CUMBERLAND, Md.– There is a little restaurant here called Henny’s, but I call it the thermometer.
In all my travels, this is the best place for me to find out what Americans really care about, which of the machine-gun outrages of the daily news cycle actually saturates.As I said to Tom, who is retired, lives locally and has a beautiful view of the Appalachians from his deck, which I saw on his phone, "Anything that makes it through the mountain passes to this place is real."One issue that has made its way is the Save America Act.Republicans see it as a means of stopping voter fraud, but Democrats like Tom disagree.OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP'S ELECTION ORDER AS SAVE AMERICA ACT FIGHT INTENSIFIES"It’s not just voter ID, it’s a voter suppression act," Tom said in frustration over President Trump refusing to pass a bipartisan housing bill unless the SAVE act is included.Josh, the 25-year-old bartender on his way to George Washington Law School in the fall, added, "You have to admit, the housing bill was bipartisan."Attendees stand for the US National Anthem during the National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving on the National Mall in Washington, DC, US, on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
The US is hosting a series of events throughout 2026 to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary.(Matt McClain/Bloomberg via Getty Images)It was at this moment that something happened I have now seen hundreds of times.
Tom began saying something about Trump, the tension in his body increasing until he just said, "You know what, I don’t want to talk about him."USA TODAY COLUMNIST SAYS UNITED STATES HAS ALREADY 'LOST' THE WORLD CUP BECAUSE OF POLITICS, DONALD TRUMPI respected that, glanced up at the Japan vs.Sweden soccer match on the TV and said, "How are you liking the World Cup?""I love it," he smiled.Not long after Tom left, Sweeney came in.
Her real name is Jennifer but everyone, including me now, calls her Sweeney.She grew up here and lives in Indiana now.WO...