More Americans disapprove than approve of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

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A month following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, more Americans disapprove than approve of the decision – 53% to 30%. Democrats and women are more likely to disapprove than Republicans or men.

Over half are at least somewhat angry or sad about the decision, including 4 in 10 who are very/extremely angry or sad. Half say the ruling makes them feel at least somewhat anxious or hopeless, of which 3 in 10 say they feel very/extremely hopeless or anxious. Women are more likely than men to say they feel very or extremely anxious (32% vs. 23%) or sad (41% vs. 34%).

While most Americans generally support legal abortion in the United States, many continue to feel there should be some restrictions on the procedure. CONTINUED

AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

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The Republican Advance in the South — and Other Party Registration Trends

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Key Points
• Party registration can be a lagging indicator of political change, but recent changes in some states are bringing registration more in line with actual voting.
• Republicans have taken the voter registration edge in states such as Florida and West Virginia somewhat recently, and Kentucky flipped to them just last week. Democrats have built bigger leads in several blue states.
• Democrats hold a substantial national lead in party registration, but a lot of that has to do with the fact that a number of states, many of which are Republican-leaning, do not register voters by party. A little less than two-thirds of the states register voters by party (31 states plus the District of Columbia).
• Overall, Republicans have made gains over Democrats in 19 states since summer 2018, when we last looked at these trends, while Democrats have made gains over Republicans in 12 states and the District of Columbia. There are more registered Democrats than Republicans in 17 of these states plus DC, and more registered Republicans than Democrats in 14. CONTINUED

Rhodes Cook, Sabato’s Crystal Ball

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Just 5 Percent Of Young Voters Strongly Approve Of Biden’s Performance

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The president’s support among young voters — who generally trend Democratic — is anemic, with their level of support comparable with his numbers among whites without college degrees and white evangelical Christians.

Part of the problem for Biden may be his big promises: then-candidate Biden promised transformational change, but his narrow control of the Senate and intraparty opposition has constrained his progress on key goals like climate. Despite the president’s posture as a deal-maker, he has been largely absent from efforts to break the legislative logjam.

NPR Politics Podcast

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Biden’s approval rating just dipped under one marker ‘you don’t want to be below’

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President Joe Biden’s job approval rating in July is his lowest since taking office, with support among independent voters steadily dwindling, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll.

If independents serve as a weathervane for public opinion, Biden faces strong headwinds of dissent. In July 2021, nearly half of all independent registered voters said they approved of Biden’s performance so far. Now, nearly half – 46 percent – say they “strongly disapprove” of Biden’s presidency. Overall Biden support from independents has dropped by 20 percentage points, a trend that could weigh down Democratic candidates running for Congress this November.

In the new poll, about a third of U.S. adults – 36 percent – say they like how Biden is leading the nation. Another 57 percent said they disapprove of his performance — his highest disapproval rating yet. CONTINUED

Laura Santhanam, PBS NewsHour

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You Trust the Media More Than You Say You Do

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If you follow the trendline of plummeting trust in newspapers, as just updated by Gallup, you could make an argument that by the year 2030 or so, 0 percent of respondents will say they have any “confidence” in newspapers and TV news. …

Will the last poll respondent to lose confidence in newspapers and TV news, please cancel his subscription and turn off his TV?

This downer news about the news — and its hell-bound trajectory — surely measures something, but what? …

Gallup’s wording of its question is pretty vague. It didn’t ask respondents to rate the specific newspapers they read but to express their levels of confidence in the newspaper as an institution. They might have gotten a more positive answer if they had asked people how they feel about the daily newspaper they actually read. CONTINUED

Jack Shafer, Politico Magazine

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In Harvard study of Jan. 6 rioters, top motivation is clear: Trump

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Researchers at Harvard University who conducted the largest study yet of what motivated Jan. 6 rioters say the data is clear: The most common responses focused on former President Donald Trump and his lies about the election.

The study, which was shared with NBC News ahead of its publication, logged and analyzed the motives of 417 Capitol rioters, all of whom have been charged in relation to Jan. 6. The motives were derived from 469 documents filed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, including charging documents and sentencing memoranda. CONTINUED

Ben Collins, Ryan J. Reilly & Jacob Ward, NBC News

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