How milk is getting caught in the middle of Trump’s policy agenda
Trump’s moves in Washington are being felt in the milking barns of an upstate New York dairy farm. There, AJ Wormuth said he’s already seeing costs go up from Trump’s tariffs while the threat of a wider trade war is driving down the price he gets paid for his cows’ milk.
“We’re getting a double whammy — we’re getting lower prices and higher costs,” said Wormuth, who has 3,600 dairy cattle at his farm, Half Full Diary.
While none of Trump’s policies have specifically targeted the milk industry, dairy farmers say they have been caught in the fray on a number of fronts. Their stories illustrate the fast pace of change across the federal government at the beginning of the second Trump administration, as well as the intersection of two policy areas — immigration and the economy — where voters are giving Trump markedly different grades so far.
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GOP ‘anxiety’ persists ahead of Florida special elections in Trump territory
Republicans are looking to add two more seats to their House majority after special elections in Florida next week, giving GOP leaders a little more breathing room in a tightly divided legislative chamber. But they might be holding their breath until the polls close on Tuesday.
Voters will cast their ballots next week in Florida’s 1st and 6th Congressional Districts, two deep-red seats that Trump won easily in November. While Republicans are still expecting to win both races, they are more competitive thanks to a wave of Democratic money and early votes.
Republicans are wary that closer-than-expected contests could fuel a narrative that voters are reacting negatively to the Trump presidency and that Democrats have the momentum heading into next year’s midterm elections.
Trump himself has made it clear that the stakes are high.
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