FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — The area in northern Colorado where a flash flood swept away a camping trailer, killing a woman and a child, received nearly an inch of rain in a matter of minutes.

Frank Cooper, a National Weather Service meteorologist, tells the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/07/16/fatal-larimer-county-flood-caused-by-20-minute-downpour-on-burn-scar/65375001007/">Fort Collins Coloradoan</a>&nbsp;that a gauge 3 to 4 miles (4.8 to 6.4 kilometers) northwest of Crystal Mountain received .91 inches (2.3 centimeters) of rain, with .67 inches (1.7 centimeters) of that coming from 5 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. Friday. He noted that radar estimated higher amounts of rain in the area that includes the burn scar left by the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire.

“The threshold for flash flooding is pretty low up there because of the soils in the burn scar,″ Cooper said. “One to two inches of rain in an hour is plenty sufficient to cause problems.″

David Moore, a spokesman for the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, told the newspaper that multiple reports of flash flooding in the area west of Fort Collins started coming in Friday evening, including one about a trailer being washed away in the upper to middle section of Buckhorn Canyon.

The victims — a woman and a girl — were found dead Friday night. Their names have not been released.

The flash flooding also destroyed a home, but the occupants were accounted for and no injuries were reported.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSFORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — The area in northern Colorado where a flash flood swept away a camping trailer, killing a woman and a child, received nearly an inch of rain in a matter of minutes.Frank Cooper, a National Weather Service meteorologist, tells the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/07/16/fatal-larimer-county-flood-caused-by-20-minute-downpour-on-burn-scar/65375001007/">Fort Collins Coloradoan</a>&nbsp;that a gauge 3 to 4 miles (4.8 to 6.4 kilometers) northwest of Crystal Mountain received .91 inches (2.3 centimeters) of rain, with .67 inches (1.7 centimeters) of that coming from 5 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. Friday. He noted that radar estimated higher amounts of rain in the area that includes the burn scar left by the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire.“The threshold for flash flooding is pretty low up there because of the soils in the burn scar,″ Cooper said. “One to two inches of rain in an hour is plenty sufficient to cause problems.″David Moore, a spokesman for the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, told the newspaper that multiple reports of flash flooding in the area west of Fort Collins started coming in Friday evening, including one about a trailer being washed away in the upper to middle section of Buckhorn Canyon.The victims — a woman and a girl — were found dead Friday night. Their names have not been released.The flash flooding also destroyed a home, but the occupants were accounted for and no injuries were reported.

Fatal Colorado flood caused by quick downpour on burn scar

NUCKOLLS COUNTY, NE. — The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake centered near the Kansas, Nebraska state line in Nuckolls County had a preliminary magnitude of 3.7.

 The quake was reported just before 8a.m. Sunday, 4.3 miles southwest of Superior, Nebraska and was felt in many areas of Jewell County, Kansas. The Kansas Geological Survey indicated the quake measured magnitude 4.0.&nbsp;There were no immediate reports of damage.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658096570056.png" alt="Location of Sunday's quake-USGS image" />
 <figcaption>Location of Sunday's quake-USGS image</figcaption>
 </figure>NUCKOLLS COUNTY, NE. — The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake centered near the Kansas, Nebraska state line in Nuckolls County had a preliminary magnitude of 3.7. The quake was reported just before 8a.m. Sunday, 4.3 miles southwest of Superior, Nebraska and was felt in many areas of Jewell County, Kansas. The Kansas Geological Survey indicated the quake measured magnitude 4.0.&nbsp;There were no immediate reports of damage.&nbsp;

Earthquake reported near the Nebraska, Kansas state line

Eagle Radio operates <a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/post-news-network">nine Post news sites</a> in communities across Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.

Here is a sampling of stories from last week:

<a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/c6b40452-04cf-43f9-9543-51f0dc203a79">🎥: Kansas-native plays Country Stampede for 10th time</a> From Little Apple Post

<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/406c2e91-d9da-4b84-9332-990b9cc7fb74#//">It's not too late to seek a new career, Missouri Western can help</a> From St. Joseph Post

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/63c386cd-e851-43c7-b628-073b8f2d09bf">NAMI brings mental health support to jails, prisons</a> From Hays Post

<a href="https://panhandlepost.com/posts/e2a29261-117a-4410-a9ac-44d9ca43da85">A-Town Zesto continues burger legacy in Alliance</a> From Panhandle Post

<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/a9425a02-e0c5-4309-95ef-4cc50c2acd9e">$60,000 customized car missing from Salina dealership</a> From Salina Post

<a href="https://jcpost.com/posts/e942541b-d464-490b-b88d-8cc5d6ef7a67">Concrete grandstand at Al Simpler Stadium is taken down</a> From JC Post

<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/257df2ac-df7b-496b-9643-3eefc15df397">Edward's Street Brew &amp; Bites cuts ribbon in Larned</a> From Great Bend Post

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/ca578a56-f6d6-4f47-9ebc-f854801e657f">Communities That Care data shows kids in Reno County need help</a> From Hutch Post

<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/9e9ec18a-adf5-45ab-a8e0-80c7991fdf01">Eagle Radio employee-owner, Schmidt Foundation make donation to North Platte Habitat for Humanity</a> From North Platte Post

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1587155364471.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Eagle Radio operates <a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/post-news-network">nine Post news sites</a> in communities across Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.Here is a sampling of stories from last week:<a href="https://littleapplepost.com/posts/c6b40452-04cf-43f9-9543-51f0dc203a79">🎥: Kansas-native plays Country Stampede for 10th time</a> From Little Apple Post<a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/406c2e91-d9da-4b84-9332-990b9cc7fb74#//">It's not too late to seek a new career, Missouri Western can help</a> From St. Joseph Post<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/63c386cd-e851-43c7-b628-073b8f2d09bf">NAMI brings mental health support to jails, prisons</a> From Hays Post<a href="https://panhandlepost.com/posts/e2a29261-117a-4410-a9ac-44d9ca43da85">A-Town Zesto continues burger legacy in Alliance</a> From Panhandle Post<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/a9425a02-e0c5-4309-95ef-4cc50c2acd9e">$60,000 customized car missing from Salina dealership</a> From Salina Post<a href="https://jcpost.com/posts/e942541b-d464-490b-b88d-8cc5d6ef7a67">Concrete grandstand at Al Simpler Stadium is taken down</a> From JC Post<a href="https://greatbendpost.com/posts/257df2ac-df7b-496b-9643-3eefc15df397">Edward's Street Brew &amp; Bites cuts ribbon in Larned</a> From Great Bend Post<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/ca578a56-f6d6-4f47-9ebc-f854801e657f">Communities That Care data shows kids in Reno County need help</a> From Hutch Post<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/9e9ec18a-adf5-45ab-a8e0-80c7991fdf01">Eagle Radio employee-owner, Schmidt Foundation make donation to North Platte Habitat for Humanity</a> From North Platte Post

News From Around the Post News Network

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Long lines are back at food banks around the U.S. as working Americans overwhelmed by inflation turn to handouts to help feed their families.

With gas prices soaring along with grocery costs, many people are seeking charitable food for the first time, and more are arriving on foot.

Inflation in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">is at a 40-year high</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-us-supreme-court-united-states-prices-congress-fd9b475349dc1d8365fbc2497a07de3b">gas prices have been surging</a>&nbsp;since April 2020, with the average cost nationwide briefly hitting $5 a gallon in June. Rapidly rising rents and an end to federal COVID-19 relief have also taken a financial toll.

The food banks, which had started to see some relief as people returned to work after pandemic shutdowns, are struggling to meet the latest need even as federal programs provide less food to distribute, grocery store donations wane and cash gifts don’t go nearly as far.

Tomasina John was among hundreds of families lined up in several lanes of cars that went around the block one recent day outside St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix. John said her family had never visited a food bank before because her husband had easily supported her and their four children with his construction work.

“But it’s really impossible to get by now without some help,” said John, who traveled with a neighbor to share gas costs as they idled under a scorching desert sun. “The prices are way too high.”

“It’s a real struggle,” said Pascual, a janitor who estimated he spends several hundred dollars a month on groceries for him, his wife and their five children aged 11 to 19.

The same scene is repeated across the nation, where food bank workers predict a rough summer keeping ahead of demand.

The surge in food prices comes after state governments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-nebraska-iowa-des-moines-4ff5e0d51f61e6704f44dfc31279376a">ended COVID-19 disaster declarations</a>&nbsp;that temporarily allowed increased benefits under SNAP, the federal food stamp program covering some 40 million Americans .

“It does not look like it’s going to get better overnight,” said Katie Fitzgerald, president and chief operating officer for the national food bank network Feeding America. “Demand is really making the supply challenges complex.”

Charitable food distribution&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-hunger-coronavirus-pandemic-4c7f1705c6d8ef5bac241e6cc8e331bb">has remained far above amounts given away before the coronavirus pandemic</a>, even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-united-states-health-hunger-2c509e7e1ce108c47287b42315e2a0c3">demand tapered off somewhat late last year</a>.

