News Analysis: In his first year back in the White House, President Trump has greatly expanded executive power while embracing the trappings of royalty. In both pageantry and policy, he has established a new, more audacious version of the imperial presidency.

What could go wrong? #Idiots

TEEN DEATH: Nebraskans have long questioned the circumstances around the 2024 death of 17-year-old Zach Panther at a pork farm owned by Pillen Family Farms and tied to Nebraska's governor. An update from Yanqi Xu and Flatwater Free Press via the Examiner: buff.ly/HvBli5H

Now this is true poetry! From @radiofreetom.bsky.social “The president of the United States just barged into America’s living rooms like an angry, confused grandfather to tell us all that we are ungrateful whelps.” 🎁 Here’s gift for this important read www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

Nothing good comes from marijuana.

via @uscensusbureau Census Bureau Updates OnTheMap Tool With 2023 Employment Data: The @uscensusbureau today updated the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) and the OnTheMap application to include: 2023 employment data...

Gov. Pillen had done rural Nebraska no favors in leaving millions of Federal BEAD #broadband funding on the table. Slap in the face to #rural #econdev.

A proposed data center in Tucker County, WV has sparked debate: Can tech investment coexist with a creative economy and natural beauty? Host Tony Pipa explores how local voices are shaping the future of their community.

MidAmerican Energy cancels wind farm proposal in Woodbury County (Sioux City, Iowa) www.ktiv.com/2025/12/17/m... #rural #energy #renewableenergy #econdev

U.S. consumer prices were up 2.7 percent from a year earlier in November. "Core" prices, excluding volatile food and fuel, were up 2.6 percent. Be very cautious with these numbers, though. Shutdown distortions may have biased them down. Live coverage: www.nytimes.com/live/2025/12... #NumbersDay

NEW: The Census Bureau still plans for its American Community Survey to start using newly required checkboxes for “Middle Eastern or North African” & “Hispanic or Latino” under a question about race and/or ethnicity in 2027, according to the Federal Register www.federalregister.gov/public-inspe...

Build your virtual library with our $6.99 ebook sale! Nearly 1,000 books to choose from. Stock your e-reader today from your favorite ebook retailer! Islandpress.org

The Trump administration said it will be dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, one of the world’s leading Earth science research institutions.

ICYMI: The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority took first steps Friday toward administering housing programs currently operated by the state Department of Economic Development. From Erin Bamer:

Nebraska’s Water Task Force is leaning toward voluntary tools—education, incentives, and partnerships—rather than new mandates to protect water quality and quantity. Worth watching for rural planners, ag, and NRDs. ruralradio.com/rrn/news/neb... #NE #Water #econdev

The brawl over the Colorado River is the highest-stakes water fight the U.S. has seen in more than a century.

Small Town and Rural Planning Division Planning Awards - Nominations Now Open! STaR invites nominations for outstanding individuals & projects for their contribution to planning excellence in small town and rural communities. Apps close 1.23.26 Full info: smalltown.planning.org/community-ou...

Charts! Starting with the unemployment rate, which rose to 4.6 percent, its highest level in more than four years.

NIFA TAKING OVER? The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority took first steps Friday toward administering housing programs currently operated by the state Department of Economic Development. From Erin Bamer: buff.ly/3GKwMuz

2025 engagement on JCShepard.com clustered around rural resilience, practical small-town economic development, and heritage-driven stories that turn local culture into real value. See the full “Top 12 Posts of 2025” rundown: jcshepard.com/2025/12/top-... #SmallTowns #rural #planning #econdev

Want to make some positive changes in your community? Download an ebook & find some inspiration! All Island Press e-books just $6.99! islandpress.org

If our cities are shaped by stories, then great books form the foundation of knowledge and inspiration needed to build more liveable, inclusive and prosperous places. These are 24 titles we read this year that informed our approach to changing hearts, minds and streets. An #UrbanismBookClub thread.

Data center boom creates political conundrum for the GOP

via @uscensusbureau Vintage 2025 Population Estimates — The US Census Bureau is providing an updated release schedule for the Vintage 2025 population estimates due to the recent lapse in federal funding. The first set of 2025 population estimates is scheduled to be released Jan. 27. [1 month late]

The review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement kicked off in recent weeks with consultations in all three countries about whether officials and businesspeople want to keep, tweak, or scrap the agreement.

A national preservation group is suing to halt the East Wing ballroom construction at the White House. The group argues the Trump administration must seek congressional approval and consult federal commissions and the public before work continues.

