Locally sourced, collaborative reporting from and for rural America.
Featured Story
Susan Cameron for Cardinal News
What 200 readers told us about what’s most important in Virginia local elections
Healthcare, democracy and data centers were top concerns heading into this year’s midterms.
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Smithfield move: How to preserve rural areas as metro grows
How the addition of a pork processing plant to the state’s largest industrial park has sparked conversation about “responsible growth” in the Sioux Falls metro area.
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Meet America’s De Facto Food Safety Chief
While D.C. dithers, California Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel is quietly forcing Big Food to clean up its act nationwide.
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Law enforcement across the state have adopted Flock Safety cameras. Lawmakers say the company is dodging their questions.
As police departments across West Virginia rapidly deploy Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers, state lawmakers are raising serious concerns about digital security, accuracy, and data privacy. So far, Flock has sidestepped the questions.
RNN Highlights
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Rachel Livinal for The Merced FOCUS
Young Brains, Huge Stakes: How transitional kindergarten is shaping San Joaquin Valley’s youth
As California expands transitional kindergarten statewide, this four-part series examines whether San Joaquin Valley schools can meet the needs of young learners.
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Lily Smith for Flatwater Free Press
Priced out of the Good Life
Nebraska paychecks are stagnant. Home prices continue to spiral. It’s pricing out a generation of buyers.
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Courtesy of U.S. Senate
Cardinal News 250: Virginia’s stories. A nation’s birth.
The project spotlights Virginia’s overlooked contributions to America’s march to independence ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial.
MORE NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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NC leaders call Chemours deal historic, but nearby well owners are still skeptical
September 21, 2026
Residents in Cedar Creek and Gray’s Creek say the $590 million PFAS settlement will matter only if it produces reliable, safe drinking water at home.
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Educational consulting firm to invest $15 million in Danville, create 22 jobs
September 21, 2026
The company, TECHnista, develops K-12 curricula to teach students about the advanced manufacturing and defense industries.
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‘Where they belong’: Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes bring home the remains of three members
September 21, 2026
The emotional repatriation of Christine Redstone, Peter Howe and Richard Morgan marked the end of a 136-year separation.
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Has the farm bill hit a dead end?
September 21, 2026
What was once a bipartisan slam dunk has now become a hyper-politicized game of chicken, with hunger, nutrition, and conservation programs on the line.
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American Samoans punished for voting in Alaska get relief after a yearslong nightmare
September 21, 2026
Alaska officials accused American Samoans caught in a unique legal limbo of illegally voting but finally dropped those charges this month.
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What does transformative support for rural college students look like?
September 18, 2026
For rural students, meaningful support can mean more than financial aid — it can be a community that helps them see what’s possible.
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How the upcoming midterms could change Wisconsin election policy
September 18, 2026
Unified control of state government could reshape some voting rules before the 2028 presidential election.
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When rural districts combine, wins for budgets and students come with identity loss
September 18, 2026
The Iron Range offers a window into communities reckoning with how their identities must change for the betterment of future generations as schools increasingly collaborate.
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Just how loud are Westfield’s new fighter jets? We measured.
September 18, 2026
A fleet of new F-35 jets will soon begin roaring over western Massachusetts. But it will take much longer for noise-mitigation funding to arrive.