2 days ago
President Donald Trump’s sinking ratings threaten to drag down Republicans in November’s midterm elections, as voters blame him for high prices and a shaky economy, according to a new NBC News poll.
The president’s approval rating stands at 41% among registered voters, a second-term low in the poll, with a majority (55%) of voters saying they believe Trump’s policies have hurt the economy. That’s up from 48% in March, before the Iran war pushed up prices on gas and other goods and cemented the rising cost of living as voters’ most pressing issue.
Democrats hold a 5-point edge in the battle for control of Congress, 50%-45% — not nearly as large a lead as the 12-point advantage the party enjoyed at this point before the 2018 election, when Democrats rode an anti-Trump wave to the House majority in his first midterm as president. Despite that lead, the Democratic Party is still viewed more negatively than Trump and the GOP.
That could help Republicans, along with the fact that the fight for control of the House and especially the Senate is playing out in traditionally Republican parts of the country. Democrats would have to flip multiple states Trump carried by double digits in 2024 to win the Senate.
“We have a classic battle between these numbers and the political geography in which this campaign will be decided,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, whose firm conducted the survey alongside Democratic firm Hart Research ***** ociates. “And the Republicans are still standing because of the geography in which this election will be won or lost.”
#president
The president’s approval rating stands at 41% among registered voters, a second-term low in the poll, with a majority (55%) of voters saying they believe Trump’s policies have hurt the economy. That’s up from 48% in March, before the Iran war pushed up prices on gas and other goods and cemented the rising cost of living as voters’ most pressing issue.
Democrats hold a 5-point edge in the battle for control of Congress, 50%-45% — not nearly as large a lead as the 12-point advantage the party enjoyed at this point before the 2018 election, when Democrats rode an anti-Trump wave to the House majority in his first midterm as president. Despite that lead, the Democratic Party is still viewed more negatively than Trump and the GOP.
That could help Republicans, along with the fact that the fight for control of the House and especially the Senate is playing out in traditionally Republican parts of the country. Democrats would have to flip multiple states Trump carried by double digits in 2024 to win the Senate.
“We have a classic battle between these numbers and the political geography in which this campaign will be decided,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, whose firm conducted the survey alongside Democratic firm Hart Research ***** ociates. “And the Republicans are still standing because of the geography in which this election will be won or lost.”
#president
27 days ago
Wine waiter Caroline Kraetzer earns $40 an hour, double what most service staff in San Francisco are paid but then it costs a lot to eat at her restaurant.
At a set price of $140 per person, La Cigale is one of a small number of US restaurants charging higher prices so it can pay high salaries - and it doesn't allow tips.
It tells customers: "What you see is what you pay. We do not accept tips, your kind words and return visits will suffice."
Kraetzer says it is good to no longer be "reliant on the generosity of strangers to pay the bills".
While waiting staff at other restaurants can make a lot of money from tips, she says "you're often there two hours before service, and again when you're closing after the guests have left, so you are making minimum wage during that time".
#kraetzer #service #caroline #cigale
At a set price of $140 per person, La Cigale is one of a small number of US restaurants charging higher prices so it can pay high salaries - and it doesn't allow tips.
It tells customers: "What you see is what you pay. We do not accept tips, your kind words and return visits will suffice."
Kraetzer says it is good to no longer be "reliant on the generosity of strangers to pay the bills".
While waiting staff at other restaurants can make a lot of money from tips, she says "you're often there two hours before service, and again when you're closing after the guests have left, so you are making minimum wage during that time".
#kraetzer #service #caroline #cigale
2 months ago
Consuming less sugar during pregnancy and the first years of life may lower the risk of developing dementia decades later, according to new research.
A study published in Neurology found that people who were exposed to less sugar before birth and during their first one to two years of life had up to a 23% lower risk of developing dementia compared with those born after sugar became widely available again.
Researchers examined the health records of more than 64,000 people in the United Kingdom who were born before and after World War II sugar rationing ended in 1953.
People who experienced lower sugar intake before birth and through their first year of life had a 21% lower risk of dementia, while those whose sugar intake remained limited through age two had a 23% lower risk, researchers found.
Daily Eating Habit Linked To Better Brain Health In Older Adults, New Research Suggests
#Research
A study published in Neurology found that people who were exposed to less sugar before birth and during their first one to two years of life had up to a 23% lower risk of developing dementia compared with those born after sugar became widely available again.
Researchers examined the health records of more than 64,000 people in the United Kingdom who were born before and after World War II sugar rationing ended in 1953.
