North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad is threatening to hold up a vote on raising the debt ceiling if the rest of the Senate doesn't agree to form a deficit commission that goes around normal congressional procedure (and give him a lollipop). If he manages to obstruct the increase in the debt ceiling then the United States will soon lack the money to meet its various obligations, including interest payments on the debt. Any senator could threaten to force a default to get their pet project, but most other senators have not resorted to such extraordinary efforts at blackmail. It would have been useful if the Post had more clearly explained Mr. Conrad's threat to readers.
A second Trump administration will cement a right-wing majority on the Supreme Court for a generation, and put our collective future in the hands of someone who will be virtually unchecked by our institutions. The country has shifted rightward, and the reverberations will ensue for potentially the next few decades. In this climate, a robust independent media ecosystem will be more important than ever. We're committed to bringing you the latest news on how Trump's agenda will actually affect the American people, shining a light on the stories corporate media overlooks and keeping the public informed about how power really works in this country.
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