

I'm Mark Moran.

This is Mike Clifford for Public News Service, member and listener supported.

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