Trump Is About to Betray His Rural Supporters

This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here. Donald Trump’s support in rural America appears to have virtually no ceiling. In last month’s election, Trump won country communities by even larger margins than he did in his 2020 and 2016 presidential runs. But several core second-term policies that Trump and the Republican Congress have championed could disproportionately harm those places. Agricultural producers could face worse losses than any other economic sector from Trump’s plans to impose sweeping tariffs on imports and…

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Battleground Michigan Set to Debate Citizen-Only Voting Initiative

Lawmakers in Michigan—one of the most fiercely contested battleground states in the 2024 presidential election—will consider an amendment to the state Constitution to ensure that only citizens vote.  Michigan state Rep. Bryan Posthumus, the No. 2 Republican in the House as floor leader, says that next month he will propose a constitutional amendment requiring prospective voters to produce proof of U.S. citizenship during voter registration and a government-issued photo ID when casting a ballot.  Current Michigan law allows either an ID or a signed affidavit.  Posthumus’ proposal is in response to…

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Party Poopers: Palm Beach seeks to limit Trump’s Mar-a-Lago galas as residents seethe over traffic

President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence has become the White House of the South of sorts, but those who live in Palm Beach want to shut down the resort’s frequent, large parties because of road closures that cut the town in two. The Washington Times stories: White House

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Compromise defense bill to give 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops

The House and Senate Armed Services committees’ compromise defense policy bill released late Saturday night could give junior enlisted service members a 14.5% pay raise next year — a historic pay bump for troops in the ranks of E-1 through E-4.  Under the 2025 defense policy bill, all service members will get a 4.5% pay raise, which will take effect at the beginning of the year. Junior enlisted troops will receive an additional 10% pay bump, which will start in April, according to the legislation. The 14.5% pay raise is…

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The Bizarre Normalcy of Trump 2.0

A very strange disjuncture has opened up in Washington between the serene mood and the alarming developments that are under way. The surface is calm because the Republican presidential candidate won the election, and Democrats, the only one of the two major parties committed on principle to upholding the legitimacy of election results, conceded defeat and are cooperating in the peaceful transition of power. Whatever energy the chastened Democrats can muster at the moment is aimed inward, at factional struggles over their future direction. Meanwhile, what is actually happening in…

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