Uncertainty surrounds whether Trump’s $50 billion for rural health will be sufficient.
In 2024, ranch owners expect to bring in substantial hay from Texas. There’s growing concern among experts and lawmakers regarding a new $50 billion initiative aimed at supporting rural healthcare providers facing challenges. (Photo: Scott Olson) Congress has allocated $50 billion for rural hospitals and healthcare providers, part of the sweeping reductions in federal healthcare […]
Job Cuts by the Government Will Impact Rural Areas
In a significant shift aimed at reducing what some see as bureaucratic excess, the Trump administration has let go of thousands of federal employees, affecting many rural workers associated with public land. This includes the termination of around 1,300 employees from the CDC in Atlanta and another 1,000 from the Veterans Affairs Bureau, alongside about […]
Medicaid reductions negatively affect rural patients
Senate Advances Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” This week, the US Senate decided to proceed with Trump’s proposed “Big Beautiful Bill,” which is now heading back home for further discussion. However, there seems to be a notable absence in the debate regarding Congressional District 7, which covers parts of Yuma County, such as Summerton and San […]
Yuma Rural Development Office will stay open, Sen. Gallego states
Yuma Rural Development Office to Remain Open The Federal Rural Development Office in Yuma, which faced closure, will continue to operate following an intervention by Senator Reuben Gallego (D-Ariz.), as confirmed by local leaders this week. Initially, the USDA intended to shut down the Yuma Regional Development Office due to a lease termination connected to […]
Harm Reduction in Rural Areas: Focus on Cochise County, Arizona
Key Points Residents of Kochise County frequently find themselves needing to travel at least 45 minutes to access essential medical services. The number of overdose fatalities in Kochise County has dropped from 29 in 2022 to 18 in 2024. The illegal drug supply is in constant flux, with many dangerous adulterants not being detectable by […]
Researchers find new rural area of increased suicides covering Tennessee
The unusually high-rate “suicide belts” are spreading across Tennessee. (Photo: Quentin Young/Colorado News Line) A recent study from East Tennessee State University has highlighted a national suicide “belt,” showing elevated mortality rates stretching from the West Coast to the West Coast. It demonstrates that rural America continues to face significantly higher suicide rates compared to […]
Rural communities celebrate Senate approval of the major legislation
Following the passage of President Trump’s significant bill in the U.S. Senate, farmers are now on the brink of record tax cuts and enhanced farm safety measures. The bill is set to return home after a close 51-50 vote. Mitt Walker, the Secretary of State for the Alabama Farmers Federation, remarked that the bill represents […]
State Sen. April Weaver: The crisis facing rural hospitals in Alabama risks our health and the economy
Alabama’s Rural Hospital Crisis A rural hospital in Alabama has vanished, highlighting a serious crisis that threatens not only the health of local residents but also the very fabric of rural communities. Since 2011, at least seven rural hospitals have shut down in Alabama. If things continue on this trajectory, more than half of the […]
Based in Alabama: Credit unions are energizing rural areas in Alabama
The number of small communities in Alabama is on the rise, but there’s a catch. Access to local financial services is becoming increasingly scarce. As per the Federal Reserve Bank Desert Dashboard, there are about 1,181 people per census area, and 153 of these areas are now labeled as “bank deserts.” Essentially, this means that […]
Garlan Gudger: Alabama Legislature aims to support our rural heritage through achievements in the 2025 session
During the regular sessions of the Alabama Legislature in 2025, lawmakers have dedicated themselves to addressing the varying needs of the state, from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley, and from the wiregrass to the Black Belt, covering everything from bustling cities to quiet towns. Of course, rural Alabama faces its own unique set […]