Funding

As Texas develops its application for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding, rural hospital leaders say stabilizing their facilities should be a top priority. "Without it, all the planning in the world will not matter because there will be no hospital left to transform," one said.

According to a TPR analysis, colleges in San Antonio lost nearly $10M because the U.S. Department of Education withheld grants to Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Texas’ Solar for All program was intended to bring solar panels and batteries to low-income neighborhoods and create jobs by training workers to install the technology.

Farmers who were promised funding through the federal Regional Food Business Centers have been left in limbo after the Trump administration shut down the program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will honor grants the program already approved, but it's unclear when.

Nonprofits across the country have been grappling with changes in federal spending and the cuts to departments and grants. As coordinator with other local organizations, Lubbock Area United Way has been updating partners on developments at the state and national level, and advocating for policies suited to West Texas.

The Home Utility Management System would allow households to collect and utilize energy and water for themselves, rather than relying on a grid. While federal funding is still up in the air, researchers with the project are seeking new opportunities to implement the system in practice.

Trump’s rollback is another example of the federal government’s lackluster efforts at giving Black farmers a boost in recent years.

The grants fund a wide range of education programs, including migrant education, services for English language learners and adult education.

Lubbock City Council has approved the recommended recipients for the Cultural Arts Grant Program. Included in the recommendations was the First Friday Art Trail, one year after a controversial decision from the council that cut funding for that event. However, this year saw a change in the guidelines for the grant, restricting political and “controversial” programming.

The general manager and news director of Abilene’s public radio station speaks on how they are impacted by the funding bill.