::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

  By Mona Austin  (TSN): In an update on the accomplishments of the USDA during a cabinet meeting with Pres. Donald Trump this week,  Sec. Brooke Rollins listed the cancellatiom of  funding to farmers based on race.and gender.  Veterans and new farmers were prioritized instead.  This moment captures the politization of work and life for Americans who chose to be self-reliant.  Black Farmers fought for decadea to seek federal backing to stay afloat.  Under Pres. Joe Biden many of them got the funding they needed.  Rollins has proudly stripped it away.  These farmers never asked for a handout but a hand up. Banks were not extending loans to them so they relied on the government for assistance.  In July 2025, USDA issued a rule eliminating race and gender considerations in loans and benefits for "socially disadvantaged farmers" (including Black, Hispanic, Native American, and women farmers). Rollins stated this "sufficiently addressed"...

  WASHINGTON -- Under President Biden’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has mobilized 1,500 federal personnel, more than 540 Urban Search and Rescue personnel and three Disaster Survivor Assistance Strike Teams to support states in the path of Hurricane Idalia. FEMA and the federal government continue to encourage residents affected by the storm to stay on alert, listen to their local officials and be aware of continuing risks. Residents in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina should prepare for hurricane conditions into Thursday. FEMA is prepared with pre-positioned response personnel and assets and is staying in close contact with the states’ leadership to quickly meet needs as they are identified. Prior to the hurricane’s landfall, FEMA staged commodities and critical supplies, including more than 1.3 million meals and 1.6 million liters of water that are available, pending requests from states.  The American Red Cross has pre-positioned resource...