Feeding America officials say second quarter data won't be ready until August, but they are hearing anecdotally from food banks nationwide that demand is soaring.

The Phoenix food bank's main distribution center doled out food packages to 4,271 families during the third week in June, a 78% increase over the 2,396 families served during the same week last year, said St. Mary's spokesman Jerry Brown.

More than 900 families line up at the distribution center every weekday for an emergency government food box stuffed with goods such as canned beans, peanut butter and rice, said Brown. St. Mary’s adds products purchased with cash donations, as well as food provided by local supermarkets like bread, carrots and pork chops for a combined package worth about $75.

Distribution by the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Northern California has ticked up since hitting a pandemic low at the beginning of this year, increasing from 890 households served on the third Friday in January to 1,410 households on the third Friday in June, said marketing director Michael Altfest.

At the Houston Food Bank, the largest food bank in the U.S. where food distribution levels earlier in the pandemic briefly peaked at a staggering 1 million pounds a day, an average of 610,000 pounds is now being given out daily.

That's up from about 500,000 pounds a day before the pandemic, said spokeswoman Paula Murphy said.

Murphy said cash donations have not eased, but inflation ensures they don’t go as far.

Food bank executives said the sudden surge in demand caught them off guard.

“Last year, we had expected a decrease in demand for 2022 because the economy had been doing so well,” said Michael Flood, CEO for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. “This issue with inflation came on pretty suddenly.”

“A lot of these are people who are working and did OK during the pandemic and maybe even saw their wages go up,” said Flood. “But they have also seen food prices go up beyond their budgets.”

The Los Angeles bank gave away about 30 million pounds of food during the first three months of this year, slightly less than the previous quarter but still far more than the 22 million pounds given away during the first quarter of 2020.

Feeding America's Fitzgerald is calling on USDA and Congress to find a way to restore hundreds of millions of dollars worth of commodities recently lost with the end of several temporary programs to provide food to people in need. USDA commodities, which generally can represent as much as 30% of the food the banks disperse, accounted for more than 40% of all food distributed in fiscal year 2021 by the Feeding America network.

“There is a critical need for the public sector to purchase more food now," said Fitzgerald.

During the Trump administration, USDA bought several billions of dollars in pork, apples, dairy, potatoes and other products in a program that gave most of it to food banks. The “Food Purchase &amp; Distribution Program” designed to help American farmers harmed by tariffs and other practices of U.S. trade partners has since ended. There was $1.2 billion authorized for the 2019 fiscal year and another $1.4 billion authorized for fiscal 2020.

Another temporary&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/farmers-to-families-food-box">USDA “Farmers to Families” program</a>&nbsp;that provided emergency relief provided more than 155 million food boxes for families in need across the U.S. during the height of the pandemic before ending May 31, 2021.

For now, there's enough food, but there might not be in the future, said Michael G. Manning, president and CEO at Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank in Louisiana. He said high fuel costs also make it far more expensive to collect and distribute food.

The USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which included Farmers to Families, was "a boon” for the Alameda County Community Food Bank, providing 5 billion pounds of commodities over a single year, said spokesman Altfest.

“So losing that was a big hit,” he said.

Altfest said as many as 10% of the people now seeking food are first timers, and a growing number are showing up on foot rather than in cars to save gas.

“The food they get from us is helping them save already-stretched budgets for other expenses like gas, rent, diapers and baby formula,” he said.

Meanwhile, food purchases by the bank have jumped from a monthly average of $250,000 before the pandemic to as high as $1.5 million now because of food prices. Rocketing gasoline costs forced the bank to increase its fuel budget by 66%, Altfest said.

Supply chain issues are also a problem, requiring the food bank to become more aggressive with procurement.

“We used to reorder when our inventory dropped to three weeks’ worth, now we reorder up to six weeks out,” said Altfest.

He said the food bank has already ordered and paid for whole chickens, stuffing, cranberries and other holiday feast items it will distribute for Thanksgiving, the busiest time of the year.

At the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in Montebello east of Los Angeles, workers say they are seeing many families along with older people like Diane Martinez, who lined up one recent morning on foot.

Some of the hundreds of mostly Spanish-speaking recipients had cars parked nearby. They carried cloth bags, cardboard boxes or shoved pushcarts to pick up their food packages from the distribution site the Los Angeles bank serves.

“The prices of food are so high and they’re going up higher every day,” said Martinez, who expressed gratitude for the bags of black beans, ground beef and other groceries. “I’m so glad that they’re able to help us.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657814437167.png" alt="The surge in food prices comes after state governments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-nebraska-iowa-des-moines-4ff5e0d51f61e6704f44dfc31279376a">ended COVID-19 disaster declarations</a>&nbsp;that temporarily allowed increased benefits under SNAP, the federal food stamp program covering some 40 million Americans." />
 <figcaption>The surge in food prices comes after state governments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-nebraska-iowa-des-moines-4ff5e0d51f61e6704f44dfc31279376a">ended COVID-19 disaster declarations</a>&nbsp;that temporarily allowed increased benefits under SNAP, the federal food stamp program covering some 40 million Americans.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Long lines are back at food banks around the U.S. as working Americans overwhelmed by inflation turn to handouts to help feed their families.With gas prices soaring along with grocery costs, many people are seeking charitable food for the first time, and more are arriving on foot.Inflation in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-consumer-74e1a5c9bced40460e4079f62e980095">is at a 40-year high</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/climate-us-supreme-court-united-states-prices-congress-fd9b475349dc1d8365fbc2497a07de3b">gas prices have been surging</a>&nbsp;since April 2020, with the average cost nationwide briefly hitting $5 a gallon in June. Rapidly rising rents and an end to federal COVID-19 relief have also taken a financial toll.The food banks, which had started to see some relief as people returned to work after pandemic shutdowns, are struggling to meet the latest need even as federal programs provide less food to distribute, grocery store donations wane and cash gifts don’t go nearly as far.Tomasina John was among hundreds of families lined up in several lanes of cars that went around the block one recent day outside St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix. John said her family had never visited a food bank before because her husband had easily supported her and their four children with his construction work.“But it’s really impossible to get by now without some help,” said John, who traveled with a neighbor to share gas costs as they idled under a scorching desert sun. “The prices are way too high.”Jesus Pascual was also in the queue.“It’s a real struggle,” said Pascual, a janitor who estimated he spends several hundred dollars a month on groceries for him, his wife and their five children aged 11 to 19.The same scene is repeated across the nation, where food bank workers predict a rough summer keeping ahead of demand.The surge in food prices comes after state governments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-nebraska-iowa-des-moines-4ff5e0d51f61e6704f44dfc31279376a">ended COVID-19 disaster declarations</a>&nbsp;that temporarily allowed increased benefits under SNAP, the federal food stamp program covering some 40 million Americans .“It does not look like it’s going to get better overnight,” said Katie Fitzgerald, president and chief operating officer for the national food bank network Feeding America. “Demand is really making the supply challenges complex.”Charitable food distribution&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-hunger-coronavirus-pandemic-4c7f1705c6d8ef5bac241e6cc8e331bb">has remained far above amounts given away before the coronavirus pandemic</a>, even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-united-states-health-hunger-2c509e7e1ce108c47287b42315e2a0c3">demand tapered off somewhat late last year</a>.Feeding America officials say second quarter data won't be ready until August, but they are hearing anecdotally from food banks nationwide that demand is soaring.The Phoenix food bank's main distribution center doled out food packages to 4,271 families during the third week in June, a 78% increase over the 2,396 families served during the same week last year, said St. Mary's spokesman Jerry Brown.More than 900 families line up at the distribution center every weekday for an emergency government food box stuffed with goods such as canned beans, peanut butter and rice, said Brown. St. Mary’s adds products purchased with cash donations, as well as food provided by local supermarkets like bread, carrots and pork chops for a combined package worth about $75.Distribution by the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Northern California has ticked up since hitting a pandemic low at the beginning of this year, increasing from 890 households served on the third Friday in January to 1,410 households on the third Friday in June, said marketing director Michael Altfest.At the Houston Food Bank, the largest food bank in the U.S. where food distribution levels earlier in the pandemic briefly peaked at a staggering 1 million pounds a day, an average of 610,000 pounds is now being given out daily.That's up from about 500,000 pounds a day before the pandemic, said spokeswoman Paula Murphy said.Murphy said cash donations have not eased, but inflation ensures they don’t go as far.Food bank executives said the sudden surge in demand caught them off guard.“Last year, we had expected a decrease in demand for 2022 because the economy had been doing so well,” said Michael Flood, CEO for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. “This issue with inflation came on pretty suddenly.”“A lot of these are people who are working and did OK during the pandemic and maybe even saw their wages go up,” said Flood. “But they have also seen food prices go up beyond their budgets.”The Los Angeles bank gave away about 30 million pounds of food during the first three months of this year, slightly less than the previous quarter but still far more than the 22 million pounds given away during the first quarter of 2020.Feeding America's Fitzgerald is calling on USDA and Congress to find a way to restore hundreds of millions of dollars worth of commodities recently lost with the end of several temporary programs to provide food to people in need. USDA commodities, which generally can represent as much as 30% of the food the banks disperse, accounted for more than 40% of all food distributed in fiscal year 2021 by the Feeding America network.“There is a critical need for the public sector to purchase more food now," said Fitzgerald.During the Trump administration, USDA bought several billions of dollars in pork, apples, dairy, potatoes and other products in a program that gave most of it to food banks. The “Food Purchase &amp; Distribution Program” designed to help American farmers harmed by tariffs and other practices of U.S. trade partners has since ended. There was $1.2 billion authorized for the 2019 fiscal year and another $1.4 billion authorized for fiscal 2020.Another temporary&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/farmers-to-families-food-box">USDA “Farmers to Families” program</a>&nbsp;that provided emergency relief provided more than 155 million food boxes for families in need across the U.S. during the height of the pandemic before ending May 31, 2021.For now, there's enough food, but there might not be in the future, said Michael G. Manning, president and CEO at Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank in Louisiana. He said high fuel costs also make it far more expensive to collect and distribute food.The USDA's Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which included Farmers to Families, was "a boon” for the Alameda County Community Food Bank, providing 5 billion pounds of commodities over a single year, said spokesman Altfest.“So losing that was a big hit,” he said.Altfest said as many as 10% of the people now seeking food are first timers, and a growing number are showing up on foot rather than in cars to save gas.“The food they get from us is helping them save already-stretched budgets for other expenses like gas, rent, diapers and baby formula,” he said.Meanwhile, food purchases by the bank have jumped from a monthly average of $250,000 before the pandemic to as high as $1.5 million now because of food prices. Rocketing gasoline costs forced the bank to increase its fuel budget by 66%, Altfest said.Supply chain issues are also a problem, requiring the food bank to become more aggressive with procurement.“We used to reorder when our inventory dropped to three weeks’ worth, now we reorder up to six weeks out,” said Altfest.He said the food bank has already ordered and paid for whole chickens, stuffing, cranberries and other holiday feast items it will distribute for Thanksgiving, the busiest time of the year.At the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in Montebello east of Los Angeles, workers say they are seeing many families along with older people like Diane Martinez, who lined up one recent morning on foot.Some of the hundreds of mostly Spanish-speaking recipients had cars parked nearby. They carried cloth bags, cardboard boxes or shoved pushcarts to pick up their food packages from the distribution site the Los Angeles bank serves.“The prices of food are so high and they’re going up higher every day,” said Martinez, who expressed gratitude for the bags of black beans, ground beef and other groceries. “I’m so glad that they’re able to help us.”

