WASHINGTON — Federal funding for air travel in rural areas will run out Sunday if the government shutdown continues, threatening to isolate remote communities across the country.

The Essential Air Service (EAS), established in 1978, provides funds to airline carriers to operate out of rural airports for routes that would otherwise be unprofitable. The program is a lifeline for remote communities because it connects them to cities with larger airports, ensuring access to medical treatments, work opportunities and commercial goods that would otherwise be a lengthy travel away.

“Money runs out this Sunday. So there’s many small communities across the country that will now no longer have the resources to make sure they have air service in their community,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press conference Monday. “Every state across the country will be impacted by the inability to provide the subsidies to airlines to service these communities.”

The EAS gives money to regional air carriers in 177 communities across all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico, according to DOT. The Regional Airline Association, an advocacy group for regional airlines that receive EAS funds, said that “commercial air service at EAS airports had an economic impact of $2.3 billion and supported more than 17,000 U.S. jobs” before the pandemic.

“This program is an essential economic lifeline for over 500 rural communities who are often hit the hardest whenever there is disruption in the National Airspace System,” the association said in a statement. “[We] continue to urge Congress to come together and reopen the government for the good of the American public. The current government shutdown only adds stressors to an air transportation system that is already plagued with delays, disruptions, and cancellations.”

As the shutdown continues with no end in sight, the Federal Aviation Administration is already confronting staffing shortages and slight increases in sick calls as air traffic controllers work without pay. NBC News reported Monday that no air traffic controllers were expected at Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area for hours, and that the main airports in New Jersey and Denver also experienced staffing issues.

We’d like to hear from you about how you’re experiencing the government shutdown, whether you’re a federal employee who can’t work right now or someone who is feeling the effects of shuttered services in your everyday life. Please contact us at tips@nbcuni.com or reach out to us here.

Congress appropriated nearly $500 million to the EAS in 2024; The expenditure is typically bipartisan, serving rural communities in states across the country. However, earlier this year, President Donald Trump looked to slash the program’s budget by $308 million in his discretionary budget. He had recommended eliminating the program in its entirety in a budget blueprint during his first term.

The federal funding is particularly important for Alaska, where the state’s hundreds of islands and vast swaths of tundra make traveling by air a necessity. According to an October 2024 Transportation Department report, Alaska received more than $41 million in EAS subsidies. Duffy told reporters that the “number one user” of rural airspace is Alaska, and that the state “will be impacted” if funding runs out.

“This is almost breathtaking, when you think about the implications for these communities, because there is no road for any of these places,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told NBC News on Monday. “This is a big stressor right now.”

Murkowski said that Alaska Airlines would maintain service at a handful of airports regardless of EAS funding but that she was worried for smaller carriers. She added that she was trying to get in touch with Duffy. Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, Murkowski’s fellow Alaska senator, Republican Dan Sullivan, said he was already in talks with the transportation secretary about the issue.

“We’re working through it to make it have as little impact as possible. These are EAS subsidies, but this just goes to the whole damn Schumer shutdown,” Sullivan said, referring to the GOP nickname for the shutdown, which Republicans say was caused by Democrats. “But right now, what I’m trying to do is work with the secretary of transportation, who I was exchanging text messages and voice messages with, to try and limit that kind of damage.”

Ryan Huotari, the manager of the Sidney-Richland Airport in Sidney, Montana, said the airport and his community depend on EAS funding.

“If the EAS didn’t exist, I don’t think it would be able to function,” Huotari said of the airport. “Our winters out here are 20-below, they’re pretty treacherous. It’s pretty scary driving from here to Billings. I’d rather be in an airplane than a car.”

Sidney is only an hour flight away from Billings, Montana’s largest city, but it’s about a four-hour drive each way. Huotari says that the airport is crucial for people who can’t make the eight-hour round trip, like the elderly who need medical care in Billings, or the oil workers who commute between the two areas.

Huotari, who helmed the airport during the last shutdown in 2018, said he’s used to the EAS being on the budgetary chopping block but, with no solution in Congress in sight, this time he’s worried.

“My biggest concern is getting people paid. There are a lot of federal grants out there that I’ve got right now,” he said. “There’s a lot of money hanging out there, like in the millions.”

Dr. Dixon Chibanda remembers like yesterday the moment in 2005 that changed his life. “During my formative years working as a psychiatrist, I lost a patient of mine to suicide. Erica was her name. She had hanged herself from a mango tree in the family garden.”

Erica was just 25 years old.

Chibanda, a psychiatrist based in Harare, Zimbabwe, says her family knew she needed help. “They lived some 200 miles away from where I worked,” he said. “And they just didn’t have the equivalent of US$15 to get onto a bus to come to the hospital.”

At the time, there were only 10 psychiatrists serving 13 million people in Zimbabwe. So, Chibanda came up with an idea involving grandmothers: “These grandmas were actually, you know, the custodians of the local culture and the wisdom, and they were rooted in their communities. And I was like, what if we could train them to be the first port of call for anyone needing to talk in a community?”

So, in 2006, Chibanda introduced the “Friendship Bench,” a talk therapy program that brings mental healthcare directly into underserved communities. The program is free, and the grandmothers were happy to donate their time.

He chronicled this journey in a new book: “The Friendship Bench: How Fourteen Grandmothers Inspired a Mental Health Revolution” (New World Library). 

“When I first started this, in fact we called it the Mental Health Bench,” he said. “Interestingly, nobody came to the Mental Health Bench, because of the stigma, until the grandmas said, ‘You know, why don’t you turn it into a Friendship Bench?'”

During that first year, 14 volunteer grandmothers shared a Friendship Bench with several hundred visitors in that one suburb. Chibanda says the program has since expanded beyond grandmothers to include over 3,000 older listeners who last year saw more than 300,000 people all over Zimbabwe.

He said, “There are a lot of people out there who are struggling to just connect with another human being. And this gives them that opportunity, to be able to sit down with someone who is empathic.”

Globally, just under 300 million people are struggling with depression, according to the World Health Organization. Only about one-third of them receive any treatment. And at a time when we’re facing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation affecting 1 in 5 American adults (according to a 2024 Gallup poll), the Friendship Bench is hitting the road, expanding to vulnerable communities in 9 countries and counting, including the United States.

At the Washington Seniors Wellness Center, in our nation’s capital, the program is being piloted by the nonprofit organization HelpAge USA, which focuses on the inclusion of older people.

Seventy-four-year-old Arnette Ibitayo says she was struggling with the deaths of her son and brother. “My son’s was sudden; he had a heart attack at 44,” she said. “And then my brother had COVID.” 

She turned to the Friendship Bench. “So I’m, you know, feeling down, depressed,” she said. “I think I need to talk to somebody, because I felt like isolating and staying home. And it was very comforting to get it out. And I wasn’t judged, and I was able to speak freely, and the person gave me some helpful advice.”

That person was Theresa Kelly, a retired schoolteacher, who listened to Ibitayo’s story. “We don’t solve problems for them,” Kelly said. “Sometimes you don’t realize that you can be your own problem solver. And when they finish, we want them to leave empowered.”

A screening process refers more serious cases to professionals. For almost 20 years now, Dr. Chibanda has been using his medical training to help analyze and improve the program. “The Friendship Bench is actually rooted in a lot of research,” he said. “These grandmas were a lot more effective than trained mental health professionals at alleviating symptoms of both depression and generalized anxiety disorders.”

Arnette Ibitayo said she felt better after just one session with Kelly: “I was more at ease. It worked. It was working.”

“You feel a little less depressed now?” I asked.

“Yes, uh-huh. There’s hope that things are going to be better.”

So, what’s the special sauce when it comes to grandparents? According to Chibanda, it is “the natural abilities that come with having a long-lived life on the planet. They’ve seen a lot. They’ve experienced a lot. They have, you know, the battle scars of life, which they bring to the bench. All we’re doing as Friendship Bench is helping them to use those stories, those experiences, to help others.”

And the bench is giving them something back. Theresa Kelly said, “I love helping people, empowering people. It makes me feel good. Makes me feel that [I have] still another purpose, that after retirement there’s still something, you know, that I can do that can help others, that it’s not over.”

       
For more info:

      
Story produced by Robbyn McFadden. Editor: Joseph Frandino. 

---

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.

For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.

---

See also:

Patricka Hogue’s friends were already calling her “the nomad.” While she had visited dozens of countries (at the latest count, at least 60), by 2012 she yearned for a community of Black fellow travelers she could share her traveling experiences with.

That was when she stumbled upon the Nomadness Travel Tribe, a Facebook group, now with 37,000 members.

“I literally found my tribe,” she said.

Hogue and thousands of other Black travelers have built communities — online and off — centered on globetrotting. While they share restaurant recommendations and envy-inducing photos, many members say the groups have instilled lasting friendships and led to marriages. In the worst cases, the groups have sprung to action in times of crisis. At its core, the groups encourage more Black people to experience the world — only 49% of Black Americans have traveled abroad, compared with 75% of white Americans, according to 2021 data from the Pew Research Center. 

Nomadness Travel Tribe’s founder, Evita Robinson, who has traveled to about 40 countries, said she launched the group in 2011 with only 100 members to fulfill her own need to find a Black traveling community — and it grew fast. Beyond connecting as an online community for travelers, members of Nomadness and others often coordinate smaller group trips outside their online communities. 

“It was beautiful to kind of see these folks, particularly millennial Black and brown travelers, kind of come together in a home online and then adventure into something that lived offline,” said Robinson, who is 40 and lives in Newark, New Jersey.

A cultural awakening

Hogue said joining has had “such a huge impact on my life.” 

After having temporarily lived in South Korea, Hogue returned to her home city, New Orleans, in 2013 and felt “like such a fish out of water” after years of traveling. Since she joined Nomadness, she has traveled with members on five group trips, including a trip to India in March 2015, one of her favorites. Members were given custom saris, visited the Taj Mahal and attended Holi, a Hindu festival celebrating love and rebirth. 

“Finding this online community of fellow travelers and people that also had, like, almost an insatiable curiosity about the world, it was such a breath of fresh air,” said Hogue, 43. “I didn’t feel like I was that strange.” 

Robinson said she launched Nomadness to help break down racial, socioeconomic and religious barriers to global travel. Before social media, international travel was seen strictly as a luxury, she said, and many Black people grew up with sentiments such as “Black people don’t go there.” But the emergence of companies like Lyft and Airbnb has made travel accessible for more people, she said. 

One way Robinson makes her trips accessible to travelers is by offering payment plans. Nomadness trips on average cost between $2,000 to $3,500, before flights. 

Hogue’s 2015 trip to India with Nomadness cost her $410, which included accommodations, meals and several activities, she said. Hogue said the organization’s affordable prices allowed her to visit places like Bali, Costa Rica and South Africa. 

In the Nomadness group, members share flight delays and trip recommendation requests. They also post photos of food and excursions and even updates about the new countries they’re living in. Members also ask one another for advice about what countries are safe to travel to; right now members are favoring Japan, Portugal and South Africa.

In 2016, Reggie Cummings, a member of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, went on a skiing trip in Japan. While the group expected no more than 12 people, about 180 showed up, which resulted in “literally the best week of my life,” said Cummings, who is from Atlanta. Shortly afterward, he started “The Black Travel Movement,” which now has over 539,000 members on Facebook. 

“The platform was created so that we can both tell our story and hear stories from other cultures,” Cummings said. His latest post in the Black Travel Movement group is a check-in for members who are traveling to Havana with the organization. Other members of the group often share photos of their favorite international travel destinations and request restaurant recommendations for trips within the United States.

Trips with the Black Travel Movement range from $2,500 to $4,500, depending on the destination, Cummings said. Some popular places include Ghana, whose “Year of Return” in 2019 commemorated 400 years since the first group of African slaves arrived in Virginia. The yearlong program encouraged many African Americans to visit; it was so popular that some travelers moved to Ghana. 

In terms of excursions, Robinson said, “it’s all about cultural immersion” for Black travelers, especially those traveling to Africa. Visitors dine at local restaurants and shop at local stores, all of which helps support the local community.

“I think this is why Africa is poppin’, because people are realizing … it’s not all safaris out here the way that we’ve been pitched our entire lives,” Robinson said. “There’s parties. There’s arts. There’s collective. There’s ways to give back and volunteer. All of that is in the scope of interest of us as travelers.” 

The power of community

Nomadness members have experienced their fair share of unexpected challenges abroad. But when bad things happen, “we show up when s–t hits the fan, literally,” Robinson said. 

In 2015 a group of Nomadness members visiting a region outside Panama City were involved in a van accident. Multiple people were injured, and two members died. Within four days, Nomadness members had raised tens of thousands of dollars to help pay for hospital bills of the injured members and help others get back to the United States. 

The community “came together unlike anything I’d ever seen,” Robinson said. While the trip wasn’t officially hosted by Nomadness, Robinson flew to Panama with two other members because “these were our people and they needed our help.”

“We show up for one another,” Robinson said. “This isn’t just some social thing you’ve seen on social media. We are tangible in real life.”

Tushunda Wright, 42, a community engagement lead for Nomadness, said: “You’d be surprised how many times we’ve saved each other during difficult times. Not just dealing with racism, but also, you know, whether somebody lost a passport [or] got robbed.” 

For the last five years, the annual Nomadness Fest has played host to as many as 600 travelers of color, discussing a variety of topics, including LGBTQ travel representation and accessibility. Two major focuses of the group this year are storytelling and data aggregation for travelers of color.

