45 Degrees North: Don’t Jinx The Road Work
Summer road projects will be finished soon (fingers crossed). While you’re waiting for a flagger to wave you through, here are some things traffic apps won’t tell you.
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The Yonder Report – August 7, 2025 – The Yonder Report
The Yonder Report airs on the radio across rural America and online via podcast platforms. Listen and subscribe.
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Rural Reporting Grants
Local news organizations across the country produce more than 50 stories on disaster recovery, education, health, broadband access, and other important topics, with grant support from Grist and the Center for Rural Strategies.
Rural Roundup: New Summer Shows for Your Watchlist
This summer’s crop of rural TV shows is bringing family drama, teenage dreams, and zombies to your living room.
A Jewish Farming Legacy in South Jersey
Descendants of a 19th-century Jewish farming community preserve land and history in Salem County, New Jersey.
Construction and Real Estate Are the Highest Grossing Industries Among Sole Proprietors in Rural America
The nonemployer construction and real estate industry grossed billions of dollars in revenue in rural America in 2023.
Commentary: Trump’s Bill Could Further Limit Access to Legal Services in Rural America
Capping student loan amounts could severely limit the ability of low-income students to pursue law degrees and practice in their communities.
Medicaid Cuts Are Likely to Worsen Mental Health Care in Rural America
Rural Americans disproportionately rely on Medicaid, the largest payer of mental health care in the nation.
SNAP Cuts Threaten Rural Grocery Stores in South Texas
The funding cuts passed in the 2025 reconciliation bill threaten to deepen food insecurity and strain local grocery stores, worsening already critical food deserts.
The USDA Wouldn’t Let Her Give Up Her House When She Couldn’t Pay Her Mortgage. Instead, It Crushed Her With Debt
The USDA failed to follow its own guidance for a rural mortgage program, taking years to foreclose on delinquent loans. As a result, 55 Maine borrowers racked up, on average, $110,000 in additional debt before the agency moved to take the homes.
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Q&A: College as a First-Generation, Rural Student
In her new book, an award-winning professor shares the stories of nine rural, first-generation students navigating life at an elite liberal arts college.
Are Rural Extensions Being Under-utilized?
Expanding rural extension programs beyond agriculture could help universities balance needs between rural and urban communities.
DOGE Cuts Debilitate Rural Oregon’s AmeriCorps Program
Federal cuts to AmeriCorps funding have effectively ended Oregon’s 30-year-old Resource Assistance for Rural Environments program, hurting young professionals and rural communities alike.
Report: More Rural Maternity Departments Facing Closure
According to the study, birthing centers are struggling to cover the costs of keeping obstetric units open at low-volume hospitals. A proposed solution would allow Medicaid to pay for standby capacity and delivery fees.
45 Degrees North: Rethinking Where Stuff Goes
Just how hazardous are the contents of your rural home, garage, or shed if it’s on fire? Here’s what you should know about items you live with or store.
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