RURAL

Kids, seniors, and veterans are among those who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to eat. The Trump administration has warned it will discontinue the program’s payments in November.

Millions of Americans turn out to vote in presidential elections, but most of us don’t engage in the local elections that have an outsized impact on our everyday lives. Here’s why we need a change in North Carolina. 

This Saturday—Sept. 27, 2025—marks one year since Hurricane Helene flooded Western North Carolina with five months of rain in just three days. 

Local leaders face significant challenges and argue Washington and Raleigh could do more to help them recover from the $60 billion storm. 

Hurricane Helene left at least 108 people dead, over 100,000 homes damaged or destroyed, and over $60 billion in total costs. A year later, communities across western NC are still picking up the pieces.

Last fall, communities across western North Carolina were devastated by Hurricane Helene. A year later, the town of Marshall has reopened and is forging a path forward.

In her latest report from rural America, Gwen Frisbie-Fulton highlights how North Carolinians are pushing back on structural roadblocks and reclaiming their role in local democracy.

A community-based organization focused on drug use harm reduction turned its headquarters into a refuge for all seeking help in the face of a hurricane.

As Congress looks to cut SNAP, better known as “food stamps,” we go inside Greensboro, North Carolina’s “People’s Market,” which runs on vendors and customers who rely on the federal aid. 

During the protest I felt a sense of power seeing the turnout and the passion written across faces and homemade signs. As I hollered to get everyone together for a picture, it felt like a family getting together on Christmas morning.