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Oregon awards $97.1 million in federal funds for 136 rural health projects in every county
Oregon awarded about $97.1 million in additional federal funding this year to support new projects aimed at improving health care in rural communities.
Ongoing Maternity Care Innovations in California: California Rural Health Transformation (CalRHT) Program
This blog post is part of an NHeLP series about current initiatives to improve maternity care in California. The first blog post is on the California Department of Health Care Services Birthing Care Pathway. The second blog post is on California’s Transforming Maternal Health Model. This, the third and final blog post, is on the California Rural Health Transformation Program. […]
Ongoing Maternity Care Innovations in California: Birthing Care Pathway
This blog post is part of an NHeLP series about current initiatives to improve maternity care in California. This blog post, the first, is on the California Department of Health Care Services Birthing Care Pathway. The second blog post is on California’s Transforming Maternal Health Model. The third and final blog post is on the California Rural Health Transformation Program. […]
ETSU leads national effort to elevate rural voices in healthcare
ETSU’s Center for Rural Health and Research is leading a national study to better understand what healthcare services rural communities deem essential.
IDHW director: Rural health grant may be ‘economic opportunity’ for small communities
Idaho's state health agency wants industry professionals to be ready for infrastructure projects paid for with federal rural health grants.
Newly Launched Initiative Strengthens Delaware’s Health Information Technology Infrastructure
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and the Delaware Health Care Commission today announced a new Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) initiative that will support real-time insurance verification and prior authorization across the state.
This rural Colorado hospital is using AI to go after health insurers that ghosted payments. Here’s how.
The promise of modern AI to help Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center recover lost revenues is built on a system that keeps medical data private.
Exclusive: Rural health funds to fix prior authorization
Delaware plans to streamline the insurer pre-treatment claims reviews, widely criticized for delaying timely health care.
Ohio University receives first award from Rural Health Transformation Fund
Ohio University will receive the first funding from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office.
Why Tech Alone Can’t Fix Rural Healthcare
As much as it’s needed, a new $50 billion federal program is too focused on expensive and unsustainable technology that could supplant the basic needs of rural health systems.
Months after Mayo Clinic left, some rural towns adjust to a ‘completely different health continuum’
With impending federal changes to Medicaid, workforce issues and the increasing cost of American healthcare, many rural healthcare providers are in a period of uncertainty.
988 Colorado Mental Health Line to visit SLV
‘Community Roadshow’ is traveling to rural areas to build awareness and take stock of local needs
Statues of US presidents' heads are crumbling in rural Virginia
After a Virginia park closed 2010, one man saved 42 presidential statues from being crushed. Now, they're a massive tourist attraction.
SBA, USDA Sign MOU to Combat Lawfare Against Farmers, Ranchers, and Small Businesses
New Partnership Gives Producers a Direct Line to Report Costly Regulations and Advance Lasting ReformWASHINGTON, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to combat lawfare targeting farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and small businesses. The agreement gives America’s producers a direct line to report the regulations and rules driving up costs and impacting pro
Applications Opened July 1 for Wyoming's Rural Health Transformation Funding
CHEYENNE, WY – Today, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) announced the opening of Requests for Applications (RFAs) for Wyoming’s Rural Health Transformation Program, a major initiative designed to strengthen healthcare access, improve health outcomes, and support innovative solutions for rural communities across the state. The funding opportunity represents an important step in implementing […]
Gov. Greg Abbott calls for data center ban in rural Texas neighborhoods
Abbott unveiled a sweeping regulatory framework for data centers in early June.
Register to attend Rural Health Initiative series on substance use
Experts from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and WVU School of Public Health will discuss their experiences working with patients who use substances in rural areas and potential areas for future research projects from noon to 1 p.m. July 16 on Zoom.
North Dakota opens wellness equipment funding opportunity for rural hospitals | Health and Human Services North Dakota
From fitness and recovery equipment to mindfulness tools and wellness spaces that help reduce burnout, North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) is investing in the health and well-being of rural healthcare workers through a new funding opportunity for rural hospitals.Applications are now open for the Hospital Wellness Equipment funding opportunity through the North Dakota Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), providing resources to help rural North Dakota hospitals create healthier workplaces and support the physical, mental and emotional well-being of their workforce.
