federal funding

Rural leaders who have worked years to improve broadband access said they were disappointed by the sharp decrease in federal dollars.

The federal funding package to reopen the government included a one-year extension of certain 2018 Farm Bill programs. Several expired Sept. 30 or would have been null by the end of the year.

Texas' application for the Rural Health Transformation program requests $200 million every year of the five-year program. The state is proposing the "Rural Texas Strong" project, which includes a range of proposals to improve health care access and quality in rural areas — such as workforce development and utilizing AI.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services will begin furloughs starting Sunday, affecting about 2,300 employees.

As federal workers continue to live without work and miss their paychecks, some federal credit unions are stepping up to provide temporary financial help.

Democrats and Republicans have different proposals to keep feeding hundreds of thousands of Kansans. Food banks are preparing for an influx of demand.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1 as the government shutdown drags on. The cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to some of the Americans most in need unless a resolution is found in just a few days.

Advocates are questioning why so many applicants from the flood-ravaged county have not received federal disaster help. Nonprofits are trying to fill in the gaps.

The conversation highlighted how the changes will impact Oklahoma's health care landscape, including hospital finances and patient access.

Texas' Planned Parenthood has lost half its clinics, but they continue to see thousands of patients a year.