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Every year brings its own unique challenges for California farmers: water shortages, fires, finding laborers to do the work, bureaucrats in Sacramento adding new requirements and fees, and more. But the second term of President Donald Trump has made this year very different. As part of deep cuts across much of the government, Trump’s administration chopped $1 billion from the U.S. Department of Agriculture almost without warning. This led to widespread financial pain that affected already struggling farmers and left hungry patrons of food banks in many parts of the country desperate for other sources of healthy food. On February 28, California officials warned farmers who had grown food for schools and food banks that there was funding only for work done up to January 19, despite the fact that farmers had submitted invoices for work and harvests past that date. California farmers quickly organized a phone call and email campaign over the span of seven days in early March to demand the attention of elected representatives and answers from federal officials. By March 7, their efforts were successful: They would receive pay for the fall and for harvests for the rest of this year. But their success was overshadowed by news that the program would stop at the end of 2025. For Bryce Loewen, a farmer who co-owns Blossom Bluff Orchards in Fresno County, the first freeze in funding meant that the USDA failed to hand over more than $30,000 that it owed the business for growing food to help feed Californians who could not afford it. There isnt really a good time to get stiffed for your work. But during winter, the slowest season on the farm, theres downtime, and California farmers like Loewen recently used that lull to fight to regain the money farmers were owed and help feed some of their most vulnerable neighbors. A farmers instinct is to fix things, Loewen said. And thats what we did. Loewens farm is in the small town of Parlier, California, which has a declining population of less than 15,000. On March 1, Loewen called federal officials to try to change their minds about the funding cut. Farming is a business of slim margins, and Loewen was trying to keep his farm from falling into debt, he said. Loewen was just one of many farmers in California and around the country who called and emailed officials that day. They asked why they hadnt been paid, and they described the economic benefit of the USDA funds to small farms and public health services and to agencies that feed people in their own communities who are struggling. Loewen left messages and wrote emails to Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno); Brooke Rollins, the secretary of agriculture; and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York. Other farmers also contacted Rollins, their local representatives, and congressional and Senate leadership on both sides of the political aisle. The impromptu campaign was somewhat successful. Six days later, the USDA agreed to pay farmers for their fall harvest and contracts for 2025, but not beyond. The USDA did not respond to calls and emails from Capital & Main about why the cuts were made or why they were restored. Neither the USDA nor Rollins have publicly acknowledged hearing from farmers about the cuts. In securing payments for slightly more than nine additional months, the farmers relative success might offer lessons for other groups targeted by government cuts as they seek to claw back some resources for crucial programs. California may be world-famous for its beaches, Hollywood, and Big Tech, but many people dont realize that the states vast Central Valley supplies a quarter of all food to the United States. In the Golden State, agriculture is the backbone of many local economies, from the states southern frontier with Mexico all the way to its northern border with Oregon. This is especially true in the states agricultural heartland. Yet many residents who live in what dust-bowl musician Woody Guthrie once referred to as the Pastures of Plenty cannot afford the fresh, locally grown food that surrounds them in the regions villages and towns. The Healthy Fresno County Community Dashboard, which publishes local health information, reported that 16% of the countys 1 million residents in 2022 were considered food insecure. Those rates were higher for the countys Black and Hispanic residents in comparison to their white peers. Since 2006, the USDA has used the term food insecurity to describe the status that leads to weakness, illness, and harm to families who lack stable access to food. It disproportionately affects lower-income groups in the state. Food insecurity includes the inability to afford a balanced diet, fear that a homes food supply wont last, or having to eat less because one cant afford to buy more food. An insecure food supply causes physical pangs of hunger in adults, as well as stress and depression, particularly in mothers. Limited food intake affects brain development in children, prompting stress among preschoolers and affecting a students ability to learn basic subjects such as math and writing. In California, 9 of 20 adults with low incomes reported limited, uncertain, or inconsistent access to food in 2023, according to a California Health Interview Survey. Loewens farm helps feed some struggling Californians with the help of money through a $400 million federal program called the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. The California Department of Social Services distributes the funds across the state through a program called Farms Together. Farmers werent the only ones to feel the pain of the USDA cuts between late February and March 11, said Paul Towers, executive director of Community