Politics: High Cost Of Healthcare And The Political Fallout
Americans are grappling with a rising cost in healthcare. For the first time in five years, fewer than half of Americans can consistently afford healthcare. That’s according to the latest data from Gallup. The cost of healthcare in the US remains higher than any other large, wealthy country. According to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services, five million fewer people are enrolled in marketplace plans for 2026, compared to last year. That’s as average premium costs rose about 58%.With health care costs increasingly becoming a stress for Americans, voters are now making the issue a top priority at the ballot box. And it’s an issue that crosses party and geographic lines. According to new polling from The Century Foundation, 71% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans and 75% of rural voters agree that reigning in hospital costs should be a top priority for lawmakers. While new polling from Ipsos and Axios suggests that a majority of Americans say they’re more likely to vote for candidates in November who will lower their health costs.How will the issue of healthcare shape the midterms? And how are Americans grappling with the cost of their health?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Politics: High Cost Of Healthcare And The Political Fallout
Americans are grappling with a rising cost in healthcare. For the first time in five years, fewer than half of Americans can consistently afford healthcare. That’s according to the latest data from Gallup. The cost of healthcare in the US remains higher than any other large, wealthy country. According to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services, five million fewer people are enrolled in marketplace plans for 2026, compared to last year. That’s as average premium costs rose about 58%.With health care costs increasingly becoming a stress for Americans, voters are now making the issue a top priority at the ballot box. And it’s an issue that crosses party and geographic lines. According to new polling from The Century Foundation, 71% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans and 75% of rural voters agree that reigning in hospital costs should be a top priority for lawmakers. While new polling from Ipsos and Axios suggests that a majority of Americans say they’re more likely to vote for candidates in November who will lower their health costs.How will the issue of healthcare shape the midterms? And how are Americans grappling with the cost of their health?Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Dartmouth Health hires new COO
Dr. Jonathan Welch, experienced in academic and rural health, joins Dartmouth Health as COO, replacing Patrick F. Jordan III.
When sushi meets schools in rural Colorado, everyone wins
NATHAN YIP FOUNDATION Greenwood Village By JOANNE DAVIDSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO POLITICS News: Sushi-lovers from Denver and beyond know that they’re in for a treat when the Nathan Yip Foundation hosts its annual Sushi Party. The rush to purchase tickets begins months in advance and when the big day arrives, the event space atop The Dome at AMG is filled to capacity. […]
About 3 million people have dropped Obamacare health coverage after subsidies expire and costs rise
The Department of Health and Human Services suggests the 13% drop is due to a federal crackdown on fraudulent enrollmentut, but health analysts believe it's more likely related to the Jan. 1 expiration of federal subsidies.
Bringing Health Care Training Closer to Home for Rural Students
One program in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri is hoping to bring more doctors and dentists to rural communities.
Rural Fosston moves forward in its quest to relinquish control of local hospital from Essentia Health
A northwestern Minnesota community is seeking to regain local control of its hospital, arguing Essentia Health has failed to meet local health care needs. A recent court ruling allows Fosston to take its case to arbitration.
Martin County residents keep pressing state officials for funding to reopen hospital
ECU Health has proposed converting Martin General into a Rural Emergency Hospital under a federal designation.
How Do U.S. Farmers Vote? It’s Complicated.
Political scientist Michael Shepherd studies rural communities. Here’s what his research says about farmers as voters.
Maine targets three initiatives for initial use of federal rural health funds
The Mills administration says it's decided how it will spend nearly half of the $190 million it's received this year through the federal Rural Health Transformation Fund.
DAVID MARCUS: In rural Maryland, petty politics takes back seat to World Cup fever
The World Cup and America 250 celebrations unite Americans beyond politics, as the Save America Act and Trump debates fade in small-town gatherings.
Chairman Guthrie, Health Vice Chair Harshbarger, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks Lead Site Visit to Iowa Hospitals to Highlight Benefits of the Rural Health Transformation Program
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.
As Colorado votes, rural voter politics could influence key races
Rural doesn’t necessarily mean conservative, and the opinions of these 10 voters run the gamut.
$10 Million Gift to UAB Aims to Improve Rural Health Care Across Alabama
A $10 million gift to the University of Alabama at Birmingham will help train more primary care physicians in rural communities and encourage them to stay and p
Cityblock in talks to buy fellow General Catalyst-backed startup Homeward Health
Cityblock Health in talks to acquire General Catalyst-backed rural care startup Homeward, expanding into Medicare Advantage, source says.
How Colombia’s traditional midwives serve as lifelines to rural communities
Parts of Colombia are isolated, with no hospitals nearby. Experts say midwives can help bridge the healthcare gap.
AHA’s refreshed Rural Health Services website features resources to strengthen results and long-term viability
The refreshed AHA Rural Health Services website gives rural hospital leaders quick access to the advocacy insights, strategic resources and field-informed guidance they need to navigate change, strengthen performance and sustain care in their communities.
