Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area

Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of ConnectLA, has been appointed to the Louisiana Rural Health Transformation Program Advisory Council by Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA). The advisory council was created as a result of Gov. Landry’s executive order signed in April, establishing the Office of Rural Health Transformation and Sustainability within the Louisiana Department of Health, advancing efforts to strengthen health care access and outcomes for rural communities across the state.

If the character Edward Cullen of the ubiquitous Twilight saga taught us anything (aside from the fact that Robert Pattinson’s hair can do no wrong), it is that being a heretic can be cool. In the series, the Volturi—the Vampiric Council—operates as an authoritative government dictating the terms of vampire life: encouraging slaughter of humans, forbidding certain romance, and eventually seeking the destruction of Edward and Bella’s baby. Cullen went against these vampire norms to protect his loved ones, doing so in a way that made many hearts flutter.

In its August meeting, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled Maximizing Efficiencies in Universal Service Administration Company that looks at changing the rules governing USAC, the Universal Service Administration. USAC is a non-profit corporation that was formed by the FCC after passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which created the Universal Service Fund.

Broadband construction in Louisiana is advancing and moving quickly, with construction for nearly 15,000 broadband serviceable locations projected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2027 across 23 parishes. Nearly 1,800 miles of fiber are being deployed across the state to help Louisiana create the infrastructure needed to connect more communities and expand economic opportunities.

Federal Communications Commissioner Olivia Trusty and Senior Legal Advisor Marcus Maher visited Minot (ND) on August 13 to tour critical communications systems and engage in a roundtable discussion with Minot area leaders.

A new "consensus-driven roadmap" on the future of the Universal Service Fund argues that universal service should be understood as an ongoing responsibility, not a goal to achieve, and offers six principles for Universal Service Fund reform.

It used to be a real challenge to talk to someone across Alaska, or across the country. Many Alaskans remember waiting in line to use the only telephone in a village. For me, it was the phone at the winter watchman's house in Ekuk. We each got a few minutes because everyone was waiting. Long-distance calls were expensive, and simply talking to family or conducting business required patience and persistence. Even after the internet arrived, connectivity remained limited in many parts of Alaska.

Recently released records show that the Biden administration’s heavy fiber focus for broadband deployment was extraordinarily costly to taxpayers. Obtained by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation through a Freedom of Information Act request to the U.S.

Earlier this month, we reported that the Department of Commerce told a federal court it would reinstate the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program and was targeting a December 2026 opening. Three things have happened since. The parties agreed to pause the litigation and put their remaining disagreements on the record. Judge John D. Bates set the dates by which the government must report its progress.

In January 2025, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) announced that he would not seek reelection for a third term. The Associated Press's Joey Cappelletti and Isabella Volmert wrote, "Having lost Michigan in the presidential race, Peters’ decision forces Democrats to defend a critical Senate seat in Michigan without the advantage of an incumbent." On August 4, 2026, Michigan held primaries for governor and U.S. Congress. In the Senate race, Dr.