Young men are swinging away hard from Republicans, pessimistic about economy, new poll finds
www.politico.com

... Republicans' 2024 gains among young men have evaporated -- and that could have instant ramifications this November, according to a new Cygnal poll.

President Donald Trump narrowly carried young men in 2024, according to exit polls, a big swing toward the GOP from past elections. But Democrats' generic ballot lead among men ages 18-30 who say they are the most determined to vote now sits at 57%-40%, according to the poll.

Trump's favorability is underwater at just 38%-55%, and Republicans' net favorability among the demographic now sits at -9 points, with 40% viewing the party favorably and 49% unfavorably.

One silver lining for the GOP: Among all registered voters sampled, including those least likely to turn out in November, the Democratic generic ballot lead is much smaller, 44% to 41%.

"It is not a very good electorate, if you're the Republican Party, among the people who are the most determined to vote," said Alex Tarascio, pollster and principal at Cygnal, in an interview with POLITICO ahead of the poll's release during Thursday's Symposium on Young American Men. ...

CNN, Politico, MS Now regain access to White House after court order
courthousenews.com

...The White House on Thursday reversed course and restored access to journalists from CNN, Politico and MS Now, after several hours' delay complying with a federal judge's order blocking President Donald Trump's ban on the outlets.

In a sworn declaration, Director of White House Press Operations Micah Stopperich wrote that White House Operations were notified at 7:10 a.m. EST to begin restoring access, which they did by 9:55 a.m. EST.

The three outlets said their journalists were then able to enter the White House in time to begin covering Chinese Prime Minister Xi Jinping's state visit. ...

How much debt does the average person in the US owe?
usafacts.org

... Americans owe $63,500 in debt on average, as of the second quarter of 2026. Compared to the previous quarter (January through March 2026), the average adult owed $1,400 less after adjusting for inflation, reflecting slight shifts in household borrowing patterns. This debt, often referred to as "household debt," represents the total amount owed by individuals for obligations such as mortgages, student loans, credit cards, and auto loans.

These figures represent the average debt owed by US residents with a credit score, which includes roughly 80% of adults. While this gives a general sense of Americans' debt burdens, remember that actual individual debt varies " some carry much more or less debt than this average. ...

How much do households owe in mortgage debt?

While household debt takes many forms -- student loans, auto loans, credit card balances -- mortgage debt accounted for around 70.1% of all household debt in 2025. ...

What other types of debt are most common?

Non-mortgage household debt is dominated by vehicle and educational debt. On average, auto loans and student loans currently make up 29.9% and 28.9% of non-mortgage debt, respectively. Educational debt more than tripled between 2003 and 2020, and it decreased 21.3% between 2020 and 2025. ...

What We Know Now: Donald Trump's Financial Ties to Saudi Arabia
saudipress.com

... A detailed breakdown of decades-long business dealings culminating in tens of millions in Saudi-linked revenue for Trump and his businesses
Donald Trump has maintained a complex financial relationship with Saudi Arabia stretching back decades, and recent disclosures suggest the ties have grown markedly since his return to the presidency.

While the former president denied having direct financial interests in the Kingdom, available records show multiple deals and significant capital flows linking his business network to Saudi investors.

Early, more modest transactions date to the 1990s and early 2000s"such as the sale of the Plaza Hotel and floors of Trump World Tower to Saudi-related buyers.

More recently, Forbes and other outlets report that from his extended family's enterprises, at least nine distinct deals with Saudi-linked parties occurred after his first presidential term ended, funneling millions into Trump-branded licensing and private-equity ventures.

The most striking recent estimate places the Trump family's gain from Saudi-connected transactions in 2024 at roughly fifty million dollars.

The Trump Organization itself has also publicly announced new Saudi-linked luxury developments: for instance, a Saudi developer agreed in late 2024 to launch Trump Tower Jeddah, followed by further expansion announcements in the Kingdom this year.

These developments coincide with a broader surge in U.S."Saudi commercial engagement under President Trump's agenda of "America First" investment deals.

In May 2025, Trump announced what was described by the White House as a Saudi commitment of six-hundred billion dollars in U.S. investment, anchored by defence, energy, technology and infrastructure agreements.

While much of this involves corporate and state-level commitments, Trump's personal and family business ties to Saudi-linked investors stand out within that broader context.

The overlap of Trump's business network and U.S."Saudi bilateral diplomacy poses questions about the convergence of financial interests and public office.

According to the analysis, Kushner's firm, Affinity Partners, also plays a role, having secured Saudi sovereign-wealth-fund backing while participating in deals supported by the Trump orbit.
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