Lack of federal Hurricane Helene disaster relief could impact midterm elections in North Carolina

Voters in western North Carolina are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the federal response to Hurricane Helene, and that could impact the 2026 midterm elections in a big way, reports Katie Myers for Grist. Helene devastated entire communities and caused $60 billion in damage, but as Myers reports, only $10 billion has been provided by the federal government so far. 

"Half of all North Carolinians are dissatisfied with the government’s response, compared to 37 percent who are satisfied, according to a poll commissioned by television stations WRAL and WSOC. In western North Carolina, which bore the brunt of Helene’s fury, just 5 percent said they are 'very satisfied' with how officials are handling things," Myers writes. 

These sentiments are affecting federal elections in North Carolina's U.S. Senate race between former governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, and President Trump's point person on Helene recovery, Michael Whatley. Trump has "joked that he wouldn't send North Carolina additional aid if Whatley lost," Myers reports, which means "politicians are treating [disaster] recovery as an electoral issue." 

Myers writes that it's unclear whether slow disaster relief is impacting voters. For some, Myers writes, it's more about climate change than recovery. But numbers show a shift is happening. In NC-11, for instance, the largely rural mountain area went for Trump by nearly 10 points in 2024. But now, Republican Jennifer Balkcom is "running even with Democrat Jamie Ager," and a pro-Trump political action committee just canceled more than $1 million in TV advertising for Balkcom in the district. 

Disinformation spreads quickly after disaster, but one news outlet created a media literacy guide to help

A "perfect storm" of factors is leading to vast disinformation after disasters, and more than becoming conspiracy theories about government interference or so-called "weather weapons," such misinformation could harm recovery efforts and threaten lives, reports Jake Bittle of Grist.

"Extreme weather events are always chaotic, and it’s always been easy for rumors to spread during moments of calamity, but the problem has never been as bad as it is now," Bittle writes. He writes that the problem is "as bad as it is now" because of several factors: "... the information landscape has never been more fragmented — major social media companies have given up on any pretense of fact-checking and content moderation; politicians often distort or politicize disasters; government agencies are short-staffed following DOGE cuts; and generative AI models have created an entirely new and little-understood way to source information." 

But when misinformation spreads after a disaster, it "can lead to lost lives, traumatic displacement, or slow recovery," while also straining "the relationship between public authorities and their citizens." So, what can people do about this? Grist has an answer in a new guide about fact-checking during a disaster, that can help those impacted find accurate information about extreme weather from trusted sources. The guide offers a list of sources and helps people understand how to verify those sources and the information they share. It even helps readers identify A.I.-generated content. 

USPS delays, newly proposed legislation could affect voting by mail among Native Americans

Many Native Americans use mail-in ballots to vote in national elections so they won't have to travel long distances to polling places, but USPS delays could mean those ballots don't make it into the final count, reports Kalle Benallie for Indian Country Today.

Recent proposed federal and state changes have increased panic among Native voters, said Triston Black, director of the Young Peoples Project at Arizona Native Voice. He told Benallie that "it's irresponsible to start a panic during the midterm elections about voting by mail." His organization is encouraging Native voters to keep voting by mail, reassuring them that Tribal ID's are valid personal identification to show proof of citizenship. 

Black said that "64 percent of tribal voters living on Navajo, Hopi or White Mountain and Apache lands voted by mail in 2024," and encouraged Native voters who plan to vote by mail to do so as early as possible to avoid mail delays, which can be extreme. 

Benallie reports that ballot rejections for missed deadlines increased by 134 percent "in counties where Native Americans make up more than 25 percent of the population" between 2020 and 2024, according to data from the Native American Rights Fund. The report said there is "strong evidence that USPS network disruptions had a significant impact with Native voters." 

Appalachia prioritized for conservation alongside the Amazon rainforest; major easement is set for sale in 2028

Appalachia has been recognized by The Nature Conservancy as one of four priority areas “with global importance for weathering future changes,” along with the Amazon rainforest, Kenya and Borneo, Kim Kobersmith reports for The Daily Yonder.

The Appalachian region is a conservation priority because it spans nearly 2,000 miles with immense, contiguous habitat biodiversity. It is also a hub for bird migration because there is minimal interference from human-made barriers like roads or walls. Even so, Appalachia is a region devastated by exploitative practices like mining and logging.

But The Nature Conservancy saw what was coming, and in 2018, bought 253,000 acres of Appalachian land to protect in perpetuity. The experimental program was dubbed The Cumberland Forest Project. The project spans three states, and 53,000 acres of land were sold to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources in 2024 through a conservation easement.

The program operates on a local, regional and national scale, heavily considering, seeking and financially supporting local communities. However, the conservancy only planned to steward the program for 10 to 12 years, and their ownership could be coming to a close in 2028. “While any new owners will be constrained by the easements, the hope is to find buyers who will fully embrace and further the work The Nature Conservancy and its partners began," Kobersmith reports. 

Wilderness rescuers notice an uptick in AI causing people to get lost in wild spaces

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a reason why hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts are getting lost or otherwise not following forestry rules in outdoor spaces, reports Christine Peterson of High Country News.

Nick Meyers, U.S. Forest Service program manager at the Mount Shasta Wilderness Climbing and Avalanche Center, told Peterson a story about three 20-somethings who recently got lost on the mountain after making a series of bad decisions they blamed in part on Google's A.I. chatbot, Gemini. "To these guys’ credit, they did try," Meyers said. "But I think they kind of turned their brains off."

