Nov. 22, 2023 www.investigatemidwest.org Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for YOU!
Today is a fitting time to thank you for continuing to follow our work.
Without your support, we simply would not be here. So thank you for taking time out of your busy day to spend time with us.
Today’s newsletter features:
- A Graphic of the Week, by our reporter and Report for America corps member Mónica Cordero, highlighting that the U.S. Department of Agriculture initiated 250 antitrust cases in the last eight years;
- A column by Dave Dickey about another antitrust case — this one targeting Agri Stats, which collects, collates and then distributes industrial agriculture company information;
- A pair of stories, by our newsroom partners with the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water desk, highlighting the cost and impact of extreme weather on industry and communities in that region.
We hope you find these stories and all of Investigate Midwest’s work informative and illuminating — and that it inspires you to help support our mission with a donation. Right now, contributions will be tripled, thanks to our national NewsMatch campaign and a new $10,000 match from The Joyce Foundation.
Happy Thanksgiving. May the holiday bring you and yours joy.
Warmly,
Erin Orr, executive director
Study finds Mississippi River basin residents concerned about environment, but largely unaware they live in the watershed
By Madeline Heim, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
New research gives a rare look at climate attitudes of Mississippi River basin residents and the relationship they have — or don’t have — with one of the world’s most important rivers.
Only about half of the 2,300 surveyed were aware their state was in the basin. In Kentucky just 7.5% of respondents thought they lived in the basin, even though it includes the entire state.
Read more.
RELATED STORY: As extreme weather increasingly threatens crops, study finds taxpayers pay the price By the Cedar Rapids Gazette
GRAPHIC: USDA has initiated 250 antitrust enforcement actions since 2016
By Mónica Cordero, Investigate Midwest and Report for America corps member
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has initiated 250 cases against companies and individuals for non-compliance with the Packers and Stockyards Act since 2016.
See the graphic.
OPINION: DOJ has work cut out for itself in Agri Stats lawsuit
By Dave Dickey, Columnist
Agri Stats is at the focus of Dave Dickey's latest column. He writes: "It's the latest lawsuit by the DOJ antitrust division trying to reign in what the the feds say is Agri Stats' illegal 'anticompetitive information exchange' that allows Big Meat to illegally share sales and production information 'that is comprehensive, granular, current and available exclusively to processors.'
"Yeah that sounds bad."
Read more.
Related news from our partners
Responding to conflict, Food Prize laureates call for boost in food aid and ag investment By DTN/The Progressive Farmer
Drought on Mississippi River expected to persist through winter By the Daily Memphian and St. Louis Public Radio
CLARIFICATION: Last week's newsletter introduction incorrectly stated how many farmers received relief under the original Pigford settlement. It should have said that, while tens of thousands of Black farmers applied for relief under the original Pigford settlement, only 70% actually received relief.
