*By Justin Chermol and Megan Pratz*
Elissa Slotkin is ready to swap the farmland of Michigan for the gridlock of Washington.
Come Jan. 3, the incoming Democratic congresswoman, a former CIA analyst, will represent Michigan’s 8th District, which President Trump won by a nearly 7-point margin in 2016.
Slotkin's upset victory over the Republican incumbent Mike Bishop reflected her constituents' dissatisfaction with their leadership and "the perception of chaos" in Washington.
“I think people in general feel unheard, unrepresented ー that the process needs major overhaul, and I think a lot of people call into question both parties,” Slotkin told Cheddar’s J.D. Durkin.
A third-generation Michigander, Slotkin grew up on a farm in the town of Holly. She lives on that farm today, and has seen firsthand the impact of one Trump policy that is also frustrating locals: tariffs.
“We lease all of our land to a soybean farmer and I think the tariffs have been a really destabilizing factor for a lot of our farmers,” Slotkin said. “I think they're hoping things get better, but the current situation sort of feels like the cure for the disease is worse than the disease itself when it comes to these retaliatory tariffs.
China, the world's largest importer of soy, resumed buying soybeans from U.S. farmers after a trade truce was struck with President Trump at a meeting on Dec. 1. On Saturday, Trump [tweeted](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1079045134061371392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2018%2F12%2F29%2Ftrump-hails-call-with-chinas-xi-says-trade-talks-are-making-progress.html) on Saturday that he had a “long and very good call” with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that a "deal is moving along very well."
In August, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented a [farmer assistance program](https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2018/08/27/usda-announces-details-assistance-farmers-impacted-unjustified), authorizing up to $12 billion in relief to farmers affected by trade with China.
But Slotkin said the instability has been tough on farmers, and government assistance is an unpopular solution.
“A lot of people don't love the idea that they have to receive aid,” Slotkin said. These are people who have made it their entire lives by working hard ー they don't want assistance.”
As for the drama transfixing Washington around Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation, the incoming congresswoman is not rushing to judgment, and said she will "read every page" of the special report before making up her mind about impeachment.
“I did not get elected to Congress, and I would not be doing my job, if I supported a truly just political act of trying to impeach him that ended up with him still in office and wasted 18 months of time where we could be getting things done,” she said.
Slotkin spent 14 years as a career national security officer in the CIA, under former President George W. Bush and former President Obama. As a young CIA officer, Slotkin said she came to respect Mueller, who was director of the FBI at the time.
"I'm a big believer in Bob Mueller," she said.
As she prepares to enter Congress, Slotkin credits her success to the pragmatism of her community and the manner in which she conducted her campaign.
“I think part of the reason we were elected was because people feel like they want a different generation that works harder and thinks bigger and never forgets that they are public servants.”
Shares of Tylenol maker Kenvue are bouncing back sharply before the opening bell a day after President Donald Trump promoted unproven and in some cases discredited ties between Tylenol, vaccines and autism. Trump told pregnant women not to use the painkiller around a dozen times during the White House news conference Monday. The drugmaker tumbled 7.5%. Shares have regained most of those losses early Tuesday in premarket trading.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday signaled a cautious approach to future interest rate cuts, in sharp contrast with other Fed officials who have called for a more urgent approach. In remarks in Providence, Rhode Island, Powell noted that there are risks to both of the Fed’s goals of seeking maximum employment and stable prices. His approach is in sharp contrast to some members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee who are pushing for faster cuts.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the American media landscape have led to the suspension of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. The only dissenter was Stephen Miran, the recent Trump-appointee.
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
President Donald Trump's administration is appealing a ruling blocking him from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook as he seeks more control over the traditionally independent board. The notice of appeal was filed Wednesday, hours after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb handed down the ruling. The White House insists the Republican president had the right to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations involving properties in Michigan and Georgia from before she joined the Fed. Cook's lawsuit denies the allegations and says the firing was unlawful. The case could soon reach the Supreme Court, which has allowed Trump to fire members of other independent agencies but suggested that power has limitations at the Fed.
