Rural communities are being squeezed from every side.

From rising health care costs to crumbling hospitals, from attacks on public schools, to the fight for paid family and medical leave.

Farmers and small businesses are reeling from the trade war.

And now, Project 2025 is back with a plan to finish what Elon Musk started.

Trump and the Republicans won rural votes, then turn their backs on us.

Join the One Country Project for the Rural Progress Summit, July 8 through the 10th.

This free virtual event brings together leaders like Senator Heidi Heikam,

Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Governor Andy Beshear and others

for real talk and real solutions.

Together we'll tackle the most urgent issues facing rural America.

Register today or learn more at RuralProgress.com.

This is John Batson, a conversation with my colleague, Charles Burton, of the synopsis,

about the Dalai Lama at 90 years old, saying the choice for the next Dalai Lama will come in the traditional way.

However, Beijing means to shortcut it by choosing its candidate who will be obedient to the Chinese Communist Party.

Here Charles outlines the steps ahead.

Not very encouraging, but right now the 90-year-old Dalai Lama challenges all the power of the People's Republic of China.

Good for him.

Here's Charles.

More of this later.

Absolutely not.

But, you know, other Buddhist institutions, which are largely dominated by China and which are more and more channels for Chinese influence operations, may give credibility to the other Dalai Lama. There's also the possibility that the Chinese regime will try and downplay the role that Dalai Lama altogether and suggest that the Panshan Lama, their Pansion Lama, who met with Xi Jinping about a week ago to express his support for Mr. Xi and his rule, would be the key figure for the focus for Tibetan culture and civilization and religion

or other figures out of, say, Inner Mongolia, for example.

...