2 farm organizations tackle opioid crisis
The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union started a campaign Wednesday to raise awareness about the impact of the opioid epidemic on families involved in agriculture.
While less than half of rural Americans say they have been affected by opioid abuse, 74 percent of farmers and farmworkers reported they have, according to a recent online survey of about 2,200 rural adults commissioned by the farm organizations.
Justin Hunt, chief medical officer at Ozark Guidance, a nonprofit mental health center, said he couldn't speak directly about the opioid epidemic's impact on Arkansas farmers. However, Hunt said dangerous and physically demanding jobs often increase the likelihood for opioid prescriptions.
More information on the campaign is available at FarmTownStrong.org.
-- Nathan Owens
Long-term mortgage rates edge lower
WASHINGTON -- Long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell this week, making it slightly more affordable to borrow for a home.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac -- the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. -- said Thursday that the average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages slipped to 3.95 percent from 3.99 percent last week. The average has tumbled from 4.20 percent a year ago.
The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 3.38 percent from 3.44 percent in the prior week. This same rate averaged 3.44 percent last year.
The interest charged on U.S. Treasury notes dropped from a week ago, causing mortgage rates to slip in response.
-- The Associated Press
Holiday sales up at J.C. Penney, Macy's
It has been a tumultuous few years for the nation's department stores, but a solid Christmas shopping season has provided at least a temporary reprieve as shoppers stocked up on home goods, clothing and beauty products.
Sales at J.C. Penney stores open at least one year rose 3.4 percent in November and December compared with a year earlier. Macy's, meanwhile, reported 1.1 percent growth in same-store sales during that period led by increased demand for active apparel, shoes, dresses and coats.
But analysts cautioned that it could still be a rocky road for companies like Macy's, which said on Thursday that it plans to close 11 U.S. stores in coming weeks. The company has already closed 124 stores since 2015.
-- The Washington Post
Airline to settle pricing suits, pay $15M
DALLAS -- Southwest Airlines will pay $15 million to settle class-action lawsuits that accuse the four biggest U.S. carriers of conspiring to boost prices by holding down the supply of tickets for sale.
Southwest denies breaking the law but says it settled to avoid the expense of more litigation. It will also provide information to the plaintiffs.
American, United and Delta said Thursday that they did nothing wrong and will continue to defend themselves.
Lawyers for consumers filed dozens of lawsuits against the four airlines in mid-2015 after The Associated Press first reported that the Justice Department was investigating possible collusion.
Federal officials demanded documents from the airlines.
-- The Associated Press
Idaho ban on farm spying ruled unlawful
BOISE, Idaho -- Idaho's ban on spying at farms, dairies and slaughterhouses violated free-speech rights, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.
"The panel held that the subsection criminalized innocent behavior, was staggeringly overbroad, and that the purpose of the statute was, in large part, targeted at speech and investigative journalists," wrote U.S. Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown in a 56-page ruling.
Idaho lawmakers in 2014 passed the law making it a crime to surreptitiously videotape agriculture operations after the state's $2.5 billion dairy industry complained that videos of cows being abused at a dairy two years earlier unfairly hurt their businesses.
-- The Associated Press
California fires threaten home insurance
More frequent and intense wildfires are making it harder for homeowners to find and keep insurance in California, a state regulator warned Thursday.
"The problem of insurance availability is going to expand" after last year's record-breaking wildfires, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in an interview Thursday.
The number of homeowners in fire-prone areas who complained about getting dropped by their plans increased 250 percent from 2010 to 2016, Jones' department reported Thursday. In the 24 counties with the greatest wildfire risk, the number of policies canceled by companies increased 15 percent between 2015 and 2016 alone; in at least six of those counties, that number grew by more than 50 percent.
-- Bloomberg News
Essence fully black-owned once again
For the first time in nearly two decades, Essence magazine is once again a fully black-owned publication.
The magazine, a mainstay of black culture for almost half a century, was bought by Richelieu Dennis, the founder of Sundial Brands, a large personal-care products company, from Time Inc., Essence Ventures announced Wednesday. Dennis would not discuss the details of the sale.
According to a statement released by Essence Ventures, Essence will keep its current executive team, which consists entirely of black women, including Michelle Ebanks, the magazine's president. The executive team will also have an ownership interest in the business.
Essence, a 48-year-old monthly lifestyle magazine, has a majority-black readership. The magazine focuses on fashion, pop culture, music and black life. It also holds an annual music festival at which Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige and Chance the Rapper were headliners last year.
-- The New York Times
Business on 01/05/2018