Governor Morrisey Announces $2.4 Million Investment to Expand Worksite Clinics Across West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Governor Patrick Morrisey today announced a $2.4 million investment to expand access to worksite-based healthcare services across West Virginia. Through the state's Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), the funding will expand employer-based health services and strengthen workforce participation as part of the Health to Prosperity (HTP) initiative. With this announcement, total funding opportunities and implementation initiatives under RHTP now exceed $88.5 million.
The $50B rural health transformation fund is pushing many hospitals to shrink
To avoid losing funding, many states are pursuing proven cost-saving models, such as downsizing inpatient care, rather than novel, untested approaches, some experts say.
State advances over four hundred projects in bid for Rural Health Transformation Program funding
The state received about 1800 letters of interest from organizations, and those chosen are advancing to the application phase, or are getting grants for project planning.
Tickets for top entertainment events at Scotts Bluff Co. Fair go on sale Wednesday
Tickets for the ‘big three’ of the nightly entertainment at the Scotts Bluff County go on sale Wednesday morning. Starting at 9 a.m., you can get your advance tickets for the Truck and Tractor Pull…
Tickets for top entertainment events at Scotts Bluff Co. Fair go on sale Wednesday
Tickets for the ‘big three’ of the nightly entertainment at the Scotts Bluff County go on sale Wednesday morning. Starting at 9 a.m., you can get your advance tickets for the Truck and Tractor Pull…
MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS: Iowa First — A Historic Investment in Rural Health Care
Read Congresswoman Miller-Meeks' Latest Op-ed Published in the Indianola Advocate!
Bipartisan group of senators urges CMS to improve Rural Health Transformation Program implementation
A bipartisan group of senators June 18 urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve implementation of the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Records: Rural Michigan ‘overlooked’ in Michigan’s $6B subsidy spending spree
A Bridge analysis finds that the northeast Lower Peninsula got $71 per person in economic development spending since 2022, compared to $854 in west Michigan. Some question the disparities.
House, Senate health chairs Creekmore and Bryan say rural health program, spending need more transparency
Senate Public Health Chairman Hob Bryan said the lack of transparency around the governor's program to spend millions in federal rural health dollars in Mississippi is "almost the Saturday Night Live parody of secrecy." Bryan and his House counterpart, Chairman Sam Creekmore, share their frustrations over lack of input from communities, and the Legislature, in how the state spends federal rural health care money.
Backed by threat of clawbacks, feds wield tight grip on $50B rural health fund
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz praised states’ plans when announcing the rural health program awards last year and said his agency would help states “turn their ideas into lasting improvements for rural families.” But state officials and healthcare leaders said it’s also clear the agency wants to encourage specific policy changes and hold states accountable to the promises they made and rules they agreed to follow.
State advances over four hundred projects in bid for Rural Health Transformation Program funding
The state received about 1800 letters of interest from organizations, and those chosen are advancing to the application phase, or are getting grants for project planning.
Community Power Building to Advance Rural Health and Equity
Focus groups with rural health departments revealed core principles and calls to action to better center community voices in decision making.
Miller-Meeks Joins Governor Reynolds to Announce Major Milestone for Rural Health Care in Iowa
Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. joined Governor Kim Reynolds in Muscatine to announce that Iowa has become the first state in the nation to fully allocate its first-year funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program created through the Working Families Tax Cuts.
Mobile health tops early RHTP funding trends
State rural health transformation programs aim to overcome high startup costs and allow rural providers to deliver complex care locally with remote ultrasound, RPM and other mobile health technologies, says one industry expert.
The feds promised Minnesota’s rural hospitals grant money to ease massive Medicaid cuts. Hospitals are still waiting.
Rural health care providers in Minnesota and across the country are bracing for heavy Medicaid funding cuts next year.
Department of Health launches rural health initiative to modernize patient scheduling
West Virginia’s Department of Health has issued an RFP for a statewide patient scheduling platform to modernize how residents find and book care.
Galena-area zipline, adventure park business takes its guests through the trees
GALENA, Ill. — Visitors to a rural Jo Daviess County business can zip through dense woodlands, conquer treetop obstacles and explore treehouses.
Starlink Satellites Are Doing A Lot More Than Just Providing Internet
Starlink is well-known for providing internet to rural areas that could only dream of it at one point. These days, Starlink is doing much more than that.
Measles, landfill solar and a bridge over the Sound: CT Politics news
Plus: CSCU’s investigation, rural healthcare, utility profits, brownfields funding, and Chris Murphy's loneliness legislation.
