Latest news with #NewAmericans
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal funding cuts and regulatory failure are harming New Hampshire. You can still act locally.
White House Senior Adviser to the President, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk arrives for a meeting with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on March 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by) As the spring earth thaws and rains drench New Hampshire, our infamous mud season has arrived. And, blowing in like a lion along with it is Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), whose mission includes defunding essential environmental agencies. Federal funding has been frozen for New Hampshire farmers' U.S. Department of Agriculture grants, like the rural energy programs designed to support farmers making efficiency improvements. Other programs that provide technical and financial assistance to those who prioritize soil health, wildlife habitat, and water and air quality in their agricultural practices or are transitioning to renewable energy systems are also facing stalled funding. The New Hampshire Food Bank recently lost nearly $1 million in federal funding for its NH Feeding NH program, which purchases fresh produce in bulk from local farmers and assists partner agencies with buying culturally preferred foods for New Americans. The U.S. House has also proposed $12 billion in cuts to school meal programs, affecting 12 million students in 24,000 schools nationwide. As Dorothy McAuliffe, the former first lady of Virginia, once lamented, 'Kids can't be hungry for knowledge if they're just plain hungry.' Drastic cuts in EPA funding have escalated the 'forever chemical' crisis. Mark Ruffalo, actor and activist, has pleaded with Congress to stop PFAS at the source, knowing that exposure to the forever chemicals has been linked to health risks such as cancer, birth defects, reproductive and developmental disorders, and weakened immune systems. In his testimony he cites Manchester as an example 'where a wastewater treatment plant burns sewage sludge just steps from homes, an elementary school, a baseball field, and the Merrimack River.' This plant, he said, 'is the only facility in the state with a sludge incinerator, and in 2018 alone, it burned more than 4,000 dry metric tons of it. That's happening just two miles from neighborhoods already struggling with high levels of toxic air pollution.' Ruffalo points to the solution: a Clean Water Act permit protecting waters from pollution, specifically, renewing Manchester's permit with stronger regulations to curb PFAS from entering the wastewater facility from upstream industries. Remarkably, Ruffalo notes, the current draft permit contains no such requirement. After 'treatment' this toxic stew is spread as fertilizer over farmers' fields where it leaches into the groundwater supply. Pristine waterways will undoubtedly suffer severe environmental degradation as wetlands eventually lose their primary function to purify water, prevent flooding, and protect critical wildlife habitat. The EPA is currently ordered to scale back wetland regulations and oversight in favor of state and industry control. Tom Irwin of the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) warns that newly filed bills in the New Hampshire Legislature supported by the fossil fuel industry would, if passed, greatly weaken renewable energy programs by boosting oil and gas production over solar and wind energy. A recent 'Saturday Night Live' spoof featured the character Debbie Downer complaining to actor Robert De Niro that 'we're all walking landfills.' De Niro replied that the world 'is like living in a full diaper.' In the soil of this morass we're growing 'natural' seeds coated with EPA approved radioactive waste. Despite these odds a unique seed variety persists, immutable and treatment resistant, one honored by the contemporary poet Dinos Christianopoulos in his couplet, 'what didn't you do to bury me / but you forgot that I was a seed.' His acknowledgement of resilience and resistance serves as a call to action. Just like borrowing a book, you can sign out seeds for your garden from your local library or join the Surfrider Foundation's cleanups of New Hampshire beaches or become a citizen scientist conducting water monitoring tests for the Nashua River Watershed Association. You can join Sy Montgomery's team of turtle rescuers and rehabilitators described in her book 'Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell.' You can even volunteer with UNH's rescue program, Nature Groupie. As thousands of amphibians migrate each spring to vernal pools and other wetlands to breed, the group organizes salamander crossing brigades at amphibian road crossings to help move them by hand (and keep count) during one or more 'Big Nights.' Saving small creatures brings the following parable inspired by Loren Eiseley to mind. A man walking along a beach noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. When asked what he was doing, the boy replied, 'Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The tide is going out and if I don't throw them back, they'll die.' The man replied, 'Son, don't you realize there's miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish. You can't possibly make a difference.' Bending down to throw another starfish into the surf, the boy said with a smile, 'I made a difference for that one.' Though we're facing the erosion of environmental safeguards due to funding freezes, there are many ways we can remain steadfast, connected, and involved.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Minnesota's population slowing, foreign-born workers fill gap: Report
