FEMA high-risk flood zone maps don't 'reflect the risk of heavy rainfall,' leaving many property owners at risk

Flooding can close rural roads for days.
(Adobe Stock photo)

When tropical storm Debby drenched stretches of the northeastern U.S., it left roads, homes and businesses massively damaged or even washed away. The catastrophe spotlighted a continuing trend of extreme rainfall fueled by climate change hammering communities that were never considered a flood risk, reports Jean Eaglesham of The Wall Street Journal. "Growing swaths of the U.S. that have never before been flooded are now in danger of being swamped. . . .Yet the government’s official flood maps haven’t been updated to reflect rainfall risk."

Flood insurance is a separate policy purchase from standard home insurance and typically property owners use the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s official flood maps for flood insurance purchasing guidance, which may be unwise. Eaglesham writes, "FEMA maps show eight million properties in high-risk flood zones. . . .The actual number of homes facing such risk is more than double that, according to research firm First Street Foundation. Much of the difference is because FEMA zones don’t reflect the risk of heavy rainfall."

At a time when torrential rainfall is becoming more common, a jump in flood insurance purchases by property owners may seem logical, but that's not what's happening. "The National Flood Insurance Program, which provides the lion’s share of flood coverage, had 4.65 million policies at the end of July, down 1.4% from the previous year and a million fewer than the peak of 5.7 million policies in 2009," Eaglesham reports. "The vast majority of Americans don’t have separate flood insurance."

If few property owners are insured when extreme weather destroys a region, taxpayers end up footing a lot of the bill. "The nationwide flood-insurance shortfall means the cost of rebuilding often falls on the taxpayer—via disaster relief — or inundated homeowners themselves," Eaglesham adds. "Many homeowners have dropped flood insurance because of the federal flood insurance program's cost increases. . . . The changes resulted in some policyholders facing huge premium increases."

More rural states pose challenges for 'broadband for all' installations. Kentucky and West Virginia offer examples.

Spann drove thousands of miles getting 'the lay of the land.'
(Photo by Andie Corbin, Marketplace via LPR)

As the United States works to install broadband for everyone, challenges in states such as Kentucky and West Virginia are particularly tough as build-out contractors juggle reaching high percentages of rural residents and rugged topography. "The state of Kentucky was allotted $1.1 billion to get every home hooked up to high-speed internet," report Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson of Marketplace. West Virginia was allotted 1.2 billion to connect its residents.

Parts of Kentucky and West Virginia are nestled in or flanked by the Appalachian Mountains, which makes for "an interesting case for broadband rollout," Ryssdal and Leeson explain. "With the Appalachian Mountains and forested hills, as well as large rural populations [to reach]. . . . About 20% of Americans live in rural areas, but in Kentucky, the proportion is double" and in West Virginia, 49.7% of the state's total population is estimated to live in a rural area.

Chip Spann is the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's program officer handling broadband] money for Kentucky and West Virginia. "A large part of Spann's role in the challenge process is getting the lay of the land," according to Ryssdal and Leeson. "Spann recounted that he's driven more than 10,000 miles around the two states. . . . In rural areas, laying fiber-optic cables might be around $50,000 per mile, according to Spann. The economics are further complicated in areas with large Amish and Mennonite populations because internet service providers (ISPs) aren't going to find paying customers in those households."

Spann said, "When you're an internet service provider, one of the things that you're trying to account for is, for every mile of infrastructure that I have, I'm hoping that I at least pass a minimum 10 households or more." Ryssdal and Leeson add, "If an ISP doesn't find that level of housing density in an area, it might not be able to generate a return on investment for a costly fiber deployment."

To find out more about how broadband financing and deployment gets done, click here.

Opinion: 'Rural rage' book gets most things wrong but pinpoints how political strength can help rural 'plight' be seen

Bradyn Strawser

Writer Bradyn Strawser discusses the good, the bad and the ugly roots of 'rural rage' and how he interprets some national research on the topic. An edited version of some of his thoughts is below.

"In the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election, the Democratic Party claimed that their platform was going to be one of unity. They said it was time to turn the page on the toxicity that had defined American political discourse since that fateful moment when Donald Trump descended on the escalator in 2015, initiating his first presidential campaign," Strawser explains. "What went wrong? A good place to begin answering this question might be White Rural Rage.

"The subtitle, The Threat to American Democracy, makes the anti-rural sentiments of authors Tom Schaller, a professor of political science at the University of Maryland, and Paul Waldman, a former op-ed writer for the Washington Post, quite clear," Strawser adds. Schaller and Waldman spend a lot of words "pointing out that countless other demographics suffer more than rural whites. It seems the authors are not interested in the plight of rural America."

