That’s right, the New York Times — in a front-page, above-the-fold, lengthy piece — concludes that the “compensation effort” against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for anti-black bias “became a runaway train, driven by racial politics, presssure from influential members of Congress and law firms that stand to gain $130 million in fees.” ”The total cost could top $4.4 billion,” they write.

The Times also notes that the the claims have grown so that they now also include “Hispanic, female and Native American farmers.”