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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been fighting misinformation since Helene slammed into Florida nearly two weeks ago. The false claims are being fueled by former President Donald Trump and others just ahead of the presidential election, and are coming as the agency is gearing up to respond to a second major disaster. Hurricane Milton is set to strike Florida on Wednesday. The FEMA administrator told reporters Tuesday that she’s never seen the disinformation problem as bad as it’s been with Helene. A county official in North Carolina says part of the problem is that affected regions have been largely without phone lines and internet, so outside voices have an easier time setting the narrative.

LAKE LURE, N.C. (AP) — The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is again forcefully pushing back against false claims and conspiracy theories about how her agency is responding to Hurricane Helene. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell appeared Monday in Asheville, North Carolina, to assure residents that the government is ready to help. Misinformation has spread over the past week in communities hit the hardest. Former President Donald Trump and other prominent Republicans have questioned FEMA’s response and falsely claimed that its funding is going to migrants or foreign wars. The death toll from Helene has risen to at least 230.

“Waiting till next year would be a mistake.” That’s the prognosis from Dr. Rob Johansson of the American Sugar Alliance regarding the next farm bill. “Two years’ worth of hearings have documented a brewing financial crisis caused by falling commodity prices, high input costs, and tightening farm credit,” he said. “It’s time for Congress to […]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, USDA has deployed staff to assist with response and recovery efforts and is putting contingency plans and flexibilities in place to ensure farmers, foresters, and communities can get the help they need. USDA estimates there are more than 38,000 crop insurance policies covering more than 4.8 million acres in […]

This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. Headlines for corn and wheat continue to lean at least a little bit bullish. Early yield reports for corn started off good but we are starting to hear more reports of disappointing numbers. Still probably going to […]

At these updates, you will normally hear a lot of specific data. When it comes to agriculture, we don’t have much data yet, but I will tell you what we do know. The parts of the state that were hit by Helene have a are mainly livestock, trees, forage, poultry. We have also heard of […]

A widely discussed topic in crop insurance is the enhanced coverage option plan. This area-based plan provides an additional layer of protection for farmers. Steve Hasche, owner of Midwest Ag Group and a veteran crop insurance agent, talks about how this option can benefit farmers. “With the higher subsidy rate, I think that producers need […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government’s top disaster relief official says false claims and conspiracy theories about the federal response to Hurricane Helene, which are being spread most prominently by Donald Trump, are “demoralizing” aid workers and creating fear in people who need recovery assistance. Deanne Criswell of the Federal Emergency Management Agency tells ABC that “it’s frankly ridiculous, and just plain false. This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people.” She says the unfounded allegations have created a sense of fear and mistrust from residents against the thousands of FEMA employees and volunteers on the ground.

Prayers needed for Western North Carolina’s following catastrophic devastation from remnants of Hurricane Helene. Search and rescue remain a critical mission; agricultural assessments only beginning.

BELLEAIR BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Milton has become a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on a path toward Florida’s west coast. Milton’s growth Monday sets the stage for a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline. Milton’s center could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa area, and it could remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. It is threatening Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused deaths and catastrophic damage in that state and well inland.