Alex Milan Tracy for Underscore
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The dozens of independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news organizations that make up the Rural News Network are developing the broadest news alliance reporting on rural America. These newsrooms are pursuing coverage that provides a more complete picture of what it means to live and work in these communities.
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Rural high school students are more likely than city kids to get their diplomas, but they remain less likely to go to college
December 01, 2025
Nationally, nearly 10 million students – or 1 in 5 public school students in the U.S. – attended rural schools in the fall of 2022.
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Farmers – long Trump backers – bear the costs of new tariffs, restricted immigration and slashed renewable energy subsidies
November 20, 2025
Today, the economic effects of policies affecting farmers are broader and deeper – and the resolve that carried farmers’ support for Trump through the first trade war may no longer be enough.
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Colorado’s rural schools serve more than 130,000 students, and their superintendents want more pay for their teachers
November 12, 2025
More than 85% of respondents to a Colorado-based survey published in October 2025 identified recruiting and retaining talented teachers as one of the most important issues.
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Agricultural drones are taking off globally, saving farmers time and money
October 29, 2025
Early signs point to big benefits: greater efficiency, safer working conditions and improved rural livelihoods.
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Rural women are at a higher risk of violence − and less likely to get help
August 25, 2025
Most criminology scholars do not study violence of any type in rural communities, which partly contributes to the widespread belief that rural women are safer than their urban and suburban counterparts.
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How wind and solar power helps keep America’s farms alive
July 28, 2025
In some rural counties, clean energy is the largest new source of economic activity, helping stabilize local economies otherwise reliant on agriculture’s unpredictable income streams.
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Yellowstone has been a ‘sacred wonderland’ of spiritual power and religious activity for centuries – and for different faith groups
July 24, 2025
A landscape once sacred to Native Americans later inspired Christians and New Age communities alike.
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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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Rural hospitals will be hit hard by Trump’s signature spending package
July 06, 2025
People who live in rural areas are more likely to have health insurance through Medicaid and are at greater risk of losing that coverage.
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Young food entrepreneurs are changing the face of rural America
May 22, 2025
As rural America gains younger residents, and grows more diverse and increasingly digitally connected, these dynamics are driving a renaissance in craft foods.
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If you really want to close the US trade deficit, try boosting innovation in rural manufacturing
May 12, 2025
Economists recently found that urban businesses export significantly more than rural ones – a difference with significant implications for national trade.
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Providing farmworkers with health insurance is worth it for their employers − new research
April 08, 2025
In addition, farmworkers who get health insurance through their employers are more productive and earn more money than those who do not.
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Doctor shortages have hobbled health care for decades − and the trend could be worsening
March 31, 2025
The brunt of the effect will be felt in rural areas: An estimated 56% shortage is predicted in nonmetro areas, versus only 6% in metro areas.
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Rural Americans don’t live as long as those in cities − new research
February 11, 2025
A key reason is worse rates among rural people for smoking, obesity and chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
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3 myths about rural education that are holding students back
January 09, 2025
Scholars who study rural education compiled a list of facts about rural education accompanied by the myths that would help policymakers better design programs to support rural students.
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