SpaceX ‘pinky promises’ no bad impacts for Louisiana locals — then forced to backtrack

In a tense meeting, SpaceX managers told locals the massive spaceport won’t affect them at all. Then locals pressed for specifics.

Delaney Nolan, The Lens Oct 13, 2026

Agriculture

Aging farmers and the government want to save farms, but for many the cost is too high

A federal program promises to pay for farmland preservation. Few landowners are taking advantage.

Jana Rose Schleis, KBIA Oct 8, 2026

Community

Researchers, patients optimistic in fight against alpha-gal syndrome

A support group and a lab in the St. Louis area provide resources for people with the allergy to mammal products — and evidence that its effects can be reversed.

Rose LaForest, Nine PBS Oct 1, 2026

Lucas Dufalla

Lucas Dufalla worked with the Desk as a Report for America corps member from 2024-2026. He covered the Mississippi River Basin for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A 2024 graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, he has worked for news organizations in Pennsylvania and New England.