One of Schaller and Waldman's biggest questions was: Why did rural Americans vote so enthusiastically for Trump? "They conclude it is because Trump tapped into all the worst instincts of rural Americans," Strawser adds. "But this is not why Trump resonated with so many of my neighbors and loved ones. He resonated with them because despite all the inflated political power Schaller and Waldman claim rural America has. . . .Trump was the first president in many years that seemed to listen [to] and care."

Some of rural rage stems from being politically ignored. "Countless rural communities suffered from loss of industry, lack of education, and military intervention in foreign lands," Strawser explains. "Rural Americans have felt abandoned as both parties voted in trade deals like NAFTA and promoted immigration policies that acquiesced to large corporations’ demands for new sources of cheap labor, a push which was supported by many labor unions."

Part of why rural Americans feel rage is because they have counted their losses and started asking questions. "They want to know why they are not entitled to a quality education," Strawser writes. "Why should they support politicians who send their jobs overseas and then receive money from the very corporations that laid off their employees? . . . Trump seemed to provide answers to these questions. His pro-school choice stance and promotion of opportunity zones that used tax incentives to increase investment in depressed census tracts. . . resonated with rural people."

While Schaller and Waldman take their keen minds and come to some harsh and misguided conclusions, "they do a good job at pointing out problems facing rural America, perhaps none more serious than the opioid crisis that is poisoning rural Americans every day," Strawser writes. "I think they are correct about one [other] thing: it is time for rural Americans to wield their political power to finally get policies that are in their interest. It’s time that they demand their plight be heard."

Bradyn Strawser studied political science and history at Grove City College, Penn. To read Strawser's full essay, click here.

American Heart Association offers travel stipends for journalists and freelance writers to attend scientific meetings

The American Heart Association is offering travel stipends for journalists and freelance writers who would benefit from attending eligible American Heart Association scientific meetings.

Each stipend will be $2,500 for travel-related expenses such as airfare, ground transportation/parking, on-site meals and hotel accommodations.

Criteria:

• Open to U.S. resident freelance writers who qualify for embargoed access to the American Heart Association’s news material.
• Applicants must provide three (3) original bylined news articles/clip links published by an accredited national or top 25 Nielsen market media outlet within the prior six (6) months covering health/science/medical topics.
• Applicants may not have attended an American Heart Association scientific conference in person (or via video conference) in the past two years.
• Priority will be given to applicants who have been journalists for five (5) years or less, and/or those who self-identify as members of traditionally under-resourced communities/racial/ethnic minority groups, and/or groups that are professionally underrepresented in the sciences.
• Journalists are welcome to apply to attend multiple association conferences but are only eligible to receive one stipend each year.

To learn more, click here. To apply, click here.

Quick hits: Deceptive ice cream; no cells in some classrooms; most Americans like these four TV shows; rural road safety

Life Raft Treats ‘Not Fried Chicken’ Ice Cream Bucket
is a fan favorite. (Life Raft Treats photo)

It may look like a fried chicken leg, but it's mail-order ice cream. "We tested the most intriguing of the current wave of mail-order ice cream sandwiches and sandwich-like treats," reports Nicole Taylor of The Wall Street Journal. "Small producers around the country have the technology (and the dry ice) to ship nationally, right to your front door." Read all the Journal's picks here.

If there's one thing many teachers would like removed from students' grip, it's cell phones. "More than 70 percent of high school teachers say student phone distraction is a 'major problem,'" reports Natasha Singer of The New York Times. "That’s why states are mounting a bipartisan effort to crack down on rampant student cellphone use. So far this year, at least eight states have passed laws, issued orders or adopted rules to curb phone use among students during school hours."

Fresh July snowfall dotting the tundra and the mountains just outside the Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska (Adobe Stock photo)

Looking to take in U.S. national parks, but not willing or able to handle all the people? Don't worry, there are still places to explore. "These more remote U.S. parks, from Alaska to American Samoa, are kept well away from the bustling crowds," reports National Geographic. "The Gates of the Arctic National Park, in Alaska, is one of the marvels of the U.S. national park system. This and other parks lie on roads less traveled, and take some extra incentive to visit." Find National Geographic's five hidden gem picks here.

Part of getting prepped for football season means tending to the football field's soil, which can be dangerous to athletes if it's too hard. To test soil "toughness," professionals use a score from the Clegg Impact Soil tester, explains Rebecca Schweitzer-Benner of Lancaster Farming. "The maximum firmness score allowed for NFL fields is 85. . . . Field maintenance can involve adjusting pH, fertility and soil structure. Professional fields require more detailed management than high school fields do, and often more fertilizer, frequent aeration and irrigation. Also, lots of mowing."