People who experienced lower sugar intake before birth and through their first year of life had a 21% lower risk of dementia, while those whose sugar intake remained limited through age two had a 23% lower risk, researchers found.
Daily Eating Habit Linked To Better Brain Health In Older Adults, New Research Suggests
#Research
2 months ago
(NewsNation) — The tantalizing prospect of inspecting a mysterious monolith on the surface of Mars moon Phobos was proposed earlier this century but never took off — to the disappointment of theoretical physicist Maaneli "Max" Derakhshani.
The 300-foot-tall anomaly, which stands in stark relief to its lunar surroundings, has intrigued observers for years. More than a few have likened the object to the iconic "monolith" from "2001: A ******* e Odyssey." In that 1968 film, it was a sort of alarm mechanism on Earth's moon to alert aliens about human progress.
NASA has classified the Phobos monolith as a boulder. But Derakhshani notes the ******* e agency and the SETI Institute — a private organization looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence in the universe — were supportive of an effort in the early-2000s to send a robotic lander to the unusual feature of Phobos to take a physical sample for ******* ysis.
Mysterious moon towers: Are there bases on the lunar surface?
Proponents at the time tried to downplay the potential mission as, "Oh, this is purely geological study," Derakhshani told "Reality Check with Ross Coulthart" recently.
The 300-foot-tall anomaly, which stands in stark relief to its lunar surroundings, has intrigued observers for years. More than a few have likened the object to the iconic "monolith" from "2001: A ******* e Odyssey." In that 1968 film, it was a sort of alarm mechanism on Earth's moon to alert aliens about human progress.
NASA has classified the Phobos monolith as a boulder. But Derakhshani notes the ******* e agency and the SETI Institute — a private organization looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence in the universe — were supportive of an effort in the early-2000s to send a robotic lander to the unusual feature of Phobos to take a physical sample for ******* ysis.
Mysterious moon towers: Are there bases on the lunar surface?
Proponents at the time tried to downplay the potential mission as, "Oh, this is purely geological study," Derakhshani told "Reality Check with Ross Coulthart" recently.
2 months ago
By Greg Torode
HONG KONG, July 10 (Reuters) - China's submarine-fired ballistic missile test into the southern Pacific on Monday gave its military leadership an opportunity to examine some of the most complex and sensitive operations of its evolving nuclear deterrent, ***** ysts and diplomats say.
Commanding, controlling and communicating with nuclear-armed submarines attempting to operate undetected pose immense challenges, they say - something felt acutely by a Chinese Communist Party leadership where the military's political loyalty is paramount.
"This aspect is certainly something that would have been very much evaluated, besides looking at the actual technical capabilities of the missile and submarine," said Collin Koh, a security scholar at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
"There are still challenges ahead but it would seem they are getting close to an operational strike capability here...they are probably trying to demonstrate that even if they can't get into a position to hit the continental U.S., they could still target Guam and Hawaii."
HONG KONG, July 10 (Reuters) - China's submarine-fired ballistic missile test into the southern Pacific on Monday gave its military leadership an opportunity to examine some of the most complex and sensitive operations of its evolving nuclear deterrent, ***** ysts and diplomats say.
Commanding, controlling and communicating with nuclear-armed submarines attempting to operate undetected pose immense challenges, they say - something felt acutely by a Chinese Communist Party leadership where the military's political loyalty is paramount.
"This aspect is certainly something that would have been very much evaluated, besides looking at the actual technical capabilities of the missile and submarine," said Collin Koh, a security scholar at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
"There are still challenges ahead but it would seem they are getting close to an operational strike capability here...they are probably trying to demonstrate that even if they can't get into a position to hit the continental U.S., they could still target Guam and Hawaii."
3 months ago
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso's military government severed diplomatic ties with France, its former colonial ruler that had been a key security partner for the West African nation before relations fractured.
The junta said in a statement Friday it broke off relations with France effective immediately, accusing it of "blatant neo-colonial ambitions and active support for subversive networks and terrorists," without providing evidence.
France's Foreign Minsitry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said in a statement that the country regrets the "hostile and unfounded decision, which illustrates the worrying drift of the Burkinabè authorities."
"Necessary reciprocal measures are currently under review," he said. Confavreux added that France is monitoring the safety of French government personnel and citizens in Burkina Faso and urged them to exercise heightened vigilance.
The West African country of 23 million people has been battered by yearslong violence perpetrated by extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as government forces often accused of extrajudicial killings. Its wider Sahel region is the world's deadliest region for extremism.