Alliance With Family Farmers. His organization helps distribute food from small farms to food banks and school districts. During a two-week period, food banks didn’t receive any such food, which left people who rely on that food aid to scramble for something to eat. Thats two weeks of lost income for farmers, Towers said. And two weeks of no food. Nationwide, 18 million Americans were food insecure in 2023, according to the USDA. Most of those people live in rural counties such as Fresno County, according to Feeding America, a national network of food banks and pantrie. By March 10, news of the cuts was spreading. The online agriculture and food policy news outlet Agri-Pulse warned in a headline: Trump administration canceling local food initiatives. On March 11, Fox News highlighted the cuts to farmerswho voted disproportionately in favor of Trump during his presidential campaignsin a live interview with Rollins. Americas Newsroom anchor Bill Hemmer asked Rollins to justify the $1 billion cuts in food security aid to schools and food banks. Rollins offered conflicting responses. The cuts were to pandemic-era food programs and were aimed at new and nonessential programs, she said. Rollins said the programs cost had grown but didnt offer any evidence to back that up. The initial iteration of the local food purchasing assistance, the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, was a multibillion dollar pandemic food aid project started during Trumps first term. But Rollins didnt share that detail. Speaking of other cuts made the day before the interview, she added that authorities had canceled more contracts on food justice for trans people in New York and San Francisco; obviously thats different than the food programs in the schools, but it is really important. The local food purchase agreement didnt, and still doesnt, favor food aid or food justice to trans people. It pays for farmers to grow food that goes to food banks and school districts. Rollins didnt acknowledge that the cuts were overzealous or the harm that they might cause. As we have always said, if we are making mistakes, we will own those mistakes, and we will reconfigure. But right now, from what we are viewing, [the local food purchase assistance] program was nonessential. It was a new program, and it was an effort by the Left to continue spending taxpayer dollars that [was] not necessary, Rollins told Fox News. On March 11, the Community Alliance With Family Farmers posted on its blog: The reinstatement of Farms Together is a victory worth celebrating. Through collective action, the voices of farmers and allies were heard, but the fight isnt over. Farms Together IS restoredthough only temporarily. Our intent, Towers said, was to make sure Secretary Rollins heard directly from farmers that they were harmed by the cuts to these programs. George B. Sánchez-Tello, Capital & Main This piece was originally published by Capital & Main, which reports from California on economic, political, and social issues.
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Arianna Huffington, author, entrepreneur, and founder of The Huffington Post believes in one key to success above all else: getting enough sleep. When I get eight hours, I feel ready to handle anything during the day without stress and without paying a heavy price in terms of my own health and my own mental well-being, Huffington, the author of The Sleep Revolution, told NBC. Heres how sleep can lead to greater success and happiness for you: Huffingtons Personal Journey With Sleep Back in 2007, Huffington was constantly sacrificing sleep to work 18-hour days. Then, one morning, she woke up on the floor of her home office in a pool of her own blood. Shed passed out from exhaustion, breaking her cheekbone when she fell. It was a pivotal moment that reshaped her views on success and well-being. Rather than measuring success in just money or power, Huffington now advocates for a third metric of success, which includes well-being, wisdom, and giving back. Shes since written two books on the subjects and founded a new company, Thrive Global, which helps employers improve their workers lives. Why is Sleep Essential for Success? In her viral TED talk, Huffington discussed how sleep allows us to shut down our engines, refresh our brains, and go into every day operating at peak performance, which is foundational for productivity, creativity, and decision-making. Science backs Huffingtons views. For example, one study showed that new neural connectionsthe pathways between neurons that allow our brains to functionare formed while sleeping. It also showed better performance outcomes from sleeping and training together rather than training more in place of sleep. Studies have also linked inadequate sleep (whether thats extreme deprivation over a short period or slight deprivation over the long term) to worse reasoning, decision-making, and driving abilities, as well as mood swings, depression, and physical ailments like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Arianna Huffingtons Top Tips for Better Sleep Alongside championing the importance of sleep, Huffington has put out tons of advice on how to get enough of it through The Sleep Revolution and her Sleep Revolution Manifesto. 1. Create a bedtime ritual Doing the same routine before bed each night will help signal to your body and brain that its almost time to sleep. Adding relaxing activities like a hot bath, a nice cup of decaffeinated tea, a good book, or a mediation session, will help even more. 2. Make your bedroom an ideal sleep space Huffington advocates for keeping your bedroom cool (between 60 and 67 degrees), dark, and quiet. If possible, keep your smartphone out of your bedroom (or at least out of reach) and reserve the room for sex and sleeping only. 3. Avoid caffeine and electronic devices before bed Huffington recommends cutting off caffeine around 2 p.m. and any electronic devices around 30 minutes before you lay down for the night. If you read in bed, use a traditional paper book or an e-reader without backlighting. 