The Desk welcomes new assistant editorial director and data journalist
Two new additions to the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk bring expertise in science journalism.
Latest news (Page 2)
Who are the middlemen behind data center deals?
Private consultants connect local governments with companies looking to build data centers. They’re often paid by taxpayers, but residents are out of the loop on how these groups work.
Experts say time is the key element for Louisiana vanishing coast, culture
Coastal scientists says change is inevitable, but hope is not lost
Ordinary people fill information gaps when data centers come knocking
Companies like Amazon and Google are often coming to small towns amid the boom in generative artificial intelligence. That has forced residents to fill an information gap left by the decline of local media.
Grain bin accidents remain deadly. One farmer hopes his family's story can help.
About half of grain bin entrapments are still fatal despite advances in safety training and rescue efforts.
The agency that helps farmers protect the environment lost a third of its staff last year. And more cuts could be coming.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency that helps farmers protect soil and water and fight climate change. Advocates say those goals are in jeopardy.
Where legislatures lag, local officials are stopping data centers altogether
In Missouri and many other states, regulatory efforts have been stymied. That’s prompting fierce debates in city council chambers.
How do you fix a backwards river? A conversation from the banks of the Chicago
The Ag & Water Desk recently asked a leader of Chicago’s water district and an environmental activist about the consequences of reversing the Chicago River in 1900. They shared their thoughts during the Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual conference.
Silos are disappearing from the landscape. One woman wants to hunt them down before they do.
For 150 years, silos have been a fixture of the Corn Belt, but efforts to preserve them have been haphazard.
With a federal plan to dam a river nearly set, fears persist over the effectiveness and downstream impact
The Pearl River nourishes wildlife, communities and Gulf seafood. Critics say the latest flood-control proposal is a real estate development in disguise.
Inside the fight against ‘zombie deer disease,’ scientists confront changing politics
A lab in Louisiana is a hub for chronic wasting disease research and detection. Outside, scientists face skepticism and backlash.
Six new journalists to join the Ag & Water Desk
The Ag & Water Desk is thrilled to announce that six new reporters and local newsrooms will be joining our
How one program is working to bring Corn Belt farmers together for conservation agriculture
The 'farmer-led movement' aims to shape the agricultural landscape — by strengthening soils and building community
Proposed plan to restore Pearl River map turtle numbers would take decades
A rare turtle found only in Louisiana and Mississippi now has a slow but steady plan from the federal government
Mississippi River groups tell feds to act on nitrate contamination
Nitrate pollution is especially acute in rural areas and has been linked to disease. More than 80 groups nationwide say immediate action is needed.
Are Missouri and North Dakota in a water war?
A project to divert water away from the Missouri River has sparked a new fight in a decades-long conflict over how to manage the river’s water in times of drought.