Get Real With SOMD Politics: Delegate Matt Morgan Focuses On Taxes, Housing And Protecting Southern Maryland’s Rural Character
ST. MARY’S COUNTY, Md. — Republican Delegate Matt Morgan says rising taxes, government overreach and housing affordability remain among the most pressing issues facing Maryland residents as he seeks another term representing District 29A in the Maryland House of Delegates, according to a recent appearance on The BayNet’s podcast, “Get Real With Southern Maryland Politics” […]
MARCO Mobile Medicine Brings Care Closer to Home
For many families across Appalachia, a doctor’s appointment can mean taking time off work, arranging transportation, traveling winding mountain roads and spending hours on the road for a visit. It’s a challenge familiar to generations of West Virginians, particularly those living in rural communities where access to specialty care can be limited. Today, Marshall Health Network is helping change […]
Congressman attacks Evers for his push to apply for federal funding
Wisconsin applied for federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was included in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill.
Guest opinion: Rural Wisconsin workers lose health insurance twice as fast as before the pandemic
Wisconsin should expand Medicaid, invest in renewal pathways that don’t assume broadband internet access and revamp the renewal system so eligible people do not lose coverage, Jiyue Wang writes.
Farmers backed Trump. Now some say they’re losing patience.
Rural approval of the president falls to a new low amid rising bankruptcies and trade uncertainty, and some farmers accuse the GOP of making a hard business harder.
A 'perfect storm’: Why rural hospitals across Michigan are struggling
As Sturgis Hospital closes, there have been concerns raised over healthcare access in southwest Michigan.
What if there is no one to farm? Scientists reveal a hidden risk to future food security
The cause of future food shortages may not be a lack of farmland, but a shortage of agricultural workers. Amid low birth rates and rural decline, a joint international research team from KAIST has developed ...
Caring for all of Wisconsin: Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program supports rural health care students
Marquette's Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program creates opportunities for rural nurses to learn.
On Demand — Health on the Plains Coffee Hour, Featuring Sarah Jane Tribble
KHI hosted Sarah Jane Tribble of KFF Health News to discuss rural health care challenges and opportunities, including hospital closures, technology and rural transformation efforts.
Butte County Public Health launches surveys in part of 'Rural Water Safety Project'
Butte County Public Health has announced the "Rural Water Safety Project," a comprehensive two-year initiative aimed at reviewing and updating the county's wate
Wisconsin is offering $40 million for rural health care, part of Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill'
The funding will go to hospitals, clinics and other providers to hire community health workers, create partnerships and buy dental care technology.
Backed by Threat of Clawbacks, Feds Wield Tight Grip on $50B Rural Health Fund
Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, framed the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program as “bold, creative plans” led by states. But as states have started to roll out their plans, federal officials control where and how the money is spent.
Rural Health Transformation Program Application
Massachusetts submitted an application to the Rural Health Transformation Program through the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS).
Rural Health Challenges and Opportunities for Transformation
Understanding the needs of rural communities and how Massachusetts can support better health, access, and care.
Police: Man charged with beating father after standoff in Shelbyville
A rural Shelbyville man surrendered after a mental health crisis that took place for much of the day on Monday.
New Rural Health Hub Connects Arkansans to Healthcare Resources, Opportunities
More than 40% of Arkansans live in rural areas, many with insufficient health care due to a lack of transportation, lack of providers, lack of insurance, and a preponderance of chronic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) understands these barriers…
State names first round of projects funded by federal rural health program
The state this week announced its first round of federal rural health grant funding, which allocated $36 million to projects to help communities with one-time infrastructure improvements and improve technological gaps. The Nevada Health Authority on Monday named the 25 projects that were awarded funding as part of the $180 million part of the Rural […]
North Canyon Medical Center and All Access Hosted by Andy Garcia Highlight Rural Healthcare Infrastructure and Advanced Robotics
As rural medical facilities face increasing operational challenges, North Canyon Medical Center joins the award-winning series, "All Access Hosted by Andy Garcia," to explore how technical innovation and organizational agility stabilize local economies and healthcare access.
Trump's rural support slips as fuel and food prices climb, poll shows
Rural disapproval of Trump rises, driven by concerns over cost of living and economy.
May NFIB Small Business survey finds reduced optimism
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 0.6 points in May to 95.3, remaining below its 52-year average of 98.0. The Uncertainty Index rose 3 points from April to 91, remaining well above its…
May NFIB Small Business survey finds reduced optimism
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 0.6 points in May to 95.3, remaining below its 52-year average of 98.0. The Uncertainty Index rose 3 points from April to 91, remaining well above its…
Odem Area Lions Club hosted a free Star Spangled Health Fair
Joan McKaughan, President of the Lion's Hall said the residents of the rural community don't have enough information on services in their area.
