Quick hits: more people want to live in the country than actually live there; two rural states top online sales

Here's a roundup of stories with rural resonance; if you do or see similar work that should be shared on The Rural Blog, email us at heather.chapman@uky.edu.

A new Gallup poll shows that 27 percent of Americans would rather line in a rural area than a city. Since about 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas, sounds like a few city dwellers are yearning for the country. Read more here.

A news analysis predicts that, though President Trump has made a mighty effort to help the coal industry, he won't be able to save it. Read more here.

Holiday shopping is up almost 20 percent this year, recently hitting a record $80.3 billion. Though two of the top states for amount of stuff bought online are predictably states with large populations (California, New York and Washington), the other two in the top five are Alaska and Wyoming. Read why here.

Can gold mining save a fading town in Washington state? Read more here.