4. Wear dedicated pajamasnot workout gear Wearing the same clothes to exercise and to sleep sends your body mixed signals. 5. Treat sleep as nonnegotiable Rather than sacrificing sleep to spend time on other activities like work, social engagements, or recreational activities, Huffington says we should be doing the opposite. Schedule your life around getting enough sleep in the same way you plan sleep around your work schedule. The Link Between Sleep, Happiness, and Mental Health All the things that make life much harder are aggravated when youre sleep-deprived, Huffington said on The School of Greatness podcast. Youre more likely to dwell on your failures, fears, and anxieties or feel irritable and stressed. By contrast, when you sleep enough, your brain gets the recovery time it needs, youre more clear-headed, emotionally level, and able to handle the challenges your job or life might throw at you. You also increase your daily opportunities to experience joy, which can improve your relationships and work performance. Over time, all of these factors reduce your stress, make you more productive, and help you avoid burnout. Debunking the Myths of Around Sleep Work culture has a terrible tendency to glorify sleep deprivation. Theres the hustle mentality that says one should always be grinding. Theres also the sleep deprivation one-upmanship where people brag about how little sleep they get. Today, so many of us fall into the trap of sacrificing sleep in the name of productivity, Huffington said. But in the U.S., inadequate sleep actually leads to 11 days of lost productivity per year per worker, collectively costing the U.S. economy more than $63 billion annually. Prioritizing sleep is often associated with laziness, but making sure you begin every day at your full potential is actually a strategy for long-term success.
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Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is enthusiastic about the companys pilot with Waymo. In Q1 prepared remarks, he said the launch in Austin has exceeded our expectations, noting that the 100 self-driving vehicles there were busier than 99% of the citys human drivers. The strong performance has Uber looking ahead to its next Waymo rollout in Atlanta. But Waymo isnt Ubers only autonomous partner. Just hours before Khosrowshahis comments were released, Uber announced an expanded deal with WeRide, a global rival to Waymo. WeRides robotaxis will soon launch in 15 new cities outside the U.S. and China. While Waymo may be Ubers marquee U.S. partner, the rideshare giant is making it clear it wont rely on just one self-driving tech provider. Ubers expanding self-driving deals In the United States, Waymo remains the dominant force in robotaxis, especially since Cruise has shuttered. Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are already operating in Austin and are set to launch in Atlanta. Waymos safety record and rider experience coupled with Ubers scale and reliability in the market have ensured that these vehicles are extremely busy, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted in his Q1 remarks. But the Uber-Waymo relationship hasnt been without friction. When Waymo announced a Miami expansion without Uber in December, Ubers stock took a hit. In response, the company unveiled new American partnerships, first with Volkswagen in April and then with May Mobility in June. (Uber declined to comment for this story.) Meanwhile, Ubers international self-driving investments are accelerating. Just ahead of Khosrowshahis remarks, the company announced an expanded partnership with WeRide, the Chinese robotaxi firm already operating with Uber in Abu Dhabi. The new agreement covers 15 additional citiesintentionally outside both the U.S. and Chinaand includes a $100 million investment. The same week, Uber announced an expanded deal with Pony.ai, another Chinese autonomous vehicle company. While the agreement excludes operations in China and the U.S., it significantly broadens their collaboration across the Middle East. Just days earlier, Uber also announced a new partnership with Momenta for deployment across Europe. To date, Uber has inked deals with 18 self-driving companies. Waymo may still be Ubers biggest U.S. bet, but globally, the ride-hailing giant is hedging those bets fast. Who should lead the robotaxi revolution? Not long ago, Uber was hoping to produce robotaxis, and not just commission them. The company invested over $1 billion into their own self-driving technology. But in 2020, it pulled the plug, selling its autonomous vehicle unit to Aurora, where CEO Dara Khosrowshahi now sits on the board. Uber isnt alone among American companies that failed to crack autonomous driving. Lyft also abandoned its self-driving ambitions. Cruise, General Motors robotaxi division, effectively shut down after one of its vehicles dragged a pedestrian about 20 feet. Tesla continues to hype its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, but Elon Musks promised robotaxi still hasnt arrived. That leaves Waymo as the leadingif not the onlyAmerican contender in the robotaxi race. Meanwhile, Chinese firms like WeRide, Pony.ai, and Momenta are rapidly expanding. Uber is poised to play a major role in this growing global market, serving autonomous rides to its loyal user base. For now, Uber isnt picking just one horseits betting on the entire field.
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