Long lines are back at US food banks as inflation hits high

By ALLISON WINTER <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/14/as-aging-farmers-retire-lawmakers-explore-how-to-boost-beginning-producers/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — More
 than half of American farmers will reach retirement age in the next 10 
years, but the steep price of entry to start a farm, along with rising 
input costs and volatile markets, make it tough for young and beginning 
farmers to take their places.

“Farming is inherently a risky 
business, but in the environment we are in right now, that risk is 
elevated,” Nathan Kauffman, vice president and economist at the Federal 
Reserve Bank of Kansas City in Omaha, testified at a U.S. House 
Agriculture Committee hearing Thursday.&nbsp;

The current financial outlook for farmers is particularly challenging.&nbsp;

Farmers face rising costs for not 
only farmland, but also fertilizer, fuel, seeds and chemicals. These 
rising costs are due in part to the war in Ukraine, strains on the 
global supply system, inflation and severe weather.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, high crop prices that have buoyed farmers over the past year are expected to go down.&nbsp;

“Uncertainty about the outlook for 
the U.S. agriculture economy is high and will depend significantly on 
global factors, particularly the war in Ukraine and the strength of 
global economic activity,” said Kauffman.

Demand for farm loans is expected to 
rise notably, and capital expenditure is expected to decline in the 
coming months for the first time since 2020, according to Kauffman.&nbsp;

House lawmakers are looking for ways 
to mitigate some of these risks and support young and beginning farmers 
in the next farm bill, the sweeping legislation that will set programs 
and funding levels for farm and food support for the next five years.&nbsp;

“It is a national and very critical 
issue. And we must ensure that the next generation of men and women can 
take the place of those who are retiring from this grand occupation 
called farming,”&nbsp; House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott, a 
Georgia Democrat, told his colleagues at the hearing.&nbsp;

“This is very critical to me. And credit is one of those tools that we must make readily available,” Scott said.

Aging farmers and the price of entry in the industry pose a challenge for U.S. agriculture.

A third of America’s 3.4 million 
farmers are over 65, according to the most recent agricultural census 
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The census was taken in 2017 
and published in 2019.&nbsp;

At the time, nearly a million more farmers were within a decade of the milestone retirement age of 65.&nbsp;

The census found that 27% of farmers 
qualify as “new and beginning producers,” with 10 years or less of 
experience in agriculture. Most of those farmers have operations that 
are smaller than average, both in terms of acres and value of 
production, according to USDA.

Members of the House Agriculture 
Committee said they are particularly interested in whether young, 
beginning or underserved farmers have access to credit, so they can get 
started in the high-capital world of agriculture.

“In any agriculture operation, one of
 the most critical relationships the farmer may have is with his or her 
lender. This is especially true for young and beginning producers. 
Farming is capital intensive,” said Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania,
 the top Republican on the committee.

“The cost of entry is incredibly high
 and can act as a barrier to entry for these new agriculturalists trying
 to start or grow their farm operations.”

The Agriculture Department’s Farm 
Services Agency has an array of different loans available to farmers, 
including one targeted at young and beginning farmers.&nbsp;

But in practice, producers say, the federal loan process can be laborious, slow and hard to access.

The struggle to obtain a loan can be 
especially acute for Black farmers, who can face racism and 
discrimination in applying for a loan, according to Dania Davy of the 
Alcorn State University Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers 
Policy Research Center in East Point, Georgia.

Black farmers have reached out to her
 group for help when the Farm Services Agency recommended they use their
 credit card instead of a federal loan, or when loan delays put a 
generational family farm at risk.

“As we review the farm bill and 
prepare for the scheduled reauthorization, we must make use of the 
opportunity to prevent the looming threat of loss of Black farms, land 
and livelihoods that has been institutionalized by racially disparate 
credit access,” Davy told the committee.&nbsp;

Davy recommends a more robust civil rights process at the local level with farm loan field agencies.

Julia Asherman, who owns a small 
organic farm in Jeffersonville, Georgia, was able to finance her 
operation with three different Farm Service Agency loans.&nbsp;

But she said even her success story 
highlights some roadblocks in the process. It took two months for her to
 get approval for her loan, and there was no option for pre-approval 
before she identified land to purchase. In a competitive market, a 
landowner would likely move on to the next bidder rather than wait that 
long for a loan.

“Farmers easily lose out on potential
 properties by not being able to act fast, and I’ve known several 
farmers personally who have not been able to use FSA loans to purchase 
for this reason,” Asherman said.

Asherman has a three-acre certified 
organic vegetable and specialty cut flower farm with five employees, 
three full-time and two part-time — a business she runs with no off-farm
 income.&nbsp;

But the FSA loan process is geared toward much larger operations, and it was a struggle to prove the validity of her farm.

“Their expectation of what a farm 
would look like, what it would gross per acre, and what it could produce
 per acre was in a totally different realm from what my understanding 
was, because they were really talking about a different kind of 
farming,” Asherman said.

The hearing was one in a series as the House Agriculture Committee ramps up its oversight work for the 2023 farm bill.&nbsp;