Vote to overhaul FEMA canceled after leaked report

There’s no way to get around it: learning how to live off the grid is going to be hard work. However, it also has the potential to be deeply rewarding. Here's a list of tips for off-grid living to help you understand exactly what you’re signing up for. thetinylife.com/off-grid-liv...

Disney announced an agreement to bring its characters to Sora, OpenAI’s short-form video platform. Videos made with the tech will be available to stream on Disney+ under the three-year deal, which does not include any talent likeness or voices. nyti.ms/4rOyYN4

As an avid sports fan I view sports betting as poison that hurts the integrity of the sport while alluding to low instincts of greed. I’m in favour of a total sports betting advertisement ban. Banning betting completely might just drive betting underground.

The police in southwestern England are searching for four people in connection with the theft of more than 600 artifacts from the Bristol Museum’s British Empire and Commonwealth collection, in what the authorities described as a “high-value burglary.”

Bullshit 💩

The Duluth City Council voted 8-1 late Monday night to transfer the former Lester Park Golf Course to the Duluth Economic Development Authority. This clears the way for a land use study of the more-than-200-acre parcel that could lead to a neighborhood-scale housing development.

One of many Cambridge street watercolours I did 30-40 years ago. Working on the spot uniquely preserves memories and feelings. The shop signs at that time in Green St were extravagantly beautiful and the passers by were sketched in quickly. Still have this one. #fineart ##pleinair #Cambridge

On the blog for your holiday gift-giving: 12 planning & sustainability books for 2026, from small-town action and civic branding to agri-energy and rural futures. What’s on your reading list for the new year? jcshepard.com/2025/12/plan... #smalltowns #rural #planning #econdev #books

Today, we honor the lives lost and the heroes who rose in defense of our nation at Pearl Harbor. We remember their courage, sacrifice, and the resilience that defines our country. Let us never forget the lessons of that day and the freedoms Americans fought to protect.

Rural Entrepreneurs Aren’t Taking No for an Economic Answer The line between Main Street and Country Roads has never been as clear as people often thought…. #SmallTowns #rural #econdev medium.com/small-towns-...

Yikes! #diabetes #publichealth

Rural Main Streets are off the floor but still hurting, as the November Rural Mainstreet Index (RMI) inches up from October’s five-year low yet stays below growth-neutral. Towns need resilience and diversification, not complacency. jcshepard.com/2025/12/rura... #RuralEconomy #AgPolicy #SmallTowns

Column by Philip Kennicott: Frank Gehry, the famous architect who died Friday at the age of 96, left a legacy that transcends mere beauty. He made us restless for a better built environment.

Butt ugly all. #RIP

France’s new agrivoltaics trials show real wins: cooler fields, less water stress, better yields — and cows choosing shade over barns. 🌱⚡️🐄 Smart solar = stronger farms. Simple as that. #agrivoltaics #climateadaptation www.pv-magazine.com/2025/11/19/f...

The Idea Friendly Guide: How You Can Embrace New Ideas, Build Community, and Save Your Small Town Get your copy of Becky McCray’s new book today! Review: jcshepard.com/2025/12/the-... #SmallTowns #Rural #leadership

Small towns don’t need mega-projects to thrive—they need local wisdom, small wins, and community-led design. Millsboro (DE), Independence (IA) and Truth or Consequences (NM) show how “praxis” turns big planning ideas into walkable streets, vibrant parks, & revived main streets. #smalltowns #rural

Zillow, the country’s largest real estate listings site, has quietly removed a feature that showed the risks from extreme weather for more than one million home sale listings on its site.

Nationwide, small business owners expect nearly 20% of their annual revenue to come from the Small Business Saturday weekend.

Remember when Amazon held a sale during Independent Bookstore Day in an effort to undercut indie bookstores? We didn’t forget. Support local bookstores during Small Business Saturday and beyond.

This book has been so soothing. I have probably learned more about the foreign policies that shape the world just in the first three chapters than I have in at least the last 15 years of news media. 🙃 It's helped clarify a lot of the absolutely batshit nonsense of the current timeline. COMFORT READ

Mural on the back of a flower shop in Portland, Oregon #Photography #StreetArt #Mural #Bloomscrolling📷🐸🌹

NEW: The House Oversight Committee is set to vote Dec. 2 on whether to advance a bill calling for excluding people living in the states without U.S. citizenship, such as green card holders, from #2030Census results that the 14th Amendment says must include the “whole number of persons in each state”