Delaware program aims to expand maternal care access in rural communities
A new initiative in southern Delaware aims to reduce maternal health disparities by bringing prenatal and postpartum support directly to women.
In Retrospect: Poland, Russia, Europe
In April I spent a few days with Zryw, a Polish non-profit organization that recruits young people to enter politics and public life. Their aim is to build a new generation of civic leaders in Poland. I’ve followed their evolution from the beginning; my son is one of the founders. (“Zryw” means “impulse” or “burst of speed” in Polish). Julie Chmielewska, one of Zryw’s leaders, interviewed me at the event. Here is the conversation, lightly edited for grammar and context: Julia Chmielewska: Assuming that culture shapes institutions, could we conclude that some cultures are more prone to authoritarianism? Anne Applebaum: I don’t think so. Every culture, every nation, and every country has the potential for change. When we look at history, we can see that nations do change. Poland has changed, for example, from the 1980s to today. There’s a completely different mentality here than the one I encountered when I first visited, in 1988. The current generation sees the world through a different frame. So no, I don’t believe that certain nations are doomed to authoritarianism, or to anything. Of course, there are political and cultural traditions, but they can always be challenged. JC: So do you think there’s something intrinsic in human nature that pushes people to democracy, freedom? AA: I think there is something in human nature, a deep instinct, that pushes people towards freedom, yes. People who live in authoritarian countries – and I’ve heard this from them over and over again – sooner or later find themselves angered by a feeling of helplessness. They can see the unfairness of crooked courts, irrational political decisions. They naturally dislike the fact that somebody has all the power while they have none. In those circumstances, people who have no political background at all sometimes are politicized just by that frustration. I’m thinking of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, for example, who was a Belarusian housewife, until the circumstances of her husband’s arrest forced her to become a politician. I met a woman who is a Uyghur from China, and who had come to live in Turkey. After several of her family members were arrested, she too was propelled into a political role. These kinds of experiences make people interested in democracy or political reform, even if they thought they didn’t care. I also think that the opposite is true: some people instinctively prefer homogeneity, order, hierarchy. They don’t like the confrontation of opinions or the noise of debate, and they lean towards a single leader or a unified regime. I think that most of modern history is shaped by the clash between those two different sides of human nature. JC: Which force do you find more powerful today? AA: I think they both have a lot of power and there’s no way of predicting who wins. Even in countries that seem very shut off or stuck in an authoritarian system can change. We’ve seen that happen. And vice versa, I think democracies can also begin to fail and slide into authoritarianism. So it’s very important not to be complacent in either direction. JC: I want to go into your history and your experiences. You’ve lived in Russia during a time of incredible change in the late 80s, and then you came back to do research in post-Soviet Russia. AA: I was a student in Russia just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. I then traveled and worked there extensively in the 1990s, and I met people who really were full of hope. They hoped that Russia could become a democracy, or at least a place that guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of the press. These weren’t ideas that came from Washington. Although now the narrative in the Kremlin is different, I met many people who were working towards exactly that kind of transformation. A friend of mine ran a series of seminars – once a year, and then later several times a year, in cities all over Russia – designed to get people to discuss politics in new ways. She invited young politicians and journalists, as well as foreigners. I went to many of them, in Moscow as well as Volgograd and Novosibirsk. Over two decades, hundreds of people came to these seminars, and all of them wanted Russia to be different. I remain convinced that many Russians still want Russia to be different. It’s just that the old system, in the form of Putin, a representative of that system, returned. The KGB reimposed their power. And this wasn’t because of something to do with culture, this was to do with money and politics, and who was in charge. JC: You’ve partially answered my question... I wanted to ask whether that excitement of the 1990s was an exception from the Russian historical norm which has been rather authoritarian? AA: Of course, if you look at the history of Russia since the 18th century, there have always been liberal groups, reformers and revolutionaries. There were the Decembrists, in the early 19th century, and the rural populists later on, who tried to organize the peasantry. A significant group of liberal Russians appeared at the turn of the 20th century, people like the father of the writer Vladimir Nabokov, who was a Russian politician before the revolution. These groups were small in number, but sometimes had a broader significance. The Russian dissident movement in the 1950s and 1960s actually invented the modern human rights movement. It was their idea to hold the leaders of the Soviet Union accountable for the language they used, to remind them of the treaties they had signed and the promised they had made. They created the Helsinki group, for example, that held Soviet leadership to the language of the Helsinki Treaty, which formally ended the Second World War and which contained guarantees of human rights, at least on paper. That