All that's left of this show's victims
are their bones. (Fox TV photo)

New research reveals that Americans from all political walks of life share an affinity for watching five TV shows, writes Johanna Blakley for The Conversation. Those shows include “America’s Funniest Home Videos, Bones, Criminal Minds, MythBusters and Pawn Stars. . . . Four of these shows were well-liked, but Pawn Stars was actually one of the least-liked shows in our sample of 50. . . . It had the dubious distinction of being the most hate-watched show in America." To read more about American blue, red and purple TV viewing habits, click here.

Now that back-to-school season is in full swing, it's a good time to remind high school drivers of the best ways to stay safe on rural roads, reports Lisa Foust Prater of Successful Farming:

• Always wear seat belts and insist that passengers do, as well.
• Drive cautiously and within the speed limit.
• Be patient when driving behind a large or slow-moving vehicle; be aware you may not be able to see oncoming traffic.
• Pass only when the road is clear.
• Ride with your children from time to time and continue to teach them even after they have a driver’s license.
• Never let anyone ride in the bed of a pickup

The former politician who killed Las Vegas journalist Jeff German sentenced to "20 years to life"

CPJ graph of journalists or media professional killed while working in the U.S.

Two years ago Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German was murdered while reporting stories centered on former Democratic politician Robert Telles. Telles was recently found guilty of German's murder, reports Ken Ritter of The Associated Press. The Nevada jury decided Telles will "serve 20 years to life in prison for killing German, who wrote articles critical of his conduct in office."

German's body was found in a side yard of his home over Labor Day weekend in 2022. Investigators quickly focused on Telles, who was arrested and held without bail a few days after German's death was discovered. Ritter writes, "Jurors deliberated for nearly 12 hours over three days before their unanimous vote that Telles ambushed and attacked the Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter."

Telles showed little response while his "verdict was read in Clark County District Court," Ritter reports. "Telles didn’t speak then or when he learned his sentence. . . . His defense attorney told reporters outside court that his client plans to appeal. . . . Jessica Coleman, a county employee, was among several co-workers who urged German in 2022 to investigate Telles’ conduct heading the office of unclaimed estate and probate property cases. She sobbed after the verdict was read."

German was the only U.S. journalist killed in 2022, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Katherine Jacobsen, the U.S., Canada and Caribbean program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, issued a statement 'saying "the verdict 'sends an important message that the killing of journalists will not be tolerated. . . . It is vital that the murder of journalists should be taken seriously and perpetrators held accountable.'"

To explore more of CPJ's data, click here.

In a global first, a nuclear power plant in tiny Covert Township, Michigan, will be restarted to produce energy

Holtec Palisades is an 800-megawatt facility that is being prepared for a second chance.
(Holtec Palisades photo)

Covert Township, Michigan, has a way to make more green electricity than most small towns could ever dream up. The quiet community of 2,510 people is home to the Palisades Nuclear Generating Plant, which was closed in 2022, but has been given the green light to reopen, reports Eric Niiler of The Wall Street Journal. "When it reopens, Palisades will become the first decommissioned nuclear plant anywhere to be put back to work."

The Palisades Nuclear plant may look like a 1970s relic, but the federal government and the state of Michigan are working together to finance the reactor's second life. The reasons to reignite the plant are simple: "Soaring demand . . . and billions on offer in state and federal loans and tax subsidies for nuclear energy in infrastructure and green power investment programs, "Niiler explains. "Nuclear-produced electricity is also seen as more consistent than wind or solar."

Wikipedia map

The residents of Covert and surrounding areas have had mixed responses to reopening plans. "Beyond Nuclear filed a petition last week asking the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a hearing to make their case against the restart of the plant," reports Dustin Dwyer of Michigan Public Radio. "Despite the opposition. . . The plan to restart Palisades has gotten broad support from local leaders. . . .The Covert Township board passed a resolution supporting the restart, and so has the city council in nearby South Haven."

Meanwhile, the company in charge of the Palisades' return to power, Holtec, has "experience only in decommissioning nuclear reactors. Restarting and operating Palisades would be its first such job," Niiler reports. Adam Eastridge, a senior operations manager for Holtec, told Niiler, "Being the first to restart a decommissioned nuclear plant, everybody is looking at us. We don’t let that distract us.”

How to support rural education: Rural researchers explore challenges and address solutions

Rural education research can support communities
by providing insight and solutions. (Adobe Stock photo)

Helping rural communities thrive requires resources from multiple places, but reinforcing the depth and accessibility of rural education is one of the most basic ways to support rural America. Some of that foundation is being built through research.

"The Rural Educator’s latest issue spotlights critical topics – showing just how vital rural research and community engagement are to the future of rural schools," reports Lane Wendell Fischer for The Daily Yonder. "We selected four articles to highlight the breadth and scope of research done to improve rural education."