Hearings are set in Washington this 
month to examine farm credit, crop insurance and forestry programs. 
Lawmakers plan to take their show on the road in August with field 
hearings slated in committee members’ districts across the country.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657894752931.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON WINTER <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/14/as-aging-farmers-retire-lawmakers-explore-how-to-boost-beginning-producers/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — More
 than half of American farmers will reach retirement age in the next 10 
years, but the steep price of entry to start a farm, along with rising 
input costs and volatile markets, make it tough for young and beginning 
farmers to take their places.“Farming is inherently a risky 
business, but in the environment we are in right now, that risk is 
elevated,” Nathan Kauffman, vice president and economist at the Federal 
Reserve Bank of Kansas City in Omaha, testified at a U.S. House 
Agriculture Committee hearing Thursday.&nbsp;The current financial outlook for farmers is particularly challenging.&nbsp;Farmers face rising costs for not 
only farmland, but also fertilizer, fuel, seeds and chemicals. These 
rising costs are due in part to the war in Ukraine, strains on the 
global supply system, inflation and severe weather.&nbsp;Meanwhile, high crop prices that have buoyed farmers over the past year are expected to go down.&nbsp;“Uncertainty about the outlook for 
the U.S. agriculture economy is high and will depend significantly on 
global factors, particularly the war in Ukraine and the strength of 
global economic activity,” said Kauffman.Demand for farm loans is expected to 
rise notably, and capital expenditure is expected to decline in the 
coming months for the first time since 2020, according to Kauffman.&nbsp;House lawmakers are looking for ways 
to mitigate some of these risks and support young and beginning farmers 
in the next farm bill, the sweeping legislation that will set programs 
and funding levels for farm and food support for the next five years.&nbsp;“It is a national and very critical 
issue. And we must ensure that the next generation of men and women can 
take the place of those who are retiring from this grand occupation 
called farming,”&nbsp; House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott, a 
Georgia Democrat, told his colleagues at the hearing.&nbsp;“This is very critical to me. And credit is one of those tools that we must make readily available,” Scott said.<h2>An aging demographic</h2>Aging farmers and the price of entry in the industry pose a challenge for U.S. agriculture.A third of America’s 3.4 million 
farmers are over 65, according to the most recent agricultural census 
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The census was taken in 2017 
and published in 2019.&nbsp;At the time, nearly a million more farmers were within a decade of the milestone retirement age of 65.&nbsp;The census found that 27% of farmers 
qualify as “new and beginning producers,” with 10 years or less of 
experience in agriculture. Most of those farmers have operations that 
are smaller than average, both in terms of acres and value of 
production, according to USDA.Members of the House Agriculture 
Committee said they are particularly interested in whether young, 
beginning or underserved farmers have access to credit, so they can get 
started in the high-capital world of agriculture.“In any agriculture operation, one of
 the most critical relationships the farmer may have is with his or her 
lender. This is especially true for young and beginning producers. 
Farming is capital intensive,” said Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania,
 the top Republican on the committee.“The cost of entry is incredibly high
 and can act as a barrier to entry for these new agriculturalists trying
 to start or grow their farm operations.”<h2>Challenge for federal loans</h2>The Agriculture Department’s Farm 
Services Agency has an array of different loans available to farmers, 
including one targeted at young and beginning farmers.&nbsp;But in practice, producers say, the federal loan process can be laborious, slow and hard to access.The struggle to obtain a loan can be 
especially acute for Black farmers, who can face racism and 
discrimination in applying for a loan, according to Dania Davy of the 
Alcorn State University Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers 
Policy Research Center in East Point, Georgia.Black farmers have reached out to her
 group for help when the Farm Services Agency recommended they use their
 credit card instead of a federal loan, or when loan delays put a 
generational family farm at risk.“As we review the farm bill and 
prepare for the scheduled reauthorization, we must make use of the 
opportunity to prevent the looming threat of loss of Black farms, land 
and livelihoods that has been institutionalized by racially disparate 
credit access,” Davy told the committee.&nbsp;Davy recommends a more robust civil rights process at the local level with farm loan field agencies.<h2>Long wait for loan approval</h2>Julia Asherman, who owns a small 
organic farm in Jeffersonville, Georgia, was able to finance her 
operation with three different Farm Service Agency loans.&nbsp;But she said even her success story 
highlights some roadblocks in the process. It took two months for her to
 get approval for her loan, and there was no option for pre-approval 
before she identified land to purchase. In a competitive market, a 
landowner would likely move on to the next bidder rather than wait that 
long for a loan.“Farmers easily lose out on potential
 properties by not being able to act fast, and I’ve known several 
farmers personally who have not been able to use FSA loans to purchase 
for this reason,” Asherman said.Asherman has a three-acre certified 
organic vegetable and specialty cut flower farm with five employees, 
three full-time and two part-time — a business she runs with no off-farm
 income.&nbsp;But the FSA loan process is geared toward much larger operations, and it was a struggle to prove the validity of her farm.“Their expectation of what a farm 
would look like, what it would gross per acre, and what it could produce
 per acre was in a totally different realm from what my understanding 
was, because they were really talking about a different kind of 
farming,” Asherman said.The hearing was one in a series as the House Agriculture Committee ramps up its oversight work for the 2023 farm bill.&nbsp;Hearings are set in Washington this 
month to examine farm credit, crop insurance and forestry programs. 
Lawmakers plan to take their show on the road in August with field 
hearings slated in committee members’ districts across the country.

As aging farmers retire, lawmakers explore how to boost new producers

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/douglas-county-reports-a-third-suspected-monkeypox-case/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

The Douglas County Health Department 
has reported its third suspected case of the monkeypox virus and said 
it’s too early to know if the person is a known contact to a confirmed 
case.

Contact tracing has started, and the 
affected person, who is receiving outpatient care, is helping with that 
investigation, said a&nbsp;media statement Friday night from Lindsay Huse, 
county health director.

Monkeypox is spread through direct 
contact with an infected person’s rash, scabs or body fluids or through 
respiratory secretions during prolonged intimate contact.

No additional information is being released on the latest patient.

Douglas County on June 27 reported the state’s first identified case 
of monkeypox, a male in his 30s with recent international travel. A <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/douglas-county-reports-another-probable-case-of-monkeypox-a-week-after-nebraskas-first/">second probable case</a> was reported July 5.

County health officials believe risk 
to the public remains low, but anyone with the characteristic rash 
resembling monkeypox is advised to contact their health care provider. 
The rash looks like pimples or blisters, typically.

The county’s statement said the 
outbreak is disproportionately affecting men who have sex with men and 
individuals meeting partners through online websites, apps or social 
events. Anyone who has traveled to an area with ongoing monkeypox 
transmission and observes a rash typical of the disease is advised to 
seek medical evaluation.

No specific treatment exists for 
monkeypox, but some antivirals have been used effectively. More than 
12,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide, with more than 
1,800 reported in the United States and its territories.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html">Symptoms</a>
 resemble those of smallpox but are milder. Monkeypox sometimes starts 
with a fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and 
exhaustion. The incubation period generally is seven to 14 days but can 
range from five days to three weeks.

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/douglas-county-reports-a-third-suspected-monkeypox-case/">Nebraska Examiner</a>The Douglas County Health Department 
has reported its third suspected case of the monkeypox virus and said 
it’s too early to know if the person is a known contact to a confirmed 
case.Contact tracing has started, and the 
affected person, who is receiving outpatient care, is helping with that 
investigation, said a&nbsp;media statement Friday night from Lindsay Huse, 
county health director.Monkeypox is spread through direct 
contact with an infected person’s rash, scabs or body fluids or through 
respiratory secretions during prolonged intimate contact.No additional information is being released on the latest patient.Douglas County on June 27 reported the state’s first identified case 
of monkeypox, a male in his 30s with recent international travel. A <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/douglas-county-reports-another-probable-case-of-monkeypox-a-week-after-nebraskas-first/">second probable case</a> was reported July 5.County health officials believe risk 
to the public remains low, but anyone with the characteristic rash 
resembling monkeypox is advised to contact their health care provider. 
The rash looks like pimples or blisters, typically.The county’s statement said the 
outbreak is disproportionately affecting men who have sex with men and 
individuals meeting partners through online websites, apps or social 
events. Anyone who has traveled to an area with ongoing monkeypox 
transmission and observes a rash typical of the disease is advised to 
seek medical evaluation.No specific treatment exists for 
monkeypox, but some antivirals have been used effectively. More than 
12,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide, with more than 
1,800 reported in the United States and its territories.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html">Symptoms</a>
 resemble those of smallpox but are milder. Monkeypox sometimes starts 
with a fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and 
exhaustion. The incubation period generally is seven to 14 days but can 
range from five days to three weeks.

Third suspected monkeypox case reported in Neb.

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — President Joe Biden said Friday that gas prices across the U.S. “have been coming down every single day to the best of my knowledge” but cautioned that his visit to Saudi Arabia may not have an immediate impact on what Americans are paying at the pump.

(click the video to watch the President's comments from Jeddah)

The Biden administration has said that record high rates of U.S. inflation aren’t yet reflecting falling gas prices, which have been dropping in many parts of the country since mid-June. Asked about whether his trip to the Middle East would further accelerate those declines, Biden responded: “I suspect you won’t see that for another couple of weeks.”

Speaking to reporters, the president was also asked about Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s opposition to a White House backed energy plan that Biden says can lower costs while also combating climate change.

Manchin’s refusing to support the plan could mean it won’t pass the Senate. Biden said, “I didn’t negotiate with Joe Manchin,” but added of his climate change goals, “I’m not going away.”

Biden vowed to use “every power I have as president” to move the U.S. toward greener energy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657900907332.png" alt="Following a subdued airport greeting, a fist bump between President Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al Salam Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Following a subdued airport greeting, a fist bump between President Biden and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al Salam Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — President Joe Biden said Friday that gas prices across the U.S. “have been coming down every single day to the best of my knowledge” but cautioned that his visit to Saudi Arabia may not have an immediate impact on what Americans are paying at the pump.(click the video to watch the President's comments from Jeddah)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F878290469795746%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=260" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The Biden administration has said that record high rates of U.S. inflation aren’t yet reflecting falling gas prices, which have been dropping in many parts of the country since mid-June. Asked about whether his trip to the Middle East would further accelerate those declines, Biden responded: “I suspect you won’t see that for another couple of weeks.”Speaking to reporters, the president was also asked about Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s opposition to a White House backed energy plan that Biden says can lower costs while also combating climate change.Manchin’s refusing to support the plan could mean it won’t pass the Senate. Biden said, “I didn’t negotiate with Joe Manchin,” but added of his climate change goals, “I’m not going away.”Biden vowed to use “every power I have as president” to move the U.S. toward greener energy.