The junta said in a statement Friday it broke off relations with France effective immediately, accusing it of "blatant neo-colonial ambitions and active support for subversive networks and terrorists," without providing evidence.
France's Foreign Minsitry spokesman Pascal Confavreux said in a statement that the country regrets the "hostile and unfounded decision, which illustrates the worrying drift of the Burkinabè authorities."
"Necessary reciprocal measures are currently under review," he said. Confavreux added that France is monitoring the safety of French government personnel and citizens in Burkina Faso and urged them to exercise heightened vigilance.
The West African country of 23 million people has been battered by yearslong violence perpetrated by extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as government forces often accused of extrajudicial killings. Its wider Sahel region is the world's deadliest region for extremism.
3 months ago
Two days after three of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's endorsed congressional candidates won their elections in the New York primaries, the NYC Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) delivered another win for the mayor.
On Thursday night, the board voted 7–1 to freeze the rent for 1 million apartments in the city. The rent freeze applies to both one- and two-year leases, and prevents rent increases for more than 40 percent of apartments in the city, reports The New York Times. Those apartments that are covered by the freeze include "high-rise luxury apartments, deeply affordable subsidized units and 150-year-old walk-ups," according to the Times.
Freezing the rent was one of Mamdani's key campaign promises (remember this?), and one that depended on support from the RGB, which is now largely filled with Mamdani's appointees.
New York University Stern School of Business professor Arpit Gupta was the lone dissenting vote. On Thursday, he outlined his opposition to the rental freeze in City Journal, warning that "freezing the price of a service indefinitely while its costs continue to rise does not produce cheap or abundant service. Instead, it produces deteriorating ******* ets and, eventually, public bailouts and takeovers."
Although Mamdani claims rental freezes ensure affordability, Gupta argued these measures benefit New Yorkers based on luck, not need.
"The protection offered by a stabilized lease is effectively a transferable property right, one that can be held for life and, in practice, is often passed down to other family members," he wrote. "A rent freeze increases the value of that right, turning the benefit into something closer to a lottery prize than targeted welfare ******* istance."
On Thursday night, the board voted 7–1 to freeze the rent for 1 million apartments in the city. The rent freeze applies to both one- and two-year leases, and prevents rent increases for more than 40 percent of apartments in the city, reports The New York Times. Those apartments that are covered by the freeze include "high-rise luxury apartments, deeply affordable subsidized units and 150-year-old walk-ups," according to the Times.
Freezing the rent was one of Mamdani's key campaign promises (remember this?), and one that depended on support from the RGB, which is now largely filled with Mamdani's appointees.
New York University Stern School of Business professor Arpit Gupta was the lone dissenting vote. On Thursday, he outlined his opposition to the rental freeze in City Journal, warning that "freezing the price of a service indefinitely while its costs continue to rise does not produce cheap or abundant service. Instead, it produces deteriorating ******* ets and, eventually, public bailouts and takeovers."
Although Mamdani claims rental freezes ensure affordability, Gupta argued these measures benefit New Yorkers based on luck, not need.
"The protection offered by a stabilized lease is effectively a transferable property right, one that can be held for life and, in practice, is often passed down to other family members," he wrote. "A rent freeze increases the value of that right, turning the benefit into something closer to a lottery prize than targeted welfare ******* istance."
3 months ago
Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, was admitted to the hospital on June 14, though his office did not immediately confirm why the lawmaker needed medical attention.
McConnell spokesperson David Popp shared with reporters that "Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning" and "he is receiving excellent care."
McConnell, one of the most influential American politicians in modern history, first joined the U.S. Senate in 1984 and served as the Republican leader in the chamber from 2007 through 2024 before he was succeeded by Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.
The Kentucky Republican, 84, announced in February last year that he would retire at the end of his term, which ends in 2027.
McConnell has struggled publicly with his health in recent years. He froze up while speaking with reporters in two 2023 incidents and suffered several falls, using a wheelchair at times as a precaution.
McConnell spokesperson David Popp shared with reporters that "Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning" and "he is receiving excellent care."
McConnell, one of the most influential American politicians in modern history, first joined the U.S. Senate in 1984 and served as the Republican leader in the chamber from 2007 through 2024 before he was succeeded by Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.
The Kentucky Republican, 84, announced in February last year that he would retire at the end of his term, which ends in 2027.
McConnell has struggled publicly with his health in recent years. He froze up while speaking with reporters in two 2023 incidents and suffered several falls, using a wheelchair at times as a precaution.