That is likely what literally happened, according to Clemson University professor Chris Flathmann, who studies A.I. and search and rescue. He told Peterson that using AI can lead to something called, "cognitive surrender," when one uses AI. "so deep they give up thinking critically for themselves." 

Back at Mount Shasta, "another visitor pitched her tent near a 'No Camping' sign, insisting she had a right to do so because AI told her she could." Meyers said he and his team "also encountered a man wandering around at a trailhead with an AI-generated map that showed prominent features on the wrong side of a nearby mountain." Foresters in Grand Teton National Park have noticed "a marked uptick over the past year in the percentage of visitors who report using AI for travel information," up from 0% in 2025 to 26% in 2026.

Commentary: Farmers fear the 1980s economy is coming back

In 1985, John Mellencamp released his song "Rain on the Scarecrow," which tells the story of farmers forced to foreclose their land amid the 1980s recession. And as bad as farmers hate to admit it, they are facing similar economic peril today, according to Krista Swanson of the National Corn Growers Association.  

Swanson, chief economist for the NCGA, said the parallels of today compared to the 1980s are apparent. High costs for fuel and seeds are squeezing farmers, and since 2022, inflation has been driving profits down.

Lisa Foust Prater reports for Successful Farming that this was also the case between the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. "Swanson said she's noticing red flags including weakening in terms of loan repayments, farmer debt levels relative to assets, and a cumulative drop in negative net returns between 2023 and 2025 that is the sharpest relative drop back to when that data set began in 1975."

Even though the high prices of the 1980s farm economy are reappearing, Swanson said we are yet to see high interest rates like the 1980s, noting there is more market opportunity than 40 years ago. Swanson said the solution is creating a competitive market for farmers — both domestically and internationally — in hopes of increasing profits and reducing operating costs. 

LISTEN: WKMS produced an hour-long radio special to commemorate 50 years of 'Harlan County: U.S.A'

Image courtesy of WKMS

It has been 50 years since the premiere of the Academy Award-winning documentary, "Harlan County: U.S.A," and to mark the occasion, WKMS in western Kentucky produced an hour-long radio piece about the anniversary. The piece was made in partnership with the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom out of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. 

WKMS News Director Derek Operle "spent months diving into the documentary’s impact and lasting legacy, traveling to Harlan County and other parts of the state." He interviewed many people involved in the making of the documentary, including director Barbara Kopple, and some of the miners and their families. He also talked with others who spoke about the impact the film has had since its release.

The documentary "shined a light on an eastern Kentucky coal mining community and their fight for a union contract," reports WKMS. 

The Daily Yonder's 'Rural Index' offers a 'spooky' map of rural place names for Halloween

The Daily Yonder has gotten spooky with its Rural Index mapping section this Halloween season. Mapper Sarah Melotte spent some time finding all the rural places with Satan, Lucifer, hell or devil in the name and created an interactive map from the results. 

Melotte reports in The Daily Yonder newsletter that "there are 26 swamps named after Satan himself. Thirteen Devil Creeks range from Montana to Tennessee. Seven islands in Maine, Wisconsin, Alaska, Montana, and Iowa contain the word 'Devil.' Twenty-two of these devilish places are towns, from Devil Town, Ohio, to Seven Devils, North Carolina."

Data behind the map comes from the Geographic Names and Information System, "a federal database containing millions of American place names." Melotte "downloaded spreadsheets corresponding to the following search terms – devil, hell, lucifer, satan – then matched their coordinates" to rural counties.

You can see the map — if you dare — here. 

New study shows rural residents use telehealth at consistently lower rates than urban residents

Telehealth usage in rural areas has been consistently lower than in urban areas since 2020, according to a new report from Elevance Health Public Policy Foundation. 

The study found that rural residents with chronic conditions used telehealth at a rate of 4.6% compared to 7.5% of those in urban areas — regardless of insurance type — reports Liz Carey of The Daily Yonder.

Rural people are diagnosed with and experience chronic conditions, like diabetes, COPD and hypertension, at higher rates, but only 13.5% of rural Medicaid patients used telehealth in 2021 compared to 18.5% in non-rural areas. Across the board, rural patients were least likely to use telehealth, meaning in some cases, their care might have been interrupted or incomplete given long travel time to see doctors in person. 

The study didn't investigate the causes of this trend, but Carey reports that "it does show that more needs to be understood in terms of how rural communities use telehealth." Elevance Public Policy Director told Carey that telehealth use by rural residents increased slightly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it "remains part of chronic conditions care," but the lack of usage in rural areas "says to us that there’s still a gap there that does need to be understood and addressed."

Researchers find tick-borne alpha-gal meat allergy may not be a lifelong problem

On a table in a Missouri library lay brochures, plushies, paperbacks, and memorabilia all featuring the same antagonist: the lone star tick. The tick is a common carrier for alpha-gal, Rose LaForest reports for the Mississippi River Basin, a syndrome that causes allergic reactions to red meat, dairy and other mammal products in humans.

Alpha-gal is becoming more and more common, and is most widespread in Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and Missouri. That is why Mary Lynn Cady, who was diagnosed with alpha-gal in 2011, runs a support group at the Daniel Boone Branch of St. Louis County Library.

The diagnosis of alpha-gal can feel lonesome and is unique. Most are diagnosed as adults with no knowledge of EPI Pens or allergies, and they have to learn to adapt their diets quickly. The disease is caused by a sugar called galactose-α-1,3-galactose, which is present in other mammals like cattle, but not in humans. When a tick bites a human, it can transmit this sugar into a person’s bloodstream, causing allergic reactions to mammal products.

