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The Rural Blog

Solving the U.S. fentanyl overdose crisis has led to political discussions about decreasing methadone treatment restrictions. A recent proposal by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators seeks to save lives by "allowing addiction specialists to prescribe [methadone] outside of the clinics now permitted to dispense it.
During an average day, many people never think about mosquitoes, but perhaps the tiny arthropod deserves more consideration. Weighing in at a mere 2.5 milligrams (about 180,000 mosquitoes equal a pound), a female mosquito is considered the most deadly animal on earth.
Glen Ullin, North Dakota, was once a bustling railway town, but as the town aged, its population steadily declined, leaving many older residents in need of extra help from fewer people.
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.
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.
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.
American Heart Association offers travel stipends for journalists and freelance writers to attend scientific meetings.
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. 
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.

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