February 2022

The profit forecast for U.S. agriculture is slated to rise 15.2% above last year’s average of $98 billion. However, this figure has not been adjusted for inflation. When adjusted in 2022 dollars, the real farm forecast for income is predicted to decrease by 7.2%. This is an actual reduction of $9.7 billion dollars in net farm income.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An aspiring actor was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Monday for running a massive Ponzi scheme that raised at least $650 million from investors in phony Hollywood film licensing deals.

In 1774, the British Parliament passed a series of four laws which were collectively called the Coercive Acts. They were the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act, but the colonists just called them the Intolerable Acts. The first three were approved by King George III on May 20 and were meant to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party which had occurred the previous December and to send a warning to the other colonies. But the Quartering Act, which was approved by the king on June 2, applied to all the colonies.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Kentucky man has pleaded guilty to a multi-million dollar fraud scheme targeting a federal program that gives money to rural schools for internet access, prosecutors in Tennessee said.

A Missouri lawmaker who is charged in a fraud scheme involving medical treatments in her job as a physician assistant reached a settlement with the state health department that puts her narcotics license on probation for three years.

In celebration of WGU Missouri’s 9th anniversary, the nonprofit, fully accredited, online university has announced it is awarding $450,000 in scholarships to new students who are interested in furthering their education. Since its establishment in February 2013, WGU Missouri has been committed to providing high-quality, convenient and career-boosting college education to residents across the state, including working adults who have some college experience but no degree. The WGU Missouri 9th anniversary scholarships, valued at up to $9,000 each, underscore WGU’s mission of helping make higher education even more attainable for adults across Missouri, especially those looking to strengthen their skillsets as the ongoing pandemic continues to impact the local workforce.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A plane flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., was diverted to Kansas City after an unruly passenger reportedly tried to open a door on the aircraft.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small announced that USDA is accepting applications for grants that will advance equity in rural communities through improvements in housing, community facilities, and community and economic development.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis' public safety director said Monday that a police supervisor's mistake — and not a positive test for COVID-19 — was the reason a domestic assault suspect was released from jail before being charged.