Dr. Maya Jerath and her colleague, Dr. Peggy Kendall, are looking for a more accurate way to diagnose and treat alpha-gal. Many patients see less sensitivity over time and can clear the allergy up. Jerath and Peggy "have some interventions that we would like to study to see if we could actually do something to patients that will make it go away," they told LaForest. Of the population in the most affected states, 24% have the antibody, but most don’t have the allergy.

Jerath and Peggy found that cells in symptomatic vs. asymptomatic blood may be the difference, and researchers are testing to see if this discovery could serve as a treatment for alpha-gal.

Invasive species threaten to raze entire forests while scientists rush to find solutions to save the trees

Trees in the United States are sick and dying at exponentially high rates, reports Catrin Einhorn for The New York Times. While scientists rush to keep up with preventative measures to save entire species, they worry about what has already been lost, and what might continue disappearing if they're not fast enough to save the trees that remain. 

"Epidemics are escalating, across numerous species, as more and more pests and pathogens invade forests," Einhorn writes. "Their entryway is global trade — in live plants, and in the countless products that are shipped in wooden pallets, crates and other packaging. As trade has boomed, so have the opportunities for tiny stowaways to wreak havoc."

Those tiny stowaways include the emerald ash borer, which has feasted on ash trees for decades, and the aphid-like wooly adelgid that attacks the Eastern hemlock, chewing on the tender flesh of the tree just under the bark, cutting off the trees' food and water supply in the process. 

"The attackers have killed billions of trees already, with countless more under threat. In some severe cases, forests are transforming into bleak spaces of brambles and vines," Einhorn reports. The impacts aren't contained in the forest, either. "Trees filter water, stabilize the land and clean the air. They absorb and store planet-warming carbon dioxide, fighting climate change. They create the three-dimensional habitat that countless species use for shelter and shade." 

Scientists are racing to find solutions, but they're finding it hard to keep up with the speed at which these tiny invaders are devouring forests. The northeastern U.S. has become the epicenter of the converging epidemics, where six of the most prominent ash tree species have been listed as endangered or critically endangered since 2002. 

Iowa's white-tailed deer population declines as hunting season begins

As cooler temperatures settle in across Iowa, deer hunters are already gearing up for hunting season. But they might harvest less this year after Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources determined that deer populations are down across the state, reports Iowa Capital Dispatch for Successful Farming. 

In its 2026 spring survey, DNR scanned for wildlife after sunset along gravel roads throughout the state, and found "the lowest relative abundance of white-tailed deer in over a decade." The DNR reports 2025 saw a 20% decline in abundance — the lowest estimate since 2013 — though there is evidence populations in western Iowa are rebounding. Bowhunters, who are the most active deer hunters, confirm these results with their own observations.

In response to the data, Iowa's DNR implemented a new regional hunting zone, which limits licenses and requires the hunting of only antlered deer with unique quotas in eight western Iowan counties. The reasons for decline, according to DNR’s survey, “remains unclear.”

Deer are often exposed to the sometimes fatal epizootic hemorrhagic disease, but 2025 saw low mortality rates from the illness. Chronic Wasting Disease in deer is managed by the DNR with help from hunters, who report signs of the sickness, but "CWD was not listed as a reason for the population declines across the state."

Instead, the survey found that it's possible climate change and habitat loss are to blame. Unaccounted for landscape or atmospheric conditions, like warmer weather, rain or crop cycles, could have impacted the count. "DNR said the survey also observed very low numbers in 2012, but that numbers shot back up the following year at rates that were 'biologically improbable.'"

Trump executive order ends USDA program meant to fund renewable energy in rural communities

After on-and-off legislation and a series of executive orders, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced changes to a program meant to help farmers and rural small businesses build renewable energy projects, Frida Garza reports for Grist. The change went into effect on Oct. 16

The changes disqualify solar development from funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP used to support farmers seeking renewables like solar, which can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars. It allowed for lower utility bills, and farmers and business owners were able to sell excess power back into the grid. REAP’s padding could be a lifeline for those bearing the brunt of high fertilizer and gas prices.

The Iowa Farmers Union is one plaintiff in a case filed against the USDA last month, alleging the agency was already harming rural communities’ access to solar. The case targets the USDA for changing REAP following an executive order by President Trump, which stated taxpayers would no longer subsidize "unreliable" and "foreign" energy sources like wind and solar. A final rule change to REAP makes having renewables on cropland built with "any component made in a country named as a foreign adversary" ineligible for funding. Most solar system parts are manufactured in China.

REAP was created in the 2008 Farm Bill by Congress. Advocates say the changes to REAP defy Congress. "The lawsuit also alleges that these anti-solar moves from the USDA violate the Administrative Procedure Act, which essentially requires agencies to show that regulatory decisions were made through careful consideration."

Crop imports and exports: Soybean harvest trails behind five-year average, beef prices drop

Soybean futures, or contracts that set specific buying or selling dates for soybeans, were down overnight on Thursday, Oct. 15, reports Tony Dreibus for Successful Farming.

The national soybean harvest was only 46% complete as of Sunday, Oct. 11. Though that number is up from the previous Sunday, it still lags behind the five-year average of 50% completion at this time of year. Soybeans were underpinned, or protected from further economic collapse, "after the USDA announced a sale of 470,000 metric tons to China for delivery in the 2026–2027 marketing year that started on Sept. 1."

