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Alex Cox speaks with @LRPublicRadio .for Investigate Midwest to discuss the health crisis in Missouri’s bootheel. Listen here: . The six-story series “Unyielding” can be found at

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Food workers are vanishing — not by choice, but by policy. In Beardstown, IL, immigrants who kept America fed are suddenly out of work after Trump’s rollback of humanitarian parole. Our investigation drops next week. Read it in our newsletter first:

In Missouri’s Bootheel, Bobbi Bibbs is battling stage IV colon cancer without a nearby hospital. She says her small-town community, many with medical training, is what’s keeping her alive. Her story shows both the gaps & resilience in rural health care:

RT @ChildrensHD: ☣️ One Farmer’s Uphill Battle Against Cancer and Toxic Pesticides. William Caplinger and his wife raise all their food for….

This week’s news:

Meet Melissa Dai, Investigate Midwest’s summer reporting intern and Northwestern senior. Her latest investigation shows how faster line speeds and less federal oversight at pork & poultry plants raise risks for workers, food safety & animals:

ICYMI: Last December we reported that a new Trump trade war could devastate U.S. farmers and drive deforestation in South America as China turned to other suppliers. That warning is now showing up in the numbers. Catch up:

THREAD: U.S. farm exports to China fell 39% in the past year as tariffs climbed as high as 145%. China is turning to Brazil instead. What this trade clash means for Midwest farmers:

THREAD: Midwest farmers are testing food-grade oats that could replace imports from Canada. The shift could cut freight costs & tariff risks, but without Big Ag support the revival may stall. What it will take to bring oats back:

RT @thenewledenews: Kennett, MO lost its hospital in 2018, leaving cancer patients to travel hours for treatment. Since 2014, 21 hospital….

Immigration enforcement and reform are reshaping the people who power America’s food system. From raids to visa backlogs and labor shortages, farmworkers and rural communities are caught at the center of it all. Get your tickets here: .

Behind the Byline Ep. 2: Investigate Midwest’s Ben Felder & Melissa Dai unpack how modernization in pork & poultry plants – faster line speeds & less oversight – affects food safety, worker health & animal welfare. Watch: . Read:

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RT @CivilEats: As line speeds increase and federal inspectors step back at some plants, the risks to workers, food safety, and animal welfa….

RT @sincereBS: The unseen harvest: Pesticides, cancer and rural Missouri’s health crisis via @IMidwest.

RT @ChildrensHD: 🚩 Cancer Rates Are Soaring in Rural Missouri Towns Where Pesticides Are Widely Used. Estimates show thousands of kilograms….

Glyphosate is the world’s most used weed killer – but is it safe? Global scientists say “probable carcinogen,” U.S. regulators say “no risk.” For rural communities, the stakes are real. Discover the dangers in our investigation: