Happy summer solstice. In Montana,
these days, sunlight lingers past 10 p.m. and in parts of the far north
the sun doesn't go down at all. But, our correspondent writes in the
article below, Alaska may finally be seeing the sunset of the oil
industry, due to Covid-19. That's a monumental event for a state founded
on oil money and it may offer a glimpse of what's to come for other
parts of rural America built around extractive industries.
Thanks for reading,
Joseph Bullington
Rural America In These Times
Modern Alaska was built on oil money. Covid-19 has forced the state to consider a future without it.
BY YERETH ROSEN
Black people in this country have been growing food in cities for as long as they have lived in cities.
From orchards to city parks to nature preserves, the powerful herbicide has harmed thousands of trees.
BY JOHNATHAN HETTINGER
A Native community works to relearn traditional knowledge that was largely lost due of federal policies.
BY sydney akridge
Undocumented farmworkers are afraid to be tested for fear that bosses could fire their entire crew.
BY Michelle fawcett and arun gupta
If we don't reform our food system in the next round of stimulus, we might not be ready for the next disaster.
BY Anthony pahnke and jim goodman