Outside of these exports, imports are lowering retail beef prices, though pork costs are rising. "Ground beef prices fell to an average of $6.483 a pound last month while ground chuck dropped to $6.792 a pound, the agency said. Those prices are down from $6.774 and $6.923 a pound, respectively." Sliced bacon rose to $6.756 a pound from $6.605 a pound earlier in September. Similar increases are seen in ham and pork chop costs.

Beef prices are down because of President Trump’s August initiative to import 300,000 metric tons of tariff-free beef between September, October and November. Ranchers opposed the plan, believing it would artificially and temporarily depress prices while spurring unnecessary foreign competition.

Rural libraries are expanding access by allowing visitors in during unstaffed hours

Wyoming, Minnesota pastor, Ryan Stigile, doesn't have many options when it comes to "third spaces." But that has changed recently, thanks to the local library. The East Central Regional Library’s “extended access” program, which allows access to a library branch when it is unstaffed, allows Stigile to work in the evening.

Programs like the ECRL’s are popping up in rural areas across the nation, reports H. Jiahong Pan for The Daily Yonder. So far this year, the ERCL’s extended access program has been used over 800 times by 55 registered citizens.

 
Here’s how extended access programs work: One must have a library card and be registered for the program to swipe in during unstaffed hours. Some libraries require guests to sign up in person, and some offer online registration. In-person tours are mandated at many libraries to familiarize guests with safety equipment; some have minimum age requirements of 16 or 18.

However, extended access doesn’t guarantee 24-hour access. Several programs end their extension hours at 8 p.m., or are closed on Sundays. Security concerns posed a challenge for ECRL at first, with many questioning what people would do if left unattended. The ECRL installed security cameras and a card-swipe system and has yet to encounter any problems.

The Wyoming branch — one of 12 in the ECRL system — is the only library with extended access. It has cost around $70,000, and an estimated $12,000 will be needed annually to maintain technology. With budget cuts squeezing libraries, many are more focused on their "ability to continue to provide regularly staffed hours across" than expanded access.

Federal Court stops USDA’s restructuring plans, for now

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a radical restructuring plan in March, which aimed to relocate the U.S. Forest Service to Utah, close all nine forest service regional offices and close 23 research facilities. Thousands of employees were also set to be relocated out of Washington, D.C., reports Emily Gardner for Eos.

But on Oct. 13, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria ruled the USDA can’t continue with its plans through a preliminary injunction, which "asks that the status quo is maintained until a ruling is reached. In this case, it means disallowing major restructuring for the time being."
 

The plans were ruled against because the agency would use funds appropriated by Congress for a purpose (shutting down offices and relocating staff) they did not approve of at the time funds were given.

Agency secretary Brooke Rollins, who was nominated by President Trump, said the restructure did not involve cutting staff, but the USDA’s Reductions in Force and Reorganization Plan "acknowledged that the approach would cut the workforce by 23%, which led some to call the relocation efforts a ‘RIF in disguise.'" Patrick Moran, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) said the agency’s attempt to gut staff would threaten programs like SNAP, hinder wildfire responses and hurt farmers.

The USDA cannot move forward with any restructuring plans until Dec. 11. While Judge Chhabria was able to strike down the plan this month, the statutes used against them will expire in two months, "which means that the agency could convince Congress to appropriate funds toward initiatives like office closure and employee relocation in the future."

The last cottonwood tree along the U.S.-Mexico border in a remote Arizona town has been felled

Contractors bulldozed the last standing cottonwood tree on the Arizona border earlier this month after armed border control agents raided the camp of protestors who were protecting the tree, arresting at least 10 people, Stephanie Casanova reports for High Country News. The protestors had protected the tree for more than 70 days. 

"Dubbed the 'grandmother tree,' the cottonwood cut down Monday was hundreds of years old. It was one of several that lined the edge of private property along Border Road, a dirt road that runs along the U.S.-Mexico border, in a remote area of Arizona in the San Rafael Valley about 25 miles east of Nogales," Casanova reports. 

Activists established a tree-sit in June to protect the grandmother tree, and at least one person slept in the tree at all times. Their efforts delayed construction of the double-border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border near the remote ranching town of Lochiel. 

Douglas Main of The Guardian reports that "the valley, and the Patagonia and Huachuca mountains on either side of it, form one of the most important regional wildlife corridors between the US and Mexico, providing passage to animals including jaguars, ocelots, bears and even beavers and porcupines in recent years." Main writes that while the border wall cuts off this corridor from the animals, the construction sucks up the water from the trees.

The cottonwood trees "depend on a regular supply of water underground," but construction has dried up wells throughout the region, threatening the flora of this unique landscape. Main writes that CPB won't say how much water they're currently using, "but in 2008 it estimated a smaller wall nearby could use up to 710,00 gallons per mile for construction."

American Academy of Pediatrics renews its call for a ban on drinking raw milk

The American Academy of Pediatrics renewed its call for a ban on the sale of raw milk and dairy on Oct. 5 because of the life-threatening illnesses it can cause, especially in babies, children, pregnant women and those who are immunocompromised, reports Ellyn Vohnoutka for U.S. News. The AAP said claims about raw milk’s health benefits are false. Currently, 27 states allow the sale of raw milk, and more are pushing to do the same.

