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15%
A new Gallup poll finds just 15% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing. And in what may be an ominous sign for Republicans, the share of GOP voters who view Congress favorably dropped 21 points to just 33% in the poll conducted just after the shutdown began — a stark shift from a high of 63% earlier this year, after Republicans gained control of both chambers.
62%
A new PRRI poll finds 62% of Americans believe the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, fueled by dissatisfaction with President Trump’s impact on the economy, immigration, race relations and the nation’s global standing. Even among Republicans, a significant share — nearly 30% — gave Trump low marks on the economy and how the government is functioning. A new AP-NORC poll found 69% of Americans thought the nation was headed in the wrong direction and 30% in the right direction.
7 million
No Kings organizers reported over 7 million participants in more than 2,700 events across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. on October 18, 2025; that figure appears in the movement’s materials and in some media summaries published around the protests, reported Democracy Now!.
$3.9 billion
Americans are expected to spend $3.9 billion on candy this Halloween, reports USA Today.
$15 billion
“The two-week-old federal government shutdown is costing the U.S. economy about $15 billion a day in lost output, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday, putting an estimate on its economic toll and urging Democrats to ‘be heroes’ and side with Republicans to end it,” Reuters reports.
337
Axios reports that 337 mass shootings have occurred so far this year in the U.S. as of Oct. 11, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Any incident involving more than four people being shot, not including the shooter, is considered a mass shooting.
62%
Gallup: “Sixty-two percent of Americans say the federal government has too much power, with most of the rest saying the government’s power is about right. This latest reading, the first in President Donald Trump’s second term, is up from 51% a year ago and is the highest in Gallup’s trend since 2002, by two percentage points.”
59%
A new KFF poll finds 59% of the public disapprove of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s overall job performance, while 62% disapprove of his handling of U.S. vaccine policy.
25%
“Nearly a quarter of FBI agents across the country are currently assigned to immigration enforcement, with the number climbing to upward of 40 percent in the nation’s largest field offices,” the Washington Post reports. “The intense focus on immigration has raised alarm among current and former FBI agents who say morale is low across the bureau as agents have less time to dedicate to the often complex cases they were hired to work on.”
59%
The Democratic Party’s favorability ratings have just about hit their lowest point of the year. Overall, 59% view the party unfavorably, equal to the party’s nadir in late July, according to Decision Desk HQ. Only 36% hold a favorable opinion, resulting in a -23 net favorability rating.
