Opinion Today: Topline
Selected links from the May 18, 2026, edition of Opinion Today
Trump’s Approval Sinks Amid Unpopular War, Darkening G.O.P. Prospects Lisa Lerer, Ruth Igielnik and Camille Baker, The New York Times [unlocked] With the midterms nearing, President Trump’s approval rating has hit a second-term low as voters question his handling of the economy, according to the latest New York Times/Siena poll.
A Crack in the Polling Floor Puts Trump in New Territory Nate Cohn, The New York Times [unlocked] Stress, uncertainty as economy views decline; many voice frustration with Trump's economic approach, CBS News poll finds Anthony Salvanto, Fred Backus and Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News
Buy Now, Pay Later in U.S. Shopping Sarah Elizabeth Hogenboom-Jones, Gallup
How Opportunity Takes Root: Understanding the Conditions for People and Places to Thrive The Walton Family Foundation
Why Neutral Maps Could Empower Black Voters as Much as the Voting Rights Act Nate Cohn and Eve Washington, The New York Times [unlocked]
What GOP officials are hopeful — and worried — about six months from the midterms Matt Dixon, NBC News The Trump-Jeffries Social-Media War Is Heating Up Ahead of the Midterms Ken Thomas and Alex Leary, The Wall Street Journal [unlocked] For Trump, Soaring Prices Test Voters’ Finances and Patience Tony Romm and Ben Casselman, The New York Times [unlocked] A Republican You’ve Never Heard of Points the Way David French, The New York Times [unlocked] The E-Trade presidency: Trump trades stocks while America burns Will Bunch, The Philadelphia Inquirer [unlocked] Trump-backed prayer festival on National Mall draws thousands: ‘We welcome Jesus!’ Michelle Boorstein, Laura Meckler and Mariana Alfaro, The Washington Post [unlocked] We Are Sliding Back Into the Middle Ages Katya Ungerman, The New York Times [unlocked] Trump administration promotes program to check voter eligibility. Critics fear a midterm purge John Hanna, The Associated Press Trust, Financial Literacy, and Financial Behaviors: Shaping Retirement Security Maya Haran Rosen, Annamaria Lusardi & Olivia S. Mitchell, National Bureau of Economic Research
There’s more in the FULL edition of Opinion Today, sent to paid subscribers today at 5 a.m. ET:
PLAYLIST
Poll: Trump's approval rating on the economy still falling
CBS NewsInflation Is the GOP’s Problem Now. Will Voters Look Past It?
WSJ What’s NewsAmericans Should Be Happy, But They're Not
What A DayA prayer festival calls for more religion in politics, not less
Consider This from NPR