Many at the forefront of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again campaign tout the benefits of drinking raw milk and are behind efforts to allow the sale of it. Anemona Hartocollis writes for The New York Times that raw milk advocates believe it is healthier than pasteurized milk because it's less processed, and might support the efforts because of that. She added that alignment with the MAHA movement, which favors autonomy over regulated vaccines, often overlaps with this belief.

“Pasteurization heats milk to a set temperature for a minimum amount of time... [and] kills bacteria, viruses and parasites that once made milk a leading source of food poisoning and infant deaths,” Vohnoutka writes. When milk isn't pasteurized, it can carry bacteria like salmonella, listeria and e. coli.

The AAP is also following the trend of drinking raw cow's milk as a possibility for transmitting bird flu. Birds can transmit flu to dairy cows, and so far, it has only infected a few cattle workers. In 2024, it appeared in raw milk samples. While bird flu hasn’t spread to humans through the consumption of raw milk yet, the AAP does regard it as a concern.

There's a new giant pumpkin world record holder; TikTok expands the contests' appeal

As fall festivities kick into full gear across the country, many rural towns are rolling out the scales for their annual pumpkin weigh-offs, and one Rhode Island farmer has reason to celebrate his giant gourd growing efforts, writes Victor Mather of The New York Times. Farmer Ron Wallace's pumpkin just weighed in at 3,156 pounds, smashing the previous record of 2,856 pounds, according to Guinness. 

Pumpkin weighing contests are an American tradition, with contest going back as far as 1900, when the top weights were around 400 pounds, Mather writes. Changes in soil, pruning and pest control, along with genetic changes in seeds, has bulked them up over time. And now, thanks to social media, giant pumpkin farmers have grown in popularity, too. 

One such giant gourd grower, Sarah Whitty in Maine, goes by Pumpkinista on TikTok, and spent the  season this year posting updates about the slow and careful process of growing giant vegetables. Her videos where she details the behind-the-scenes of gourd growing have garnered her nearly 300,000 followers. Her 170-pound giant marrow named Secretariat claimed the North American and U.S. record this year, reports local news station, KTVB7. 

She is one of dozens of giant pumpkin and vegetable growers gaining in popularity on TikTok, including other growers with large followings, GourdFather and bigpumpki. The new giant pumpkin record holder, Farmer Wallace, told Mather the annual pumpkin growing contests captivate for a simple reason: "A giant pumpkin brings a smile to everybody’s face, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from, what nationality you are," he said. "Giant pumpkins don’t care about any of that," and that when someone sees the giant pumpkins, "everybody is just in awe." 

A federal program that helps landowners restore forests after a disaster has run out of funding

The Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), an initiative in the Federal Farm Service Agency, has received more requests for aid than it can pay for. Congress created the program in the 2008 Farm Bill, and it provides disaster relief to private, nonindustrial land owners, or reimburses them up to 75% of the cost of restoring damaged woods. 

"Almost two years ago, Congress appropriated $357 million for the program 'to remain available until expended,'" Vivian La reports for Grist. Much of that money was granted to landowners devastated by 2024’s hurricane season, and more recently, to Michigan property owners affected by 2025’s ice storm. Work can include clearing trees to prevent fire risk, replanting or managing invasive species.

Residents say dealing with the federal program "has been mired in delays, confusion about eligibility, and what’s been described by landowners and foresters as little communication from federal officials."

Many homeowners cannot wait for restoration to come, and sometimes, they cannot afford to begin efforts themselves. If they do, they may be disqualified from the program in the future. Tony Fox, a forester in Lake City, also said the EFRP is "a little unfair to the folks at the FSA" because it lumps a forestry program in with a primarily agricultural agency.

As weather conditions become more intense with climate change, foresters stress the importance of the program. U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, a Republican who represents all of northern Michigan, said, "If Washington calls this emergency relief, it needs to act like it’s an emergency."

Californians are using AI to scour hours of footage looking for wildfires and hoping to prevent their spread

Californians hope artificial intelligence and solar-powered cameras installed in remote areas will help spot wildfires before they get out of control, reports John Branch of The New York Times. The cameras will be placed in some of the most fire-prone areas of rural California, and will be pointed at "the blind spot that local fire officials wanted to see."'

"These are the fire spotters of today — remote, high-tech cameras attached to communication towers, old lookouts or purpose-built tripods on high vantage points," Branch writes. The cameras — being installed by ALERTCalifornia — "have become a vital tool for firefighters and a ubiquitous presence in emergency coverage." 

ALERTCalifornia installs the cameras, and AI scours the footage, often finding wildfires before 911 calls are made, Branch reports. Officials use the feeds to monitor fires and coordinate teams to get to the scene. Live-feeds of the footage are publicly available on ALERTCalifornia's website. The organization is a "public safety program" based at the University of California San Diego specifically focused on technological responses to and prevention of wildfires.

"This system has changed the world of response," Napa County deputy fire chief, J.C. Greenberg told Branch. “We have instant visibility and instant information that we need to make response decisions.”

Rural hospitals often lose maternity care after being bought

The Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall, Missouri mirrors an unfortunate national trend: “Rural hospitals are more likely to lose maternity care after they are acquired.” Fitzgibbon, which delivered 252 babies in 2025, filed for bankruptcy and was sold to a new owner, Strawberry Fields REIT, and a new operator, American Medical Administrators, Meg Cunningham reports for The Beacon.

In April, the hospital filed for bankruptcy protection, leading to the sale of its facilities. “Just nine days after the sale closed in early September, Fitzgibbon’s new operator announced the hospital would end labor and delivery services at the end of the month.” More than half of Missouri’s counties have no labor and delivery care. As larger hospitals absorb the responsibility of providing maternal services, ruralites will have to drive two or more hours to receive care.