idea spread to Eastern Europe, and similar tactics were used here in Poland. (Benjamin Nathans recently wrote a great book about the Soviet dissidents, To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause) JC: But seemingly, even if they do ever get power, they could never hold on to it. AA: We don’t know, because they have never really had power. But in any case, we also don’t know what will happen in the future. There is no reason to assume that Russia will forever be condemned to totalitarianism. Even during the first fifteen years of Putin’s regime there was some form of democratic politics. Only when the full-scale war began did he bring everything to an end: he shut down all remaining independent organizations and killed his most important opponent, Alexi Navalny. But does that mean he is popular, that he enjoys legitimacy? Even now, we don’t really know what Russians think about him, or about the war. There is no way of doing real polling in Russia because nobody will answer an independent pollster over the phone. JC: Do you think that the flock of young people, especially young men, who fled Russia after the start of the war represent a continuation of liberal movements that refuse to partake in the authoritarian state, or do you think they are moving for the sake of self-preservation – “I don’t want to go to the army, so I leave”? AA: I’m sure it’s both. I actually know many people who left Russia for political reasons either in the very last years before the war, or else just after the war began. JC: And do you see a change in the young generation versus the old one that have fled? AA: It’s hard for me to say because the people who I know were mostly already politicized. I do know some younger people who left, but most of them were already either active in the opposition, or working as journalists. Many of them very self-consciously think of themselves as maintaining Russian culture abroad, just as in the 20th century the Soviet dissidents or the anti-communist White Russians once thought of themselves as people who maintained the true Russian culture, outside of Bolshevik Russia. JC: Let’s move on to Poland. One of your first experiences with Poland was reporting on Margaret Thatcher’s first state visit, in the autumn of 1988. You followed her around the farmers’ market. AA: She was making a symbolic gesture. She wanted to welcome free markets, but the only one she could really visit was the farmers’ market at Hala Mirowska. JC: And I want to talk about this area because today you can look out of any window in that district, Mirów, and see rows and rows of skyscrapers. How does it feel to see a country built from the ground in such a short time, both politically and economically? AA: You know, when you’re living in a period of dramatic change, it’s always hard to know whether the change is positive or negative. The transformation in Poland created winners and losers, as well as new classes of people, new political movements of different kinds. At the time, it sometimes just felt like turbulence. Now, we can look back at the 1990s and early 2000s in Poland and see in retrospect that the country was headed in towards prosperity and European integration. In around 2009 or 2010, I remember speaking to a woman who worked cleaning government offices, and who asked me if her daughter should study in Amsterdam or in London. This seemed to me to be a real transformation, and it happened very fast: within a few years, Poles stopped feeling like second-class Europeans, and a generation of younger Poles appeared who had no qualms about crossing borders. JC: We again live in turbulent times. Do you think we’re heading towards positive outcomes? AA: I can’t make predictions, because everything that happens tomorrow depends on what people do today. Also, history doesn’t have a trajectory. It doesn’t move in a particular direction. You only think it does afterwards. As I said, you can look afterwards at Poland in the 1990s and you could say this was a period of great progress. But not everybody at the time saw that. Sometimes people are very wrong about a given country’s trajectory. I remember people writing about Ukraine in the 1990s, about how dangerous it was that Ukraine was independent, that this was going to be an anti-semitic state, that Ukrainian nationalism was going to come back... and although you can say many bad things about Ukraine, the country made many bad choices, actually it became a pretty tolerant state which now has a Jewish president and until recently a Muslim defense minister. JC: In the 1990s Poland’s and Ukraine’s GDP were roughly similar. Ukraine was even a bit richer. So the starting point was similar for both of these countries, but they’ve turned out very, very differently. Even if we stop in 2014. Why do you think Ukraine “chose East”? Was it external influence? AA: No, I think Ukraine was in a different position. First of all, central and eastern Ukraine had been part of the Soviet Union since the 1920s, and had therefore experienced a longer period of occupation, repression, Sovietization and even Russification. Ukraine did not have, as Poland did, an alternative elite: a large cadre of economists and politicians, who already had some experience in opposition politics and in independent thinking. In Poland, the transformative finance minister, Leszek Balcerowicz, had already thought about how an economy might be decentralized before he took office. We can argue about how successful he was, but at least he was prepared to try something new. In Ukraine, people weren’t prepared. For one, there hadn’t been much space even for an illegal opposition in the previous couple of decades. Ukraine was also in many ways still emerging from colonial occupation. For the previous couple of centuries, many of the most capable Ukrainians had moved to Russia, and the first generation of leaders in independent Ukraine tended to be former Soviet apparatchiks. They didn’t immediately seek to become closer to western Europe. Instead, they looked for some kind of economic and political “third way” and an accomodation with Russia. Ukraine became stuck in this position, half-in, half-out and became pretty profoundly corrupt. JC: The Polish alternative elite had a vision of where they wanted the country to go. I think the general perception now is that this vision ends with the next election, right? Is this a natural process of gaining power? AA: Their vision, and it was shared by the time by politicians who now call themselves both left and right, was that Poland should join the EU and NATO, as fast as possible. My husband (Radek Sikorski) was in the very first government that said it wanted to join NATO. At the time this was taken very badly in Washington: the demand for NATO membership absolutely came from Poland, not from the US. But even then, in the early 1990s, many Poles already understood that the Russian sphere of influence would grow once again, that it was important to become part of the transatlantic alliance and an integrated Europe as fast as possible: NATO, the EU, the Council of Europe, all of the trading and security alliances. That consensus lasted through several different governments and over many years, even governments containing former communists. For twenty years, right, left and center disagreed about many things, but they all agreed on the direction that the country should go. In retrospect, that consensus created the basis for prosperity in Poland. JC: And regarding the Polish-Ukrainian relations. We know that antagonisms, e.g. the myth of Wołyń [a massacre of Poles that took place in what is now Western Ukraine, in 1943] are increasingly used in Polish political discourse today. In Ukraine, nationalist historians make heroes out of UPA, the Ukrainian revolutionary army, which is held responsible for this tragedy. Where do you see a start for burying the hatchet? Is the reconciliation of our nations possible? AA: So here’s a strange thing: For more than a decade after they both gained independence, Poland and Ukraine participated in a number of projects that were designed to solve exactly these kinds of Polish-Ukrainian differences. Books were published that were jointly written by Polish and Ukrainian historians, monuments were built. These projects were successful: If you’d asked me this question in 2010, I would have said that there are no real historical issues between Poland and Ukraine, that the two countries had mostly reconciled. For a number of reasons, this began to shift. In Poland, children and grandchildren of victims of the Wołyń massacre felt their tragedy hadn’t been fully recognized. In Ukraine, nationalist groups wanted the UPA partisans who had fought against the Soviet Union recognized for their heroism, despite the fact that some in this broad and not well-defined group were also linked to Wołyń. In both eastern Poland and western Ukraine, the memory of the ethnic cleansing that took place there in the late 1940s - Poles were moved West, Ukrainians East - to accomodate new borders has left feelings of displacement and bitterness. The wave of Ukrainian immigration, which started before the war, may have provoked some of this. But don’t underestimate the role played by Russia, which has always wanted to create discord between Poland and Ukraine, and pumps out propaganda to that effect in both countries. Vandalism on both sides of the border, damage done to cemeteries and monuments, is sometimes carried out by provacateurs working for Russia, just to create bad feelings. The Polish-Ukrainian conflict also hides a different reality: although there are real grievances and bad memories, the truth is that the biggest tragedies both nations experienced in the twentieth century were inflicted by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. That should unite these two countries, not divide them. JC: This week (19.04.2026 – Ed.) in Hungary we saw that using historical narratives to create grievance has no longer worked. Are you optimistic about the direction after Orban’s loss? AA: The Hungarian election was really important because it shows that people can actually resist powerful, dominant propaganda. The ruling party Fidesz controlled all of the TV, 90% of the newspapers, the constitutional court, the bureaucracy... and yet people had the nerve to vote against it and resist it. It’s also an important election because Hungary created a huge network of well-funded think tanks and foundations that were funding other far right groups and projects. So that loss is going to have a knock-on effect in other places too, maybe even in Poland. JC: What you’ve said about resisting propaganda reminds me of one of the interviews you did about talking to Russians in the post-Soviet era who claimed that people knew that the system was lying. Why do people choose to believe in these regimes anyway? AA: Because it’s useful. Stephen Kotkin, an American historian, once described how people would learn how to “speak Bolshevik”: It was just a language that you needed to use in order to get by in society. If you didn’t talk the way the regime wanted you to talk, then you might have problems, or lose your job, or your kids would not get into university. It was a way of getting along. Communist Poland was similar, at least in the early years. When I was writing a book about the Sovietization of Eastern Europe after World War II, I met a lot of people who wanted to talk a lot about the war, when many of them had done really heroic things. But almost nobody wanted to talk about the decade afterwards, between 1945 and 1956. This was when you had the short period of terror, violence and Polish Stalinism. To stay safe, people felt the need to just go along with what others were saying, or stay out of politics, or use communist jargon without necessarily believing it. I don’t judge them for it, and I wouldn’t describe all of those people as collaborators. It’s easy to feel moral certainty in retrospect, because we know that communism