The Daily Yonder

19/12/2025

The practicing physician in rural Missouri talks about the future of small town healthcare.

Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in Path Finders, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Each week, Path Finders features a Q&A with a

19/12/2025

Sometimes it's a challenge to hold strong feelings that run contrary to those of most of your rural neighbors. But maybe a little bitterness can be good for all of us.

On a recent visit to Washington Island, I did what I've been doing for the past 30-plus years: I went to Nelsen's Hall for a shot of bitters. Despite its

18/12/2025

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for Hallmark’s rural fantasy trope! 🎄🤠

This year’s “A Royal Montana Christmas” is another example of the repetitive Hallmark formula. From princesses ditching thrones to big city “girlbosses” trading careers for the countryside, these movies keep selling the same story: rural life coded as masculine, romance as the ultimate prize, and women’s ambition as a liability to be shed.

We still love the guilty pleasure of Hallmark movies but it’s worth asking what these rural fantasies are really saying.

For more on rural representation in pop culture subscribe to The Good, The Bad & The Elegy newsletter at dailyyonder.com

17/12/2025

In Appalachia, music is a tool to rally people around a cause.

A recent folk festival was held to celebrate recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, featuring local artists.

This is a Living Traditions story, a project documenting folk traditions in Appalachia.

Listen now on Rural Remix, wherever you get your podcasts.

17/12/2025

Although the idea is not new, the Section 287(g) program now holds a promise of additional funds for counties that sign on - a powerful incentive for rural sheriff's departments strapped for cash.

On September 2, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a press release announcing a change that has the potential to transform law

17/12/2025

In Lansing, North Carolina, A Music Festival Used Stringband Tunes To Drive Ongoing Hurricane Recovery Efforts

All across Appalachia, communities have historically leaned on music to help get work done. Whether tending the garden or marching along the picket line, music has been a way to keep people motivated and rally them around a cause. In the small town of Lansing, North Carolina, members of the local folk arts community recently hosted the first annual…...

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7seyFuBgMGjuDoNpHAsWQL?si=EssPRyyuTCOZhbF4ieFArw&nd=1&dlsi=bc646b0d3bab482f All across Appalachia, communities

16/12/2025

As counties move to privatize nursing homes, local residents are pushing back.

As counties across Wisconsin sell off publicly-owned nursing homes to private companies, communities worry that privatization will bring understaffing,

16/12/2025

On Idaho’s Fort Hall Reservation, thousands live without reliable high-speed internet, which supports health care, education, and daily life. Facing delays and wavering federal policy, Frances Goli is determined to spend more than $22 million in federal grant money before she runs out of time.

This story was originally published by KFF Health News. Standing atop Ferry Butte, Frances Goli scanned the more than half a million acres of

15/12/2025

Texas towns, landowners, ranchers, and recreation enthusiasts come together to build a new trail system.

Beckie Irvin crested the rocky hilltop in her truck. She threw it in park and joined Cobra Thomas and Beverly Garland, the property’s owners, at the edge

15/12/2025

KFF Health News filed records requests for states’ complete applications. Some have refused to release any of their materials.

This story was originally published by KFF Health News. Medication-delivering drones and telehealth at local libraries are among the ideas state leaders

15/12/2025

Rural News is Under Threat, So We’re Turning Up the Volume

DONATE TODAY Dear Daily Yonder Reader, This year has brought big changes to the media landscape. Perhaps you’ve followed along as we’ve documented the threats to First Amendment freedoms as described by Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez or explored the effect of $1.1 billion in federal funding cuts on local public media stations. As you know, it’s rural communities that often bear the brunt of the damage....

It’s a challenging time for local news and information. But we’re tackling those challenges head on, with your help.

12/12/2025

The Iowa author and editor talks about his latest project, 'An Anthology of Rural Stories by Writers of Color.'

Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in Path Finders, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Each week, Path Finders features a Q&A with a