Some rural places have been busy building learning pipelines for principals. Leaders at the University of Tennessee developed the Tennessee Rural Principals Network to address the lack of continuous professional development for rural principals, Fischer explains. "Researchers conducted interviews with 12 principals who participated in TRPN’s learning network, mentoring, and coaching. Participants lauded the program’s ability to connect rural principals. . . so they could share their knowledge and experiences to confront issues in the rural context."

Researcher Jana Stone, who is from rural Wyoming, is "examining how women in [educational] roles define leadership and whether their definitions align with the opportunities available to them within their communities," Fischer writes. "Stone hopes to offer a nuanced exploration of the challenges Appalachian women face when seeking leadership positions in their communities. . . . By understanding the specific obstacles faced by women in these communities, educational institutions can tailor their training programs to better equip female leaders for success in rural settings."

How to staff, develop and support mental health care in rural education is a challenge researcher Elaine S. Belansky is exploring in Colorado. "Belansky and her colleagues developed and tested several strategies aimed at recruiting and retaining mental health professionals in rural areas," Fischer reports. "One initiative is a rural immersion program for graduate students enrolled in school counseling or psychology programs. The program provides students with a firsthand experience of life in rural communities, exposing them to the unique rewards and challenges of working in these settings."

Providing support for parents is also being looked at by some rural education researchers. Carol Cutler White coauthored an article and research that looked at "an equally important aspect of rural education: college access for Black students in rural Mississippi," Fischer writes. "One of the key findings of White’s study is that parents do not view teachers or school counselors as important for making college possible. . . . To address these challenges, the article advocates for more robust community outreach efforts aimed directly at rural parents."

Opinion: Listeria outbreak linked to a Boar's Head plant is an example of why regulation without consequences fails

The Boar's Head deli-meat listeria outbreak that left nine people dead and many others sick may have been surprising to some; however, as Zeynep Tufekci points out in her opinion for The New York Times, perhaps "Americans should also pause to ask, 'How does this not happen all the time?'. . . Department of Agriculture inspection reports from a Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Va., make it clear that the failures are inexcusable."

USDA inspectors issued "repeated citations for noncompliance with crucial rules like avoiding dripping or standing water (which can facilitate listeria growth)," Tufekci writes. The number of citations, which recorded everything from dead 'cockroach-like bugs' to black mold spots, means little if companies face zero consequences for dangerous conditions. "So far, there have been no enforcement actions against Boar’s Head in the past year, despite these reports. It is unclear what penalties, if any, the company will face."

Section of USDA non-compliance reports from the Boar's Head plant in Virginia. (USDA via NYT)

This outbreak should remind Americans that while food regulations can seem overbearing, keeping mass-produced food safe is not easy. Listeria is a particular concern for inspectors because the deadly bacterium "can survive refrigeration and freezing," Tufekci adds, "Our food is kept safe quietly, day after day, because of extensive regulations born of experience and science. Eagle-eyed inspectors who notice even the tiniest bit of misplaced raw meat can save lives."

This listeria outbreak and deaths are extreme examples of what can happen when companies don't comply with USDA safety regulations. But it is a reminder that "regulations don’t work without accountability," Tufekci writes. "When companies shirk their responsibilities, swift consequences should kick in, before someone dies or falls ill." For now, that is not the case. Instead, Boar's Head is facing numerous lawsuits from people who fell ill or from the loved ones of those who died from eating listeria-tainted Boar's Head meat.

Many Americans are choosing not to move. The change has made 'staying put' the new norm.

Choosing not to move has become more popular.
(Adobe Stock photo)

In a dramatic shift, many Americans have decided that relocating isn't as doable or desirable. "The share of Americans moving has reached its lowest point in history — and doesn't look like it's climbing back up anytime soon," reports Erica Pandey of Axios. "Moving — across town, across the state and across the country — for new jobs and better lives was once a common part of American life. Now, staying put longer is the norm."

Several trends are driving the move not to move. Among those key factors are younger people who are opting to live at home longer. Also, the increasing age of Americans makes a dent in would-be movers since older people are less likely to leave a place where they may have a support system, family and medical care.

In the 1960s, "around 1 in 5 Americans moved each year, according to the Brookings Institution," Pandey writes. "As of 2022, that’s fallen to 8.7% — even accounting for the pandemic-era moves out of big coastal cities and into places like the Sun Belt and sky-high housing prices are keeping people from moving into new homes or buying their first homes."

Those who are still on the move "are disproportionately college-educated. As the N.Y. Times notes, less-educated workers don't benefit as much from moving to a city as they once did in terms of higher wages," Pandey adds. "And while the recent increase in migration between states is notable, it follows a long-term decline over the past several decades."