Two economists find that Walmart, the nation's largest employer, has the power to depress wages in some rural counties, particularly in the Southeast.

The Obama administration promised to do something about monopoly markets in the food business — and then did nothing. Now animal rights groups are entering the fray.

The worries about the power of Wall Street have their roots in rural America. More than 120 years ago, rural Grangers and Populists were warning about concentrations of business power. Maybe it's time we listened to our rural forebears.

Critical to rural development are a regional approach, greater flexibility among federal programs, and more investment, from government, lenders and foundations.