During the sale, offers to buy the Fitzgibbon went up to $14.5 million, but ultimately, the administration accepted Strawberry Fields and American Medical Administrators’ offer of $10 million because the groups had expressed interest in continuing care using Medicaid. Medicaid covers 47% of births outside of metropolitan areas in the state.

The sale was not finalized at its Aug. 31 deadline because the new owners raised concerns about Fitzgibbon’s operating costs. To avoid closing the hospital, Fitzgibbon sued to force the sale through, then alleging American Medical Administrators had proposed cutting services, reducing outpatient care and backing away from Medicare commitments.

Dr. Abdullah Arshad, the chief medical officer at American Medical Administrators, said it later became clear the hospital couldn’t sustain maternal care after reviewing costs. The hospital will have the emergency equipment to handle a birth, and will staff a 24/7 OB-trained nurse, which Arshad said is rare in rural hospitals.

Study says urban trees are more resilient than rural trees

Trees in urban areas are actually thriving better than those in rural areas, Matt Simon reports for Grist. Trees in urban cities are vulnerable to vandalism, pests and diseases, and the heat island effect — the phenomenon of cities being warmer than rural areas at night because concrete traps heat. But a new study led by ecologist Zhengfei Guo at the University of Hong Kong shows they are more resilient to stresses like extreme heat than their country counterparts.

The study shows that urban trees lose less green vegetation, recover faster from losses and experience longer growing seasons. Researchers said this may be because urban trees are better tended to, or because there are surprising advantages to how cities are structured. They add that urban areas are harsher in terms of pollution and air quality, but crews in cities consistently tend to intentional green spaces and advocate for ways that residents can keep them healthy.

Cities tend to funnel water into sewers as quickly as possible to prevent flooding and pooling on top of concrete. When rainwater cascades, the only place it can collect, if not on concrete, is in green spaces. For hydrated plants, high heat due to the heat island effect can provide extended growing seasons, although such heat is harmful to human health.

“Urban vegetation is often pampered compared to what’s growing wild in the countryside,” Simon writes. “This is an advantage in the long term, but doubly so during relentless droughts and increasingly miserable heat waves. While rural trees desiccate, their compatriots in cities are regularly attended to.”

Jin Wu, coauthor of the study, said that even though urban trees are resilient to extreme environments now, they won’t always be. Cities are already taking steps to stock up on native seed species and saplings that fare well in heat in other parts of the world, and cities like Los Angeles are reimagining their water systems.

Six dead after Hurricane Isaias strikes U.S.; cleanup impacts areas devastated by 2024's Hurricane Helene

Four deaths, including those killed when trees fell on their homes, were reported out of Alabama and Florida after category two Hurricane Isaias made landfall, according to a report by The Guardian.

Isaias made landfall in Florida on Friday, Oct. 9, with maximum winds of 105 mph, before being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. 

“The storm felled trees and ripped the roofs off buildings. Alabama, Florida and Georgia all declared states of emergency ahead of its arrival, while both Florida and Alabama issued mandatory evacuation orders to thousands of people,” reports Madeline Halpert for the BBC.

 
Cleanup of Hurricane Isaias is under way, spanning areas of North Carolina previously devastated by Hurricane Helene in 2024. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state, with help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, “is ready to submit a major disaster declaration to get people back on their feet,” Katie Streit reports for Spectrum News.

 

“Once complete and when the power’s back up, counties can begin doing their own individual damage assessments, which they then submit to the Florida Division of Emergency Management,” DeSantis said. “And then the state will then conduct our own damage assessments. We definitely are going to qualify for that.”

Rural communities use telehealth less, but not because they don’t want it

Rural communities face a higher chronic disease burden — whether in the form of high blood pressure, diabetes, COPD or lower back pain — but they aren’t using telehealth as much as their urban counterparts. 

Liz Carey reports for The Daily Yonder the results of a study by Elevance Health Public Policy Foundation that found only 4.6% of chronic care visits in rural areas were executed via telehealth, compared to 7.5% in urban areas, no matter the insurance type. Since an initial telehealth surge during the COVID-19 pandemic and a spike in 2022, rates have been down everywhere. Rural communities are consistently at the tail-end. 

The study didn’t look at the causes for this gap, but “it does show that more needs to be understood in terms of how rural communities use telehealth.” Medicare clients, who are mostly elderly, use telehealth the least. 

But Dr. Sira Haeni, a maternal fetal medicine specialist and the CEO of Ouma Health, a maternity telehealth practice with clients in all 50 states, said he doesn’t see a gap; many of his patients prefer telehealth to avoid long driving times to and from a city. He thinks underutilization of the technology in rural areas is because of broadband access.

“If you look at the independent research on this, broadband itself explains a lot of this utilization gap, and the counties that lack the broadband access oftentimes have the lower utilization,” he said. “It’s not so much that the rural patients don’t want to access telehealth, it’s just that they can’t access telehealth. As a country, we’ve failed rural America in terms of getting the broadband access that was promised to them over the last few administrations.”

Trump administration to reimagine Endangered Species Act, removing protections for at-risk species

The Endangered Species Act is credited with saving the American alligator, bald eagle, grizzly bear and nearly 300 other species from permanent extinction, but last month, the Trump administration put that law in danger. The administration has proposed changes in the act's enforcement, including deciding that razing habitat where endangered or threatened species live, breed and eat will no longer incur federal penalties, Grist staff reports. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service implements the Endangered Species Act and determines which species are "threatened" or "endangered." When a private or federal development project may harm a species, developers must consult with the service or receive a permit before construction. The interpretation of "take" and "harm" in the law means that any attempts to kill or capture an at-risk species are penalized, including attempts to degrade their habitats.

