November 17, 2025 08:05:48 AM
November 17, 2025 08:05:48 AM
Despite President Donald Trump’s claims that crime is out of control in big cities, residents of the nation’s largest metropolitan centers are less likely to cite crime and gun violence as the main concerns facing their communities.
What do the entire community have in common? Anxiety over daily household finances.
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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., on his way back to the White House on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Seneta)
Issues that people in big cities and rural areas agree on
A new study from the American Communities Project/Ipsos provides a nuanced analysis of local concerns by categorizing the nation’s counties into community types using data points such as race, income, age, and religious affiliation. The study assessed moods and priorities across 15 different community types, including Hispanic neighborhoods, large cities, and various types of rural communities.
The survey showed that while pessimism about the country’s future has increased in urban areas since last year, rural Americans are more optimistic about the country’s future, even though most people do not see the economic recovery promised by President Trump.
In contrast, the proportion of metropolitan residents who say they are hopeful about the country’s future has fallen from 55% last year to 45% in this survey.
With Hispanic voters swinging sharply toward Trump in the 2024 election, the poll also found that residents of areas with large Hispanic populations feel worse about the future of their communities than they did before Trump was elected. read more.
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President Trump has threatened to deploy the National Guard into major urban centers to combat rampant urban crime.
But data shows that violent crime in these places and most across the country has declined in recent years. This is consistent with research showing that residents of America’s largest cities and mid-suburbs will be less likely to cite crime and gun violence as the biggest issues facing their communities than they were in 2023, and instead focus on immigration and health care.
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Democrats and some Republicans are pushing measures to force the Justice Department to release more documents related to the case. A change of president would be a tacit admission that they had enough votes to pass the House.
Foreign students flock to U.S. universities despite visa crackdowns
Foreign students enrolled in significant numbers at U.S. universities this fall despite fears that the Trump administration’s crackdown would cause a steep decline, but a new report shows signs of turmoil, with fewer first-time students enrolling from other countries.
Across U.S. campuses, the number of international student enrollments this fall was down 1% compared to last year, according to a study by the Institute of International Education. However, this number is supported by the large number of students who remained in the United States for temporary jobs after graduation. The number of new students entering the United States for the first time fell by 17%, the largest decline since the coronavirus pandemic.
The Trump administration is seeking to reduce the United States’ dependence on foreign students, with the White House asking universities to limit the number of foreign students admitted and increase admissions from the United States. In June, the State Department began reviewing visa applications more rigorously after temporarily suspending all interviews. read more.
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International students make up about 6% of American college students, but they play a large role in campus budgets. Most students pay high tuition fees and receive no financial aid, effectively subsidizing U.S. students.
