Locally sourced, collaborative reporting from and for rural America.
‘Farming in the dark’: Brooke Rollins’ leadership, DOGE’s grip and the cost to American agriculture
In her first six months, Donald Trump’s second agriculture secretary has altered the course of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She says prosperity is ‘just around the corner.’ But staffing cuts and restricted research could have long-lasting impacts.
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Medicaid cuts in federal budget could hit rural health hard in SD
Details are still to come on the cuts to Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income Americans. But early indications are that the law will cut federal aid to health care by $1 trillion over the next decade.
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The June salmon harvest in the southern Alaska Peninsula was the worst in 4 decades
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, fishermen in the Shumagin Islands and South Unimak areas harvested about 720,000 salmon through the end of June — the second-lowest June on record since the 1980s.
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Vermont Foodbank lays off nearly 10% of staff, braces for uncertainty
The state’s largest food assistance provider cited unsustainable workforce levels in the wake of COVID-era programs ending.
RNN Highlights
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Bart Pfankuch for South Dakota News Watch
Powering Rural Futures
Clean energy is creating new jobs in rural America, generating opportunities for people who install solar panels, build wind turbines, weatherize homes, and more. This series led by Canary Media explores how industry, state governments, and education systems are training this growing workforce.
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Winik Sartwell for Carolina Public Press
Deserting Women
Rural North Carolina counties are seeing growing deserts of health services for women at local hospitals, with serious health implications. Multiple pressures are driving this trend. But solutions may be available.
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Alex Ip for The Xylom
“All Hell Breaks Loose”: How Big Oil Ruined a Small Texas Town
Three export terminals that captured half of the U.S. crude oil export industry have formed around Ingleside on the Bay, turning the Texas Coastal Bend town into an unlikely fenceline community. A playing field tilted towards regional officials, Texas Republicans, and foreign energy companies did residents in.
MORE NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Texas officials estimate 161 people are missing after floods as death toll rises to 109
July 08, 2025
Gov. Greg Abbott vowed Tuesday to continue rescue and recovery efforts in the flood-ravaged Hill Country “until every missing person is accounted for.”
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Fact brief: Does South Dakota have some of the highest rates of DUI arrests in the nation?
July 08, 2025
Factors in South Dakota’s consistently high ranking include the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, frequent sobriety checkpoints, and drivers getting behind the wheel in rural areas and small towns after drinking.
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Trump Administration Wants to Close Down Key Weather Labs Nationwide
July 08, 2025
The National Storms Lab in Norman Severe would be shuttered.
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Judges warned CPS was failing kids. West Virginia ethics officials want to silence them.
July 08, 2025
Two judges went public about how the state’s child welfare system is endangering kids. A state judicial ethics watchdog warned them to not do it again.
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Hills, rivers and rocky terrain: Why the Hill Country keeps flooding
July 08, 2025
When storms roll in, water rushes downhill fast, gaining speed and force as it moves — often with deadly results.
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The aftermath of floods, hurricanes and other disasters can be hardest on older rural Americans – here’s how families and neighbors can help
July 08, 2025
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 20% of the country’s rural population is age 65 and over, compared with only 16% of urban residents. That’s about 10 million older adults living in rural areas.
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Local FFA, 4-H organizations collecting gift cards to help relief efforts for flood victims
July 07, 2025
At least one Breckenridge girl was at Camp Mystic and was safely evacuated Friday.
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Billionaire’s entry in 2026 Iditarod draws mixed reactions from mushers
July 07, 2025
Among the 22 mushers who have signed up so far for the 2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is a longtime backer competing under modified rules.
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Police say woman found on Woodbury road was strangled to death
July 07, 2025
Tina Daigle, 38, of Hardwick (Pop. 2,920), was discovered on a roadside pull-off along Route 14 in late June.