“Nomadness has been the root of so many friendships, relationships, marriages, businesses,” Hogue said. That, she added, is the epitome of Black joy.

Inman, South Carolina — From medicine to milkshakes, Kempson Rexall drugstore has been a staple in the small community of Inman, South Carolina, since 1905. The nearest hospital is about a half-hour drive away, so in a family medical moment, many of the town’s 3,200 residents often call here first.

“This store means the world to this community,” said owner and pharmacist Marianne McElveen. “Our customers are extremely loyal. They love us. They love the personal feel that they get, the attention they get.”

But like many independent drugstores, this one needs a shot of hope.

Across the U.S., at least 7,000 pharmacies have closed since 2019, The Associated Press reported, citing data from the University of Pittsburgh. Of those, roughly half were independent drugstores.

“We’ve had to make some adjustments, some changes. We’ve had to cut some hours, just doing anything we can to stay alive and to keep the doors open,” McElveen said, adding that “there have been many sleepless nights.”

Big pharmacy chains aren’t immune either. Walgreens, for example, reported an $8 billion loss last fiscal year, according to the company.

Lori Trudell, a professor at Clemson University, says pharmacy deserts have become a crisis in the U.S.

“When you think about the thousands of pharmacies in rural communities that are closing, you’re losing access to all healthcare,” Trudell said.

In the back of McElveen’s store, the pharmacy itself, profit margins have fallen to between 3% and 5%.

“Especially expensive brand name medications, we fill those and may not be reimbursed even at our cost for those drugs,” McElveen said.

The National Community Pharmacists Association predicted that an average of more than one independent drugstore would close per day in 2024.

“It’s sad to me that that part of America, that part of business, would go away. We’re not gonna throw in the towel. we’re, we’re in it for the long haul,” McElveen said.

On Friday, US Sen. Tim Scott, the top Republican from South Carolina who is a member of the Senate Banking Committee, was among keynote speakers at the Bitcoin 2024 conference. Scott, who might chair the committee if Republicans regain control of the Senate, gave a strong message: the government should support the crypto industry.

“We have to get rid of the guys who are in the way,” Scott said, referring especially to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler as a main impediment to crypto innovation.

Speaking with fellow crypto enthusiast US Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Scott’s comments connected with a group ready for additional legislative backing. Scott has been somewhat silent on crypto matters until now, hence his enthusiastic support at this event marks a change.

He said:

“Bitcoin is about bringing resources back into the communities that need it most and giving all Americans a chance.

The Senate Banking Committee Under Republican Leadership

One recurring issue in Scott’s presentation was his prospects of becoming the next Senate Banking Committee chairman. Should he get this job, crypto laws might enter a new chapter. Scott promised to give Sen. Lummis’ measure top priority, which seeks to “set bitcoin free here at home,” therefore guaranteeing a quick vote.

Bitcoin is about bringing resources back into the communities that need it most and giving all Americans a chance.#Bitcoin2024 pic.twitter.com/cbMnnoJdfd

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) July 26, 2024

A strong advocate of the crypto, Lummis has been pushing for a legislation requiring the Federal Reserve to keep Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. She didn’t explore this issue during the conference, but her dedication to include crypto into national financial plans was clear-cut. Lummis expected Scott’s leadership would be crucial in getting such creative ideas passed by the Senate.

BTC market cap currently at $1.34 trillion on the daily chart: TradingView.com

Despite the positive wording, Congress is still struggling with crypto legislation. Some bills passed the House but stalled in the Senate. The parliamentary term is almost over and the 2024 election is nearing, so crypto legislation is unlikely to pass this year. These activities sometimes lay the groundwork for future actions and lengthy negotiations.

As the top Republican on @BankingGOP, I’m fighting to ensure rules and regulations don’t stifle innovation. #Bitcoin2024 pic.twitter.com/9BLBWBjcxj

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) July 26, 2024

Bitcoin As Strategic Reserve

Notable contributions from well-known crypto world players were also included during the conference. The executive chairman of MicroStrategy, the biggest holder of Bitcoin, Michael Saylor said the US should try to buy 4 million BTC to strengthen its Treasury and financial situation.

Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, agreed with Saylor that the digital asset is an important national resource and brought attention to the idea of a strategic reserve.

Meanwhile, Robert F. Kennedy, an independent candidate for president, promised to make BTC a strategic reserve currency if he won. This backing from both parties shows that more and more people see cryptocurrencies as an important form of currency.

The innovations of Bitcoin are becoming more evident in the US Senate, and it’s also becoming clearer who wants to safeguard the innovation and who wants to control it, Lummis said.

Featured image from eBizMBA, chart from TradingView