"She had worked 22 days straight in her job as a technician at an engine plant to save up, and now Daijah Bryant could finally do what she was putting off: Christmas shopping. Bryant pushed her cart out of a Walmart in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and loaded her sedan's backseat with bags of gifts. While they would soon bring joy to her friends and family, it was difficult for the 26-year-old to feel good about the purchases."
"Ahead of President Donald Trump's Friday evening visit to Rocky Mount, some residents say they are feeling an economic squeeze that seems hard to escape. The uneasy feeling spans political affiliation in the town, which is split between two largely rural and somewhat impoverished counties, although some were more hopeful than others that there are signs of reprieve on the horizon."
"Rocky Mount may be in a politically advantageous location, but the hardships its residents report mirror the tightening financial strains many Americans say they are feeling, with high prices for groceries, housing and utilities among their top concerns. Polls show persistently high prices have put Americans in a grumpy mood about the state of the economy, which a large majority say is performi"
Daijah Bryant worked 22 consecutive days at an engine plant to afford Christmas shopping but found the purchases dampened by simultaneous rent and bill pressures. Rocky Mount residents report an economic squeeze that spans political affiliations across two largely rural, somewhat impoverished counties, though some see potential relief. President Trump scheduled a visit to promote his economic policies ahead of consequential midterm elections. State Republicans redrew the eastern North Carolina congressional district to favor their party. Local hardships mirror national concerns about high grocery, housing and utility prices and reduced confidence in the economy.
Read at Fortune
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