The Brief A new report says Minnesota's population growth is slowing down significantly. The state is facing labor force shortages, with several factors in play. Meanwhile, "New Americans" account for the majority of recent employment growth in the state. (FOX 9) - A new report from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce shows a concerning reality for the future of the state's population. Experts say the projections show a significant population growth slowdown, which directly impacts the state's workforce, which is already experiencing a shortage. The backstory In the past 50 years, Minnesota's population grew by 50%, but in the next 50 years, it is projected to grow by just 7%. This means fewer workers in the state. People are a big part of the equation that predicts the state's economic growth and prosperity. According to the "Economic Contributions of New Americans in Minnesota" report, there are a few major factors that are contributing to the workforce shortage. There remains a large group from the Baby Boomer generation that has reached retirement age. Yet, birth rates are not keeping up to replenish the workforce. Plus, post-pandemic workforce issues still exist. Dig deeper According to the report, in the past five years, "New Americans" accounted for roughly 60% of the labor force and employment growth in Minnesota. Sean O'Neill, the Chamber's Director of Economic Development and Research said this impacts businesses directly, and in turn, customers. "We've been coming off of this period, really historic workforce shortages where companies have had to do things like reduce hours or not take on new customers because they just couldn't fill the job openings that they had at their businesses," said Sean O'Neil with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. "As much as we've had challenges around the work force so far this decade, it would have been even more severe if we didn't have that in flow of immigration into the state. We really want to focus on helping businesses in the current moment and help them meet the job demands that they have." Artificial Intelligence: Researchers said artificial intelligence (AI) could play into this dynamic, but more analysis needs to be done to draw stronger correlations and conclusions. In the long term, automation may help fill some gaps, but may also create demand for new roles. Experts said the long-term impact is hard to tell at this time. In the short term, experts say the roles "New Americans" are filling are jobs with less exposure to AI impacts currently, such as production, construction, and agriculture. Immigration trends: The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce also mentioned this pool of foreign-born workers grew in the state primarily through legal pathways such as guest worker visas or refugee programs. What you can do Learn more about the report here. The Source Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Census, Pew Research
Axios
07-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Eastland community plan plots area's future
Columbus has unveiled a massive plan to redevelop the Eastland Mall area. Why it matters: Once anchored by a bustling, million-square-foot retail center, Eastland declined for decades before the mall closed in 2022 and was declared a public nuisance. Driving the news: The Eastland for Everyone plan was unveiled Thursday at nearby Barnett Community Center. It proposes a variety of housing projects, businesses and community spaces for the former mall site and surrounding area. Columbus spent 18 months and $885,000 to develop the 280-page plan through resident focus groups and public workshops. What they found: Focus groups helped the city identify "8 Big Ideas" to guide development, including housing, entrepreneurship, youth education and job opportunities. What they're saying: Eastland neighborhood program specialist Noelle Britt says public outreach focused on residents' needs was critical to the plan's development and its potential for success. "A lot of times, community members feel like (development) happens to them, not in partnership alongside them," she tells Axios. "It was important for us to take the time to listen and learn." Flashback: The area's modern history began in 1956, when land began being annexed into Columbus. Eastland Mall opened in 1968. Starting in the 1980s, the area experienced population decline, disinvestment, aging housing and a steep decline in traffic, shifting from destination to bedroom community. By 2022, it was Columbus' fifth-highest ZIP code for reported crime, with about half of its residents' income at or under 200% of the poverty level. Context: The area has a much denser population of underserved and difficult-to-reach residents than surrounding neighborhoods. Of 20,400 residents, 68% identify as Black and 11% are New Americans. Many residents lack internet access, have limited English proficiency and are experiencing housing or food insecurity. What's next: With the plan unveiled, now the real work begins. Neighborhood strategies manager Patrice Allen Brady says the plan "creates the space for organizations and institutions and other stakeholders to step in and say, 'You know what? I can do this work.'" She pointed to plans in Linden and the Hilltop that spurred investment from the likes of Nationwide and the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. The bottom line: The neighborhood is in need of help, and Britt says she has real hope that Eastland for Everyone will lead to "a significantly improved lived and neighborhood experience" for residents. "Transformation is not even a large enough word for the potential of this plan." The full plan
