Jim VandeHei: “We’re alive at the single greatest moment in U.S. and human history. By a lot.”

“It’s not even close, by almost every empirical measure. We live longer, better, richer, healthier and freer than those before us.”

“Yes, we screw a lot up. Always have. Always will. But nothing bothers me more than the widespread pessimism and plummeting patriotism — when it should be a time of great hope and possibility.”

“To me, that yawning gap between our reality and how people feel about it is among the biggest macro issues facing us.”

The Economist: “These are unsettling times, even for the rich. Many of those wealthy enough to move abroad for low taxes or their physical or political security are less sure these days about settling in Dubai or Hong Kong, even America or Britain. Dry your eyes, however, for plenty of governments remain eager to take in foreigners with money and skills. And a growing industry of trusted advisers stands ready to help the rich relocate.”

“For these consiglieri, business is booming. Last year more than 140,000 millionaires migrated, the most on record, reckons New World Wealth, a research firm; this year it expects the figure to rise to 165,000.”

“Most Americans believe the country has moved away from its founding principles as the nation prepares for its big 250th anniversary,” a new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll finds.

“Eighty-three percent of U.S. adults feel America has strayed from the ideals the country was founded on two-and-a-half centuries ago.”

Semafor: “One-third of US adults say they are ‘extremely proud’ to be an American, the lowest reading since Gallup started asking the question 25 years ago.”

“In 2001, 55% of US adults reported being extremely proud to be an American. After 9/11, the figure shot up, reaching 70% in 2004. But partisan politics and anger towards Trump appears to be driving down the count of Americans feeling proud.”

“Voters in both parties prefer federal oversight of prediction markets to state oversight, according to a pair of polls commissioned by the industry’s Coalition for Prediction Markets and shared first with Semafor,” Semafor reports.

“That breaks down to 48% of Republicans who favor federal oversight versus 27% who prefer state oversight, Donald Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio’s firm found, while 45% of Democrats favor federal oversight and 35% prefer state oversight, according to the Democratic firm Global Strategy Group.”

“President Donald Trump wants his name on most anything: money, buildings, airports, warships, even the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration,” NOTUS reports.

“But one item is increasingly out of reach: newborns.”

“In 2025, the baby name ‘Donald’ hit its lowest point of popularity in U.S. history, according to data maintained by the Social Security Administration.”

Associated Press/NORC Poll: “Only about one-quarter of Americans say the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world, the new poll found, while 44% say it’s one of the greatest countries in the world, along with some others. About 3 in 10 say there are better countries than the U.S.”

“Nearly half of Americans say they don’t consider themselves a part of either major political party, the highest level of partisan independence measured by CNN polling in more than a decade,” CNN reports.

“Independents have grown to 47% of the population, rising roughly 10 points since just after President Donald Trump’s first term as president.”

“Americans have a bleak outlook on the nation’s future ahead of its 250th birthday next month, with most saying the U.S. has already seen its best days and a record-low number saying they are extremely proud to be Americans,” according to a new NBC News poll.

Wall Street Journal: “Consider the following qualifications for public office: An accusation of sexual misconduct or marital infidelity; voluntary or involuntary association with any of the following: Tucker Carlson, Hasan Piker or Joe Rogan; use of a racial slur in a public appearance or online post; publicly brawling or picking a fight.”

“Not long ago, ticking any one of these boxes would have meant disqualification. Today, they are effectively bona fides.”

“That, at least, seems to be the political calculation of the dudebro candidate, an emerging type who has dominated the political conversation this primary season. And while the actual electoral results thus far are mixed, the collective precedent is already upsetting long-held assumptions about what it takes to run for office.”

Quinnipiac Poll: “Sixty-one percent of Americans think the United States today is not living up to the ideal stated in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, while 35 percent think the United States today is living up to that ideal.”

Gallup: “Only one in six Americans say they feel financially fulfilled, meaning their personal finances allow them to live the life they want.”

Gallup: “One in three Americans say they lack agency in their lives, feeling like their lives are mostly dictated by circumstances beyond their control. This sentiment is expressed most commonly by younger and lower-income Americans.”

Derek Thompson: “Why has the number of births declined everywhere, all at once?”

Wall Street Journal: “For decades, the swath from the Dakotas to Ohio steadily lost population to other parts of the country, as manufacturing jobs disappeared and the growth of the service economy pulled people to the South.”

“Now signs are emerging that the out-migration is slowing, and, in some places, even starting to reverse.”

“It may be too early to call a Midwest Renaissance, but for the first time in years, the numbers are pointing in an upbeat direction.”

Faith Hill: “Journalists and political commentators keep speculating and debating: Will the young men who moved rightward crawl back in the other direction?”

“That may depend, it turns out, on whether you’re talking about young men—or even younger men. The spring 2026 Yale Youth Poll, released last month, found that a majority of respondents—and roughly 70 percent of the young adults—disapproved of Trump. Even with men under 30, the president lost ground compared with Yale’s fall 2025 poll.”

“But the data also revealed a dividing line: Among 23-to-29-year-old men, support for Democrats increased by 14 percentage points. Among 18-to-22-year-old men, it fell by a percentage point—even while their approval of Trump declined somewhat.”

A new Pew Research survey finds 59% of Americans say the country’s best years are behind us, while 40% say its best years are ahead.

New York Times: “With a new generation of candidates who were active on X, Reddit and YouTube years before announcing political careers, it’s unsurprising that so many are seeing their past statements come back to haunt them…”

“Opposition researchers have never had more content to draw from. Yet they say that voters also seem more willing than ever to forgive past unsavory viewpoints and social media misdeeds — spurred in part by President Trump, who has proved that voters can overlook outrageous statements.”