In an internal memo, the Trump administration proposed changing this understanding of "take" to mean only intentional attempts at killing an animal, which would disregard the unintentional damage to habitats that threaten species survival. According to Grist reporters, this would remove protections from some of the first animals who received them under the Endangered Species Act, and would further harm animals who never received any protections at all. Harm may come in the form of human development and unregulated pollution on at-risk animals’ land.

According to the Grist report, the following species may struggle in light of the changes:

• North Atlantic right whale
• Eastern massasauga rattlesnake
• Bull trout
• Florida panther
• California sea otter
• Rusty patched bumble bee
• Eastern hellbender
• Red-cockaded woodpecker
• Palila
• Chinook salmon

Experts warn that bipartisan legislation meant to counter Medicaid cuts won't do enough to offset the loses

The $50 billion fund created in 2025 to counter Medicaid cuts from the One Big Beautiful bill (OBB) will not be enough to save rural hospitals or "prevent the overwhelming health care harms" caused by the bill, writes Dustin Pugel of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. In fact, the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) was "never intended to be a replacement for lost Medicaid funds." 

For example: Pugel writes that Kentucky’s 2026 RHTP award is $212.9 million, but "the estimated cuts to Kentucky’s Medicaid program in rural areas is $10.9 billion over the next decade." So, even if Kentucky gets the same amount of RHTP funds every year for five years, "funding from that project will make up for less than 10% of the cut to Medicaid in rural Kentucky," Pugel writes. 

Pugel writes that rural hospitals are disproportionately affected by the policy changes, and most of the RHTP initiatives can't be used to help them. Liz Carey of The Daily Yonder, though, reports that several "Congress members from all over the country, and from both parties, have introduced legislation aimed at helping rural hospitals" in addition to the RHTP. 

One such effort is the Rural Health Agenda, a package of bills being advanced by Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn. The Rural Health Agenda includes at least four pieces of legislation that would help support rural hospitals through reimbursement and Medicare changes, and create a new loan program through the USDA. 

Straight of Hormuz closure raises fertilizer prices for farmers, food shortages could happen as a result

Many farmers stock up early on fertilizer for next spring’s growing season. Last year, farmers who bought fertilizer in the fall were able to avoid the higher prices fertilizer saw in spring 2026, which rose when President Trump authorized the Iran war. This year, farmers won’t be able to avoid higher prices, Neal Burnette-Irwin reports for RFD-TV News.

“Fertilizer prices went up a lot this spring, but the one ... benefit to farmers is a lot of farmers had their fertilizer purchased earlier last fall before the prices really went up,” which helped them avoid impacts of higher prices in 2026, said Gregg Ibendahl, an agricultural economist at Kansas State University.

Since prices increased significantly this spring, they are likely to rise even more going into fall 2027, which means that this time around, there will be no cheaper season that farmers can use to "stock up."

One-third of the world’s fertilizer shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently closed due to the war, reports Josie Fischels and Xavier Walton for News Nation. “ICC Secretary-General John Denton says available fertilizer capacity has fallen nearly 40%, taking roughly 2.7 million tons off the market.”

 
Ibendahl said farmers will have to pay. Fischels and Walton estimate that farmers will pay 15.3% more on fertilizers this year. The high prices may mean food shortages in the coming months because high fertilizer and fuel costs are limiting what farmers can provide this season.

Mini solar-powered boats use ultrasound to kill bacteria in rural water systems

Small yellow vessels topped with solar panels — akin to a toy boat in appearance — float on the surface of Lake Paradise’s reservoir in small-town Mattoon, Illinois. They are called Solarafts, reports Ilana Newman for The Daily Yonder, and they are making waves — literally.

The rafts use solar-powered ultrasonic waves to kill cyanobacteria in water. On the surface, this bacterium is known as blue-green algae. If unchecked, it can produce a toxin deadly to humans: microcystin. Mattoon issued a “do not drink” order in July 2025 after toxins grew out of control when Solarafts were down. The toxin blooms from heat, slow-moving water, low turbidity or too many nutrients — say, from agricultural or wastewater sectors.

"'A harmful algal bloom is not algae,' said Amy Weckle, a program manager for the Illinois Water Resources Center (IWRC). The misnomer is confusing, she said, because algae is beneficial and feeds aquatic species, while cyanobacteria, one of the oldest organisms on earth, is the actual cause of what is referred to as harmful algal blooms.”

 
The rafts are produced by Hydro-Bioscience and use ultrasound to break open the membranes of bacteria and kill them in a way that Todd Austin, the company’s customer accounts manager, likens “to an opera singer breaking a glass — at a certain frequency of sound, the glass will break.” The company aims to support rural water districts by keeping their resources and limitations in mind.

 
Treating water with ultrasound is a modern upgrade from treating it with chemicals, like carbon. In 2025, Mattoon went from using 150 to 600 pounds of carbon a day. Solarafts reduce chemical use by about 50-60%, which lowers the cost of keeping drinking water sources clean.