ended. But if you were living in 1949, it might not have been clear to you that communism was going to end. In very repressive societies, maybe about 10% of people who are really evil – collaborators, torturers. Maybe 10% of people are really brave and who find ways to resist. And then around 80% of people have kids, they have parents, they have to have jobs and they’ve had to get through it somehow. Strange though it may sound, I’ve found that the work I did on that book is now very useful in explaining some of what’s going on in the United States today. There are plenty of members of the Republican Party in Congress who know perfectly well that Donald Trump says many things that aren’t true. But they avoid criticizing him because it’s inconvenient, because they would get in trouble, because someone would attack them on the internet. So actually you don’t even need mass terror to get people to conform. JC: Is Gen Z reinventing agency? AA: We’ll see. In any generation you can find groups of people who want agency. If you live in a society that’s unfair, for example where a tiny number of people have captured most of the wealth, then at a certain point people rebel. This is always easier for younger people, who have you have less to lose. The question now is how the internet will affect the relationships between citizens and the state, and how it will change organizations. The “Twitter revolutions” people spoke about as early as 2008-9, mass protests organized online, have often proved to be very superficial. Although you can easily join something just by clicking, the work of creating a real movement requires physical participation. Successful mass movements of the past, for example the Civil Rights movement in the United States, were built by people who had spent many years together. They had participated in non-violent workshops together. They practiced and prepared. Just using the you can get everybody to show up at a certain moment, but then when the protest is broken up, nothing happens. It’s also true that the repressive regimes have more recently learned how to use the internet to undermine leaders and movements. Most of all, they now understand how to make people cynical. The form of propaganda that most modern authoritarians use - and I think the Russians really pioneered this - deploys sneering cynicism. Instead of praising the rulers, the regime propagandists mock the opposition movement leadership for being supposedly corrupt or sexually degenerate, with the goal of undermining any kind of idealism. JC: MAGA grew on the internet? AA: MAGA is a real grassroots movement. They had symbols, red hats, they showed up at rallies. But you’re right that the cynicism, the sarcasm and the distrust that the movement embodies came originally from the internet, and this is different. Fifty years ago, most European political parties had a social base in real organizations, in trade unions for Social Democrats, in church groups for Christian Democrats. As people stopped going to church and as the trade unions became smaller, the social base of these parties disappeared. Now people who wouldn’t have known one another in the past meet on the internet and create new movements, many of which don’t last. JC: Is history ending? Going in stale circles? AA: History never ends. In truth, human beings want contradictory things at the same time: order and freedom, stability and change. These things are never resolved, and when a society swings too far in one direction, people always push it the other way. But each time that happens, the result is different. Certainly it is true that we are now in a period when old philosophers and ideas from the 1930s are undergoing a revival. Carl Schmitt, who was a philosopher who was very influential on the Nazis, is back as an influence on both the far left and the far right, once again inspiring people to think that all politics has to be existential, that all politics is about defining and defeating enemies. In the US, some are also bringing back dominionism, the idea that we need a Christian and not a secular state. It’s also true that we are living through a more fundamental shift. The old left-right divide, which was mostly about the size of the state, is much less important now. Instead, we are arguing about more fundamental things: what are our rights, what protects our freedom. Or how much power do we want to give small elites, versus how much power to give ordinary people. In America a small group of very wealthy people now control information, because they control the social media platforms and AI, which means they determine what people will read and learn. Finding a way to preserve preserve zones of autonomy and independent thinking, this is going to be the main task for the next generation. JC: What is the one book that a person interested in Central Europe should read? AA: You could read my book “Iron Curtain: the Crushing of Eastern Europe” which tells the story of how the Soviet Union imposed its culture on the region. Or read Tim Snyder’s history of the region, “The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus 1569-1999.” And everyone should read “The Captive Mind” by Czesław Miłosz, which describes exactly the phenomenon we were talking about: why do people collaborate? I joined Scott Galloway and the brilliant Fiona Hill in a discussion about the wars in Ukraine and Iran, the future of global power, and what these conflicts reveal about America's role in the world. Scott told us that this was the 400th edition of his podcast, which is quite a number: My friend Francesco Chiamulera runs a brilliant series of literary events, Una Colline di Libri, A Hill of Books, in the Prosecco Hills, a region of vineyards and elegant hill towns in the Veneto, north of Venice. We did an event in Vittorio Veneto and also drove and biked around the countryside. Buy Autocracy Inc Buy Iron Curtain Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
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