🎥Biden's Saudi trip won't immediately impact gas prices

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/15/kansas-abortion-ban-is-the-plan-officials-pushing-constitutional-amendment-tell-gop-crowd/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A regional director of 
the Value Them Both Coalition told a meeting of Reno County Republicans 
last month that the organization has legislation ready to ban abortion 
in Kansas if voters adopt a constitutional amendment Aug. 2.

A state senator also told the crowd he wanted to pass laws “with my goal of life starting at conception.”

The expressed intent to ban abortion stands in direct contrast with 
public statements by supporters of the constitutional amendment, who 
have repeatedly insisted the Aug. 2 vote is not about banning abortion. 
The comments support the fears of those who are working to defeat the 
amendment.

“We are pleased that a Value Them Both representative was finally 
honest and forthright about their real goal to ban abortion completely 
in Kansas,” said Ashley All, spokeswoman for Kansans for Constitutional 
Freedom, which opposes the amendment. “We now have confirmation — from 
their own campaign staff and legislative leaders — that if this 
amendment passes, the Kansas Legislature will move quickly to pass the 
most extreme ban on abortion possible.”

The Kansas Supreme Court in a 2019 ruling said the state 
constitution’s right to bodily autonomy includes the decision to 
terminate a pregnancy. Passage of the Value Them Both amendment would 
invalidate the Supreme Court’s decision and give the Legislature 
unlimited authority to pass restrictions on reproductive rights — or a 
complete abortion ban, without exceptions.

Comments from the June 14 meeting in Haven were captured on audio obtained by Kansas Reflector.

In the audio, Lori Chrisman identifies herself to the crowd as an 18-county regional director for the Value Them Both Coalition.

“I’m in charge of in getting getting out the vote with, and knocking 
on doors, and making phone calls, working on grassroots initiatives on 
this,” Chrisman said.

An unidentified man in the audience then asks if someone can explain what happens when the constitutional amendment passes.

“We do have one ready — <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2746/">HB2746</a> — so we’ll move that up,” Chrisman said.

“It’s out there,” she added, “but it’s not voted on or anything yet.”

The bill she referenced was introduced this past session by Rep. 
Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican. The legislation would 
criminalize all abortions from the moment of fertilization until birth. 
The felony level would be the same as murder. There are exceptions for 
miscarriages, stillbirths and ectopic pregnancies, but not for rape, 
incest, or to save the life of a mother.

Mackenzie Haddix, a deputy spokeswoman for the Value Them Both 
Coalition, said Chrisman is no longer with the organization and didn’t 
speak on behalf of the coalition.

The proposed constitutional amendment, Haddix said, “is not a ban on abortion.”

Danielle Underwood, a spokeswoman for Kansans for Life, said the 
organization had nothing to do with the drafting of HB2746 and that the 
legislation has nothing to do with the constitutional amendment. She 
didn’t respond to a question about whether Kansans for Life would 
support the bill if the amendment were to pass.

During the meeting, Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who is 
running for state treasurer, clarified that the bill would have to be 
re-introduced next year, because all bills died when the session ended 
in May.

Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson Republican, said the state Supreme 
Court “hijacked the abortion issue” with its ruling in 2019. After the 
amendment passes, he said, the Legislature can take action.

“We’ll be able to make further laws, further refinement, with my goal of life starting at conception,” Steffen said.

His comments were answered by loud applause.

The meeting took place 10 days before the U.S. Supreme Court 
overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving each state to determine its own rules on
 abortion. Because the Kansas Supreme Court ruling was based on the 
state constitution, abortion remains legal in Kansas.

Republican lawmakers and leaders of the Value Them Both Coalition, 
which includes Kansans for Life and faith-based groups, have been 
careful to avoid saying what legislation they intend to pursue if the 
amendment passes. Instead, they have focused their messaging on 
preserving restrictions in state law that could be challenged under the 
2019 ruling. It isn’t clear which restrictions, if any, would be found 
unlawful.

The restrictions currently in place include a ban on abortions beyond
 22 weeks from gestation, except when a mother’s health is severely 
compromised. Taxpayer money can only be used in cases that involve rape 
or incest, or to save the life of the mother.

By SHERMAN SMITH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/15/kansas-abortion-ban-is-the-plan-officials-pushing-constitutional-amendment-tell-gop-crowd/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A regional director of 
the Value Them Both Coalition told a meeting of Reno County Republicans 
last month that the organization has legislation ready to ban abortion 
in Kansas if voters adopt a constitutional amendment Aug. 2.A state senator also told the crowd he wanted to pass laws “with my goal of life starting at conception.”The expressed intent to ban abortion stands in direct contrast with 
public statements by supporters of the constitutional amendment, who 
have repeatedly insisted the Aug. 2 vote is not about banning abortion. 
The comments support the fears of those who are working to defeat the 
amendment.“We are pleased that a Value Them Both representative was finally 
honest and forthright about their real goal to ban abortion completely 
in Kansas,” said Ashley All, spokeswoman for Kansans for Constitutional 
Freedom, which opposes the amendment. “We now have confirmation — from 
their own campaign staff and legislative leaders — that if this 
amendment passes, the Kansas Legislature will move quickly to pass the 
most extreme ban on abortion possible.”The Kansas Supreme Court in a 2019 ruling said the state 
constitution’s right to bodily autonomy includes the decision to 
terminate a pregnancy. Passage of the Value Them Both amendment would 
invalidate the Supreme Court’s decision and give the Legislature 
unlimited authority to pass restrictions on reproductive rights — or a 
complete abortion ban, without exceptions.Comments from the June 14 meeting in Haven were captured on audio obtained by Kansas Reflector.In the audio, Lori Chrisman identifies herself to the crowd as an 18-county regional director for the Value Them Both Coalition.“I’m in charge of in getting getting out the vote with, and knocking 
on doors, and making phone calls, working on grassroots initiatives on 
this,” Chrisman said.An unidentified man in the audience then asks if someone can explain what happens when the constitutional amendment passes.“We do have one ready — <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2746/">HB2746</a> — so we’ll move that up,” Chrisman said.“It’s out there,” she added, “but it’s not voted on or anything yet.”The bill she referenced was introduced this past session by Rep. 
Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican. The legislation would 
criminalize all abortions from the moment of fertilization until birth. 
The felony level would be the same as murder. There are exceptions for 
miscarriages, stillbirths and ectopic pregnancies, but not for rape, 
incest, or to save the life of a mother.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zQBF1ssKMIQ"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In the audio, Lori Chrisman identifies herself to the crowd as an 18-county regional director for the Value Them Both Coalition.“I’m in charge of in getting getting out the vote with, and knocking 
on doors, and making phone calls, working on grassroots initiatives on 
this,” Chrisman said.An unidentified man in the audience then asks if someone can explain what happens when the constitutional amendment passes.“We do have one ready — <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.com/li/b2021_22/measures/hb2746/">HB2746</a> — so we’ll move that up,” Chrisman said.“It’s out there,” she added, “but it’s not voted on or anything yet.”The bill she referenced was introduced this past session by Rep. 
Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican. The legislation would 
criminalize all abortions from the moment of fertilization until birth. 
The felony level would be the same as murder. There are exceptions for 
miscarriages, stillbirths and ectopic pregnancies, but not for rape, 
incest, or to save the life of a mother.Mackenzie Haddix, a deputy spokeswoman for the Value Them Both 
Coalition, said Chrisman is no longer with the organization and didn’t 
speak on behalf of the coalition.The proposed constitutional amendment, Haddix said, “is not a ban on abortion.”Danielle Underwood, a spokeswoman for Kansans for Life, said the 
organization had nothing to do with the drafting of HB2746 and that the 
legislation has nothing to do with the constitutional amendment. She 
didn’t respond to a question about whether Kansans for Life would 
support the bill if the amendment were to pass.During the meeting, Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who is 
running for state treasurer, clarified that the bill would have to be 
re-introduced next year, because all bills died when the session ended 
in May.Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson Republican, said the state Supreme 
Court “hijacked the abortion issue” with its ruling in 2019. After the 
amendment passes, he said, the Legislature can take action.“We’ll be able to make further laws, further refinement, with my goal of life starting at conception,” Steffen said.His comments were answered by loud applause.The meeting took place 10 days before the U.S. Supreme Court 
overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving each state to determine its own rules on
 abortion. Because the Kansas Supreme Court ruling was based on the 
state constitution, abortion remains legal in Kansas.Republican lawmakers and leaders of the Value Them Both Coalition, 
which includes Kansans for Life and faith-based groups, have been 
careful to avoid saying what legislation they intend to pursue if the 
amendment passes. Instead, they have focused their messaging on 
preserving restrictions in state law that could be challenged under the 
2019 ruling. It isn’t clear which restrictions, if any, would be found 
unlawful.The restrictions currently in place include a ban on abortions beyond
 22 weeks from gestation, except when a mother’s health is severely 
compromised. Taxpayer money can only be used in cases that involve rape 
or incest, or to save the life of the mother.