Rural character of towns across the U.S. is literally becoming a chicken fight; roosters bring noise complaints

A fight over the character of rural towns has been playing out across the U.S. and it all comes down to one of the most ubiquitous of barnyard animals: the not-so-humble rooster. "It all stems from a collision: more people adopting chicks and more people moving within earshot of them," reports Rukmini Callimachi for The New York Times. 

Town and city councils from New Hampshire, Indiana, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Washington state and Louisiana have been met with complaints and ordinance-change proposals since the COVID-19 pandemic led to a boom of "backyard homesteaders," Callimachi writes. The vice president of a mail-order hatchery told her that "people [were] panic-buying chickens like they did toilet paper" at the time. A second wave of chicken collecting came in 2022 when egg prices rose sharply. 

Callimachi reports that 8.5 million households owned backyard chickens by 2025 — up by 50% since 2018. But many of the hen hobbyists didn't understand that it's incredibly difficult to determine the sex of chicks. Many times, people don't know they've adopted a rooster until they starte crowing early in the morning. 

This was the case for Nixon, a Vermont rooster named for the former president "because he was a jerk," according to his owner. Nixon mostly minded his own yard in Pittsfield, Vt., but one day began traveling to the neighbors where he'd wake them up at 3 a.m. The neighbor took the fight to the town hall, where Callimachi reports the "private spat became a fight over the town's character," and after four meetings, the board didn't pass an ordinance for that reason: they wanted to protect that character. 

Sadly, the decision didn't help Nixon, who was literally "taken to the woodshed" by his owner after the town council asked him to handle the issue privately, Callimachi reports. And while other towns have passed noise ordinances and enacted new fines, Mayor Lee Dragna of Morgan City, Louisiana — who faced a rooster fight after egg prices rose — told Callimachi they came to a different solution: Band them, and wait them out; roosters typically only live three to four years. 

A voice for animal rights and Bluegrass music: Derby-winning breeder Arthur B. Hancock III dies at 83

Arthur B. Hancock III passed away on Sept. 18 at 83. His grandfather established the thoroughbred breeding operation Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Hancock strayed away from the family business, pursuing a passion for Bluegrass music, but revisited horse breeding in 1972 — purchasing Stone Farm and raising three Derby winners, reports Joe Drape for The New York Times.

In his youth, Hancock expected the Claiborne Farm to be passed down to him; instead, it was given to his younger brother. Hancock’s father did not view him as “serious enough,” given his penchant for country music, drinking and gambling.

He went on to produce four original albums covered by Bluegrass stars. “Time (Old Faithful Friend of Mine)” was recorded by Ray Price in 1972, and “Nashville on My Mind” by Grandpa Jones in 1974. Hancock is to be “inducted posthumously into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame next month.”

Hancock’s purchase of Stone Farm after his father’s death produced Derby winners like 1982’s Gato Del Sol, Sunday Silence, an unwanted colt with a crooked leg who would win the 1989 Derby and inspire Hancock to stop drinking, and 2000’s Fusaichi Pegasus.

Outside of music, he and his wife, Staci Hancock, voiced an unpopular opinion: Horse-racing was too full of performance-enhancing drugs and suffering. They started the Water Hay Oats Alliance, an antidrug, anti-slaughter coalition, and lobbied. “The group was instrumental in establishing federal oversight of thoroughbred racing.”

Community colleges serve rural areas to meet North Carolina's higher education recipient goal of 2 million

With an increasing number of job shortages and a growing aging population, rural counties in North Carolina are hoping a statewide push to educate youth through community colleges and trades will save local industries, and keep their communities alive.

 

North Carolina’s legislature set a goal in 2019 to “have 2 million 25- to 44-year-old residents with degrees or industry-recognized credentials in the state by 2030,” reports Kate Denning for Carolina Public Press and Rural News Network. One initiative, myFutureNC, is credited with helping reach this goal by supporting work-based learning and career planning for many rural students.

In October, an estimated 277,000 students are needed to enroll in higher education programs and enter the labor force to meet that goal. MyFutureNC adjusts that number when people move or age in or out using census records, FAFSA completion, pre-K enrollment records and chronic absenteeism rates. With the Workforce Act of 2026, the state gave myFutureNC $8 million to continue its programs.

 
MyFutureNC reports that the state has a 95% high school graduation rate — the highest in the South. Still, there is work to be done. Reading rates for both school children and higher education students are especially low. Stanly Community College in Albemarle is introducing context-based programs, where courses like ENG111 focus on career-related readings. Re-enrollment programs aim to reintroduce education to many ruralites, offering daycares and guaranteed quick advising appointments.

U.S. Supreme Court takes up a number of cases that could impact rural places

The U.S. Supreme Court was back in session on Monday, and several cases that impact rural places and people are on the docket, reports James Romoser of The Wall Street Journal.

First up was a case about "whether local governments can sue oil companies for damages to their communities allegedly caused by climate change. Dozens of such lawsuits are percolating around the country, threatening the energy industry with billions of dollars in potential liability," Romoser reports. 

He writes that "this term centers more on the sorts of traditional culture-war schisms that have defined the court’s shift to the right over the past two decades" — issues that have been hot-button in rural areas, and in rural elections in recent years. The cases will be about "guns, religion and transgender minors," Romoser writes. 

One case is about whether state and cities can ban AR-15 assault rifles and similar automatic weapons. Another is about whether Colorado can refuse state funds to religious preschools that won't accept children from LGBTQ+ households, and another is about "the ability of transgender children to access gender-affirming care." Romoser also writes that the court is deciding whether to take a case about the rights of medical care for transgender prisoners, and another about requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in Texas schools.