🚜 “White Rural Rage”

Good morning. This is Shades of the Day, the daily newsletter that summarizes and organizes the different shades of perspective in news and culture so that you can see the big picture quickly.

Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed. The easiest (and most fun!) way to do that is with the Shades mobile app, where this newsletter’s content is pulled from.

It’s Sunday, April 7 — here’s what you’ll find in today’s newsletter:

• The east coast earthquake

• The new book “White Rural Rage”

• 4 quick hits of news from the last 24 hours

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

🏙️ The east coast earthquake

A New Jersey earthquake sent shockwaves through the east coast.

🏙️ A 4.8-magnitude earthquake in New Jersey shook the east coast. The NY Post said tremors could be felt in NYC and the tri-state area.

🏙️ NY Gov. Kathy Hochul said it was “one of the largest” quakes the East Coast had seen in the past century. Ny1.com reported that NYC saw no major damage, but JFK flights were grounded.

🏙️ But Barstool Sports thought the jolt of the NJ quake was more surprising than scary — they initially thought the “street sweeper had clipped the curb”.

🏙️ And The NYT says NYC actually gets earthquakes pretty frequently. They tend to go unnoticed because of their minor magnitude.

🏙️ At least NYers seemed to have a good sense of humor about it. @moschinodorito on TikTok made light of the situation.

🚜 “White Rural Rage”

The book “White Rural Rage” offers a deep dive into the fury in America's heartland — but some say the author's got it all wrong.

🚜 The author of “White Rural Rage” says rural white Americans are showing signs of political resentment — anger that threatens to undermine democracy.

🚜 WaPo liked it: “White Rural Rage” takes no prisoners. It reveals the misplaced anger and squandered political power of rural America.

🚜 But City Journal disagreed: “White Rural Rage” mocks and demonizes rural Americans. It paints an unfair, stilted picture.

🚜 And The Atlantic was also a harsh critic: “White Rural Rage” is full of academic misfires. It scapegoats rural whites while ignoring urban threats.

Quick hits

🇮🇱 Israel pulls ground troops from southern Gaza but maintains a smaller force, with no ceasefire until hostages are freed.

🚔 Trump says he would consider it a “great honor” to be jailed over a gag order violation, likening himself to Mandela.

🇷🇺 Russian propaganda concerns raised by an Ohio Republican, claiming it's influencing the US Congress.

🏛️ Ecuadorian police raided the Mexican Embassy in Quito, arresting former VP Jorge Glas and prompting Mexico to cut diplomatic ties.

Thanks for reading. If you have any feedback about our newsletter and what changes you’d like to see, please share it here — or you can email me at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!