🎙 Officials pushing amendment: Kansas abortion ban is the plan

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday blocked a freight railroad strike that would disrupt shipments of all kinds of goods for at least 60 days by naming a board of arbitrators to intervene in the contract dispute.

The widely expected move will keep 115,000 rail workers on the job while the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-global-trade-strikes-80286abcd32ae1b0ecd04066ddb5a8df">arbitrators</a>&nbsp;develop a set of contract recommendations for both sides to consider. Biden had to act before Monday to prevent a possible strike. A new round of negotiations is likely after those recommendations are issued.

The president wrote in an executive order naming the arbitrators that he'd "been notified by the National Mediation Board that in its judgment these disputes threaten substantially to interrupt interstate commerce to a degree that would deprive a section of the country of essential transportation service.”

If the railroads and their 12 unions can’t agree on a contract within the next 60 days, Congress would likely step in to prevent a strike by voting to impose terms or taking other action.

The United Rail Unions coalition said the labor unions are preparing to make their case to the board of arbitrators, and believe that current economic data shows the raises they are asking for “are more than warranted when compared to our memberships’ contribution to the record profits of the rail carriers.”

The National Carriers Conference Committee, which represents the nation’s freight railroads in national collective bargaining, cheered Biden's move, noting that it “remains in the best interest of all parties — and the public — for the railroads and rail labor organizations to promptly settle the bargaining round on reasonable terms that provide employees with prompt and well-deserved pay increases and prevent rail service disruptions.”

“Throughout the bargaining round, the railroads have worked to thoughtfully address issues raised by both sides and have offered pay increases that are consistent with labor market benchmarks and reward rail employees for their essential work,” the committee said in a statement.

Any prolonged rail strike could cripple the supply chain that has been slowly recovering from the backlogs and delays that became common during the pandemic because of worker shortages at the ports, trucking companies and railroads as demand for imports surged.

“It’s really in everybody’s best interests to avoid a strike,” Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said.

The group that represents Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Kansas City Southern and other railroads and the unions have expressed optimism that this new presidential board will be able to help them resolve the dispute that began more than two years ago.

Business groups had urged Biden to take this step to ensure the railroads would continue operating. They worry about what a strike or lockout would mean for the fragile supply chain because railroads deliver all kinds of raw materials, finished products and imported goods that businesses rely on. A railroad strike could jeopardize the health of the economy.

The board of arbitrators will hold hearings with both sides to learn more about their positions before issuing their recommendations about a month from now. The the unions and the railroads will have 30 days to negotiate a new deal before a strike could be permitted under the federal law that governs railroad contract negotiations.

So far, the two sides have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-2669e8de879a3ffe11f8c51be045e3e1">remained far apart</a>&nbsp;because workers want raises that will offset inflation and cover increased health insurance costs while reflecting the current nationwide worker shortages. Railroads maintain that the double-digit raises they are offering over the five year contract that would date back to 2020 are fair based on the kind of raises other companies gave their workers at the time.

The unions are expecting significant raises because the railroads have been reporting record profits in recent years since they eliminated nearly one-third of their employees over the past six years as they overhauled their operations.

The unions also want the railroads to back off their proposals to cut train crews from two people down to one and ease some of the strict workplace rules they have adopted in recent years that workers say make it hard to take any time off.

Agreeing to a new deal would likely help the railroads hire more workers, which they are currently struggling to do. The major railroads have said they each need to hire hundreds more workers to handle the increased demand as the economy recovers and deal with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">chronic delays and missed deliveries</a>&nbsp;that have plagued their service this year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650563138994.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday blocked a freight railroad strike that would disrupt shipments of all kinds of goods for at least 60 days by naming a board of arbitrators to intervene in the contract dispute.The widely expected move will keep 115,000 rail workers on the job while the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-global-trade-strikes-80286abcd32ae1b0ecd04066ddb5a8df">arbitrators</a>&nbsp;develop a set of contract recommendations for both sides to consider. Biden had to act before Monday to prevent a possible strike. A new round of negotiations is likely after those recommendations are issued.The president wrote in an executive order naming the arbitrators that he'd "been notified by the National Mediation Board that in its judgment these disputes threaten substantially to interrupt interstate commerce to a degree that would deprive a section of the country of essential transportation service.”If the railroads and their 12 unions can’t agree on a contract within the next 60 days, Congress would likely step in to prevent a strike by voting to impose terms or taking other action.The United Rail Unions coalition said the labor unions are preparing to make their case to the board of arbitrators, and believe that current economic data shows the raises they are asking for “are more than warranted when compared to our memberships’ contribution to the record profits of the rail carriers.”The National Carriers Conference Committee, which represents the nation’s freight railroads in national collective bargaining, cheered Biden's move, noting that it “remains in the best interest of all parties — and the public — for the railroads and rail labor organizations to promptly settle the bargaining round on reasonable terms that provide employees with prompt and well-deserved pay increases and prevent rail service disruptions.”“Throughout the bargaining round, the railroads have worked to thoughtfully address issues raised by both sides and have offered pay increases that are consistent with labor market benchmarks and reward rail employees for their essential work,” the committee said in a statement.Any prolonged rail strike could cripple the supply chain that has been slowly recovering from the backlogs and delays that became common during the pandemic because of worker shortages at the ports, trucking companies and railroads as demand for imports surged.“It’s really in everybody’s best interests to avoid a strike,” Edward Jones analyst Jeff Windau said.The group that represents Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Kansas City Southern and other railroads and the unions have expressed optimism that this new presidential board will be able to help them resolve the dispute that began more than two years ago.Business groups had urged Biden to take this step to ensure the railroads would continue operating. They worry about what a strike or lockout would mean for the fragile supply chain because railroads deliver all kinds of raw materials, finished products and imported goods that businesses rely on. A railroad strike could jeopardize the health of the economy.The board of arbitrators will hold hearings with both sides to learn more about their positions before issuing their recommendations about a month from now. The the unions and the railroads will have 30 days to negotiate a new deal before a strike could be permitted under the federal law that governs railroad contract negotiations.So far, the two sides have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-2669e8de879a3ffe11f8c51be045e3e1">remained far apart</a>&nbsp;because workers want raises that will offset inflation and cover increased health insurance costs while reflecting the current nationwide worker shortages. Railroads maintain that the double-digit raises they are offering over the five year contract that would date back to 2020 are fair based on the kind of raises other companies gave their workers at the time.The unions are expecting significant raises because the railroads have been reporting record profits in recent years since they eliminated nearly one-third of their employees over the past six years as they overhauled their operations.The unions also want the railroads to back off their proposals to cut train crews from two people down to one and ease some of the strict workplace rules they have adopted in recent years that workers say make it hard to take any time off.Agreeing to a new deal would likely help the railroads hire more workers, which they are currently struggling to do. The major railroads have said they each need to hire hundreds more workers to handle the increased demand as the economy recovers and deal with the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-omaha-7824a3d4042a757755ea76f55e51f641">chronic delays and missed deliveries</a>&nbsp;that have plagued their service this year.

Biden intervenes in railroad contract fight to block strike

By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-07-15/even-at-200-000-a-job-kansas-paid-below-the-going-rate-in-its-deal-to-land-a-panasonic-factory">Kansas News Service</a>

Even at roughly $200,000 per job, analysts say the tax breaks and 
other incentives Kansas put on the table to bring Panasonic’s 
battery-making plant to De Soto fall short of the giveaways other states
 have made in recent years.

Still, the tax dollars devoted to 
bringing the $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant to Johnson County
 bust any records in Kansas for tempting a business to the state.

And few details have been made public about the $829 million incentive plan that was negotiated behind closed doors.

The
 factory will be the largest economic development plan in Kansas 
history. The company is promising 4,000 jobs subsidized at the rate of 
$200,000 per worker.

Additionally, the package to Panasonic appears to be the fourth largest in the country since 2018, according to <a href="https://subsidytracker.goodjobsfirst.org/?company_op=starts&amp;subsidy_type%5B%5D=MEGADEAL&amp;order=sub_year&amp;sort=" target="_blank">a subsidy tracker</a> from Good Jobs First, a group largely skeptical about government giveaways to businesses.

Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First said Kansas would spend less than the national average for each new job created.

“There
 are certainly some deals that are more expensive,” LeRoy said. “In 
fact, the average cost is $658,000 per job, so more than three times 
higher.”

Gov. Laura Kelly and other state officials touted the 
deal as a major victory, with Kansas beating out Oklahoma to land 
Panasonic. They said the plant would provide a large boost to the 
state’s economy.

