U.S. Department of Agriculture

A plan to fix Jackson’s water system could cost all of Mississippi its food stamps

The DOJ and USDA said using a SNAP recipient’s information to distribute JXN Water’s roughly $30 discount to low-income customers would violate privacy.

Black farmers’ land leases are vanishing. Some say racist policies are to blame

Black farmers and their families once owned and worked on thousands of acres of land in Louisiana’s Iberia Parish. The land has shrunk over the last several decades, and some, like Eddie Lewis III, say it stems from racist policies.

Alabama Broadband Expansion to Improve High-Speed Internet Access

Alabamians, especially in rural areas, will see improvements in their internet access. A new partnership announced today plans to expand current broadband infrastructure and provide faster fiber optic cables throughout the state.

Birmingham City Council Approves Healthy Food Overlay District

The Birmingham City Council voted Tuesday to establish a “healthy food overlay district,” designed to make healthy food options more accessible for the approximately two-thirds of the city’s population that lives within food deserts.

Birmingham Looks at Limiting Dollar Stores, Easing Restrictions on Other Food Vendors as Way to Battle Food Deserts

A new ordinance proposed by Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin looks to combat the city’s food deserts by loosening regulations on mobile grocers and farmers markets, while simultaneously limiting the spread of dollar stores in low-income neighborhoods.