But some economists don’t think “megadeal” incentive packages are a good buy.

Michael
 Farren, an economist at George Mason University, said he opposes states
 competing with each other to offer ever-increasing incentives. Instead,
 he said, states should work together to create fairer negotiations with
 businesses.

“They should cooperate so that they don’t get their 
arms twisted and that they can dictate the terms to these companies 
instead,” Farren said.

But as long as other states continue to offer similar or even bigger economic incentives, Kansas may need to join the race.

<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-02-01/kansas-gov-kelly-wants-to-spend-1-billion-to-land-a-big-mystery-manufacturer" target="_blank">Earlier this year</a>,
 Lt. Gov. and commerce secretary David Toland said Kansas needed to make
 the offer to be competitive for large business investments. Since 2017,
 other states had swooped in and beat out Kansas 11 times for companies 
looking to invest $1 billion or more.

The deal with Panasonic changes that, he said, and puts Kansas on the national stage to compete for growing industries.

“And
 we can say loudly and proudly Kansas is the best state for business 
investment,” Toland said during the Panasonic announcement.

That’s
 how states see the issue, Farren said, but it hurts the nation as a 
whole. He said Panasonic would have moved to either Kansas or Oklahoma, 
regardless of their incentive packages, because it wants to work with a 
Tesla factory in Texas.

If they didn’t offer incentives, he said 
one of them would have gotten the plant for free. And Farren said the 
funds in neither of the state’s proposed packages would be used on a 
corporation, but state services that people need.

“This,” Farren said, “is an absolute rat race.”

Dylan
 Lysen reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can follow 
him on Twitter @DylanLysen or email him at dlysen@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657897513364.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly chairs the meeting where she and legislative leaders agreed to give $829 million in tax breaks and other incentives to Panasonic Energy to build its electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto, Kansas. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly chairs the meeting where she and legislative leaders agreed to give $829 million in tax breaks and other incentives to Panasonic Energy to build its electric vehicle battery plant in De Soto, Kansas. Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-07-15/even-at-200-000-a-job-kansas-paid-below-the-going-rate-in-its-deal-to-land-a-panasonic-factory">Kansas News Service</a>Even at roughly $200,000 per job, analysts say the tax breaks and 
other incentives Kansas put on the table to bring Panasonic’s 
battery-making plant to De Soto fall short of the giveaways other states
 have made in recent years.Still, the tax dollars devoted to 
bringing the $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant to Johnson County
 bust any records in Kansas for tempting a business to the state.And few details have been made public about the $829 million incentive plan that was negotiated behind closed doors.The
 factory will be the largest economic development plan in Kansas 
history. The company is promising 4,000 jobs subsidized at the rate of 
$200,000 per worker.Additionally, the package to Panasonic appears to be the fourth largest in the country since 2018, according to <a href="https://subsidytracker.goodjobsfirst.org/?company_op=starts&amp;subsidy_type%5B%5D=MEGADEAL&amp;order=sub_year&amp;sort=" target="_blank">a subsidy tracker</a> from Good Jobs First, a group largely skeptical about government giveaways to businesses.Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First said Kansas would spend less than the national average for each new job created.“There
 are certainly some deals that are more expensive,” LeRoy said. “In 
fact, the average cost is $658,000 per job, so more than three times 
higher.”Gov. Laura Kelly and other state officials touted the 
deal as a major victory, with Kansas beating out Oklahoma to land 
Panasonic. They said the plant would provide a large boost to the 
state’s economy.But some economists don’t think “megadeal” incentive packages are a good buy.Michael
 Farren, an economist at George Mason University, said he opposes states
 competing with each other to offer ever-increasing incentives. Instead,
 he said, states should work together to create fairer negotiations with
 businesses.“They should cooperate so that they don’t get their 
arms twisted and that they can dictate the terms to these companies 
instead,” Farren said.But as long as other states continue to offer similar or even bigger economic incentives, Kansas may need to join the race.<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-02-01/kansas-gov-kelly-wants-to-spend-1-billion-to-land-a-big-mystery-manufacturer" target="_blank">Earlier this year</a>,
 Lt. Gov. and commerce secretary David Toland said Kansas needed to make
 the offer to be competitive for large business investments. Since 2017,
 other states had swooped in and beat out Kansas 11 times for companies 
looking to invest $1 billion or more.The deal with Panasonic changes that, he said, and puts Kansas on the national stage to compete for growing industries.“And
 we can say loudly and proudly Kansas is the best state for business 
investment,” Toland said during the Panasonic announcement.That’s
 how states see the issue, Farren said, but it hurts the nation as a 
whole. He said Panasonic would have moved to either Kansas or Oklahoma, 
regardless of their incentive packages, because it wants to work with a 
Tesla factory in Texas.If they didn’t offer incentives, he said 
one of them would have gotten the plant for free. And Farren said the 
funds in neither of the state’s proposed packages would be used on a 
corporation, but state services that people need.“This,” Farren said, “is an absolute rat race.”Dylan
 Lysen reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can follow 
him on Twitter @DylanLysen or email him at dlysen@kcur.org.

At $200K a job, Kansas paid below going rate to land Panasonic 

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/15/federal-rent-aid-likely-averted-nebraska-eviction-wave-but-not-everyone-privy-to-help/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA — The City of Omaha is coming 
off a record-busting month for the amount of federal emergency aid it 
has distributed so far to renters set back by the pandemic.

That nearly $9 million, doled out in 
May, is just a slice of roughly $65 million Omaha has allocated in rent 
and utility grants since the launch early last year of the Emergency 
Rental Assistance Program.&nbsp;

Authorities say the demand is a sign 
of still-lingering need for housing assistance in a city that has become
 Nebraska’s biggest distributor of the federal aid intended to help 
stave off evictions.

But a new Creighton University analysis shows that not everyone has had an equal shot at the help.

Pierce Greenberg, assistant professor
 of social studies, examined Omaha’s ERAP process and found that South 
Omaha — and its sizable immigrant population — has been underserved 
based on the area’s needs and demographics.

“South Omaha sticks out,” Greenberg 
said in describing unmet gaps revealed in his research, which was funded
 by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “It just jumped off the 
map.”

Citizenship requirement raises questions 

Underlying Greenberg’s analysis was a
 national Urban Institute report that drew upon multiple factors — 
including income, public assistance, unemployment and housing 
instability — to identify neighborhoods most likely to be in need of 
rental assistance. Greenberg compared the “predicted need” with where 
the emergency assistance actually went after the city’s vetting process.

A key takeaway: Of Douglas County’s 12 most underserved census tracts revealed in his report, 11 were in South Omaha.

Among likely reasons for those gaps, 
said Greenberg and South Omaha representatives, is that Omaha and 
Douglas County governments require applicants to have U.S. legal 
status.&nbsp; They said the underserved South Omaha census tracts have a 
sizable number of undocumented persons, and the citizenship query, along
 with language barriers, probably were deterrents to seeking help.

Furthermore, the situation exposed a 
disparity in how governments across Nebraska apply the legal status 
question when determining who gets the federal emergency rental and 
utility aid.&nbsp;

The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County, in contrast to Omaha and Douglas County, do not ask about U.S. citizenship status.

Like Omaha, the State of Nebraska — 
which allocates ERAP funding to the rest of the state’s 91 smaller 
counties — demands proof of legal status.&nbsp;

South Omaha Latino activist Ben 
Salazar said the difference in eligibility standards “smacks of 
discrimination.” He is mulling legal action and has requested a meeting 
with managers of the Omaha&nbsp; program after learning of the situation from
 community members who sought help with housing expenses.

“There has got to be a better way to 
administer these funds so that the families who need the help can get 
the help, regardless of status,” Salazar said in a letter to Metro Area 
Continuum of Care for the Homeless <a target="_blank" href="https://macchconnect.org/">(MACCH),</a> the contractor the city hired to manage the rent assistance program.

Lina Traslaviña Stover,
 executive director of the South Omaha-based Heartland Workers Center, 
said undocumented workers and their families are among populations most 
harmed by the pandemic.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657904447943.png" alt="Omaha tries to inform diverse populations about emergency rent assistance with ads in Spanish and Karen, along with English. This bus was driving along South Omaha’s 24th Street. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) " />
 <figcaption>Omaha tries to inform diverse populations about emergency rent assistance with ads in Spanish and Karen, along with English. This bus was driving along South Omaha’s 24th Street. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner) </figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/15/federal-rent-aid-likely-averted-nebraska-eviction-wave-but-not-everyone-privy-to-help/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA — The City of Omaha is coming 
off a record-busting month for the amount of federal emergency aid it 
has distributed so far to renters set back by the pandemic.That nearly $9 million, doled out in 
May, is just a slice of roughly $65 million Omaha has allocated in rent 
and utility grants since the launch early last year of the Emergency 
Rental Assistance Program.&nbsp;Authorities say the demand is a sign 
of still-lingering need for housing assistance in a city that has become
 Nebraska’s biggest distributor of the federal aid intended to help 
stave off evictions.But a new Creighton University analysis shows that not everyone has had an equal shot at the help.Pierce Greenberg, assistant professor
 of social studies, examined Omaha’s ERAP process and found that South 
Omaha — and its sizable immigrant population — has been underserved 
based on the area’s needs and demographics.“South Omaha sticks out,” Greenberg 
said in describing unmet gaps revealed in his research, which was funded
 by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “It just jumped off the 
map.”<h2>Citizenship requirement raises questions </h2>Underlying Greenberg’s analysis was a
 national Urban Institute report that drew upon multiple factors — 
including income, public assistance, unemployment and housing 
instability — to identify neighborhoods most likely to be in need of 
rental assistance. Greenberg compared the “predicted need” with where 
the emergency assistance actually went after the city’s vetting process.A key takeaway: Of Douglas County’s 12 most underserved census tracts revealed in his report, 11 were in South Omaha.Among likely reasons for those gaps, 
said Greenberg and South Omaha representatives, is that Omaha and 
Douglas County governments require applicants to have U.S. legal 
status.&nbsp; They said the underserved South Omaha census tracts have a 
sizable number of undocumented persons, and the citizenship query, along
 with language barriers, probably were deterrents to seeking help.Furthermore, the situation exposed a 
disparity in how governments across Nebraska apply the legal status 
question when determining who gets the federal emergency rental and 
utility aid.&nbsp;The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County, in contrast to Omaha and Douglas County, do not ask about U.S. citizenship status.Like Omaha, the State of Nebraska — 
which allocates ERAP funding to the rest of the state’s 91 smaller 
counties — demands proof of legal status.&nbsp;<h2>‘Smacks of discrimination’</h2>South Omaha Latino activist Ben 
Salazar said the difference in eligibility standards “smacks of 
discrimination.” He is mulling legal action and has requested a meeting 
with managers of the Omaha&nbsp; program after learning of the situation from
 community members who sought help with housing expenses.“There has got to be a better way to 
administer these funds so that the families who need the help can get 
the help, regardless of status,” Salazar said in a letter to Metro Area 
Continuum of Care for the Homeless <a target="_blank" href="https://macchconnect.org/">(MACCH),</a> the contractor the city hired to manage the rent assistance program.Lina Traslaviña Stover,
 executive director of the South Omaha-based Heartland Workers Center, 
said undocumented workers and their families are among populations most 
harmed by the pandemic.Last year, she said, an “angel fund” 
launched by private philanthropic sources helped keep some of the area’s
 undocumented households afloat. Stover said that assistance apparently 
ran out and is no longer available to her clients.A statement from Mayor Jean 
Stothert’s Office said the proof of legal status is based on state law, 
“so the requirement will remain.”Shannon Harner of the Nebraska 
Investment Finance Authority, which provides outreach assistance to the 
state’s 91 smaller counties, said state government officials came to the
 same conclusion.Gov. Pete Ricketts’ administration has held steady on such a requirement for public benefits.<h2>Thousands of evictions likely averted</h2>Lincoln authorities interpret the 
state law differently as it applies to emergency aid, said Dan Marvin, 
director of Lincoln’s Urban Development Department, and Jeff Chambers of
 the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center on Children, Families and the
 Law. The two entities oversee ERAP for Lincoln and Lancaster County.Chambers said Treasury Department 
guidelines on the program do not require legal status. He said Lincoln 
authorities chose not to add that additional barrier.To be considered for the financial assistance, applicants must answer
 a host of other questions and pass various income and eligibility 
thresholds.“I think all of us would like to 
serve those who are undocumented but we have legal departments that may 
or may not be allowing it,” Lisa Vukov of Omaha’s MACCH said during a 
webinar recorded early on in the program.Vukov said in a recent interview that the screening process has 
uncovered potential fraud cases unrelated to immigration status, and 
those have been turned over to authorities. She said May proved to be 
the highest payout month for Omaha so far, adding that it was an 
indication of continued need.Greenberg, in his<a target="_blank" href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/050022c599404b18b9b78a2b73e757f6"> “Delaying the Eviction Wave” report,</a>
 cited sources that said non-citizens in Omaha make up about 14% of 
people living in poverty, yet are 7% of the city’s population.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1657904546614.jpeg" alt="Pierce Greenberg’s expertise is in sociology and spacial inequality, which is the unequal distribution of resources and services. (Courtesy of Creighton University)" />
 <figcaption>Pierce Greenberg’s expertise is in sociology and spacial inequality, which is the unequal distribution of resources and services. (Courtesy of Creighton University)</figcaption>
 </figure>“Therefore it is reasonable to assume
 that a significant need for rental assistance exists among undocumented
 residents in South Omaha (and other neighborhoods),” he said.Despite the gaps, Greenberg’s 
findings indicate that, overall, ERAP funds covered rent for about 7,400
 Omaha households between April 2021 and April 2022, meaning the program
 likely helped prevent thousands of evictions.&nbsp;“The program, on average, is reaching the neighborhoods that it should be reaching,” Greenberg said.An area of North Omaha had the 
greatest concentration of ERAP use, he said. Downtown, with its high 
proportion of renters, also had a high concentration, along with 
neighborhoods west of 72nd Street containing large apartment complexes.&nbsp;<h2>‘Temporary Band-aid’</h2>For perspective, Greenberg said, more
 than twice as many Omaha households benefited from rental assistance in
 the last year than the average number of yearly evictions in Douglas 
County from 2012 to 2019.According to his analysis, the 
average monthly rent of a person seeking assistance in Omaha was $1,035.
 About 56% of Omaha households receiving the aid made less than 30% of 
area median income.In Lincoln and Lancaster County, roughly 70% of recipients so far earned less than 30% of the area median income, Marvin said.&nbsp;The average amount of rental 
assistance per approved application in Omaha was $4,311, which covered 
about four months, said Greenberg’s report, which was based on data 
obtained through public records requests.Landlords and tenants could apply for up to 12 months of past due rent and three months into the future.In all, the study noted, the ERAP has
 offered a lifeline to many and has mostly been effective at delaying 
the “eviction wave” many advocates feared.At the same time, Greenberg said, the evaluation underscores how many
 households were in need the past year and the high monthly rents many 
said they pay.Said Greenberg: “A worry still 
remains that the program is a temporary Band-aid on larger problems 
related to housing affordability and poverty.”<h2>Deadlines loom for funding</h2>Deadlines loom on some Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds, and Nebraska officials are urging those in need to <a target="_blank" href="https://coronavirus.nebraska.gov/EmergencyRentalAssistanceProgram?gclid=Cj0KCQjwh_eFBhDZARIsALHjIKeCz94J7m4_SgnMCzTCVnXQZ1T1FeqkHTo6eE8JeYuYiA9aVw7szSUaAptuEALw_wcB">apply</a> by September.Omaha has about $35 million yet to be
 allocated of about $100 million received, according to Mayor Jean 
Stothert’s Office. Stothert said the city plans to seek even more 
federal ERAP funds to offer Omahans in pandemic-related financial 
straits.Douglas County residents outside of 
Omaha have so far received nearly $5 million in the emergency rental and
 utility funding, with about $1.6 million yet to be awarded by the 
year’s end, said Jane Gordon of <a target="_blank" href="https://copeinfo.org/rent-assist/">Christian Outreach Program Elkhorn,</a> which manages the program for communities such as Bennington, Ralston and Valley.To date in<a target="_blank" href="https://coronavirus.nebraska.gov/EmergencyRentalAssistanceProgram?gclid=Cj0KCQjwh_eFBhDZARIsALHjIKeCz94J7m4_SgnMCzTCVnXQZ1T1FeqkHTo6eE8JeYuYiA9aVw7szSUaAptuEALw_wcB"> the state’s 91 counties </a>outside
 Douglas and Lancaster, about $22&nbsp; million has been distributed to 
eligible applicants, Harner said. About $24 million is left. She
 said the state recently decided to redirect about $15 million of those 
remaining funds to nonprofits that can provide “housing stability” 
services.&nbsp;Gov. Pete Ricketts earlier rejected 
about $120 million that the federal government had allotted for those 91
 counties in a second round of ERAP funding.Ricketts, <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/15/battle-over-federal-rental-aid-to-nebraska-stirs-up-again/">in declining the money</a>,
 said Nebraska was over the COVID emergency and should guard against 
becoming a “welfare” state. The U.S. Treasury Department has said a 
chunk of the aid rejected by the governor might go to Omaha and Lincoln.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Mayor/Housing-Utility-Assistance">Lincoln so far</a>
 has distributed nearly $30 million to its needy residents, said Dan 
Marvin of the city’s Urban Development Department. On average lately, 
the city has distributed about $500,000 a week of the emergency aid, and
 Marvin expects that flow to continue through the rest of the year.For the next installment of federal 
ERAP funding, he said, Lincoln and Lancaster County plan a more 
stringent eligibility process that focuses more on applicants on the 
brink of eviction.