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Once the party of foreign policy "hawks," Republicans have increasingly cooled on foreign entanglements and military support for allies, particularly after Trump took office in 2016. Republican senators Marco Rubio, who is from DeSantis' home state, and Lindsey Graham, both former presidential candidates, criticized isolationists within their party. "People care about foreign policy, but I think it's kind of mixed on Ukraine funding," said Trudy Caviness, a member of the Iowa Republican State Central Committee. By embracing Trump's hands-off brand of foreign policy, DeSantis risks turning off some of the white-collar Republicans that are most eager to move on from the former president. That will give the eventual winner of the Republican nomination significant power to shape the party's foreign policy preferences going forward.

☆ Americans are wary of bailouts as banking concerns mount -Reuters/Ipsos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jason Lange | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Stock markets have swooned around the world since Silicon Valley Bank collapsed on Friday as worried customers pulled their deposits. In a 2012 Reuters/Ipsos poll, only 20% of Republicans and 53% of Democrats said they supported bailouts. About half of respondents to the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they had heard at least a fair amount about Silicon Valley Bank's implosion. The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed broad bipartisan support for Washington backing bank deposits. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted online, surveyed 1,004 people nationwide and had a credibility interval of about 4 percentage points in either direction.

REUTERS/Bing GuanMarch 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will announce an executive order on Tuesday that reinforces background checks for gun buyers in what the White House is promoting as the most comprehensive policy the president can enact without Congress. In a country with more than 40,000 gun deaths per year, Biden is betting that voters will embrace more proactive gun control. The Biden administration is pointing to public opinion polls that show a majority of Americans support background checks. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last year found 84% of respondents supported background checks for all firearms sales and 70% backed red flag laws. Some gun rights advocates oppose background checks, saying they infringe on constitutional rights to possess arms while failing to stop criminals from getting them.

☆ Biden's public approval ticks up to 42%, highest since June: Reuters/Ipsos poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jason Lange | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's public approval rating edged up to 42%, its highest level since June, as inflation has eased in the United States and job growth has stayed strong, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. Since then, his approval level has risen gradually, with this week's 42% job approval up from 41% recorded a month earlier. The Reuters/Ipsos poll has a margin of error of three percentage points either way. Biden's administration is currently defending in court an program to forgive some student loans made by the federal government, and the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed sharp partisan divisions on the issue, much like they have on Biden's own performance. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted throughout the United States, gathered responses from 1,023 adults, using a nationally representative sample.

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's team is moving to tap top Democratic allies and even some people once seen as possible rivals as key representatives of his expected re-election bid. Biden's team is making other steps, too, including thinking through possible options for a campaign manager a host city for the 2024 party convention where Biden would be formally nominated. The campaign's strategy is expected to be set by the same inner circle that guided Biden's 2020 race against Republican former President Donald Trump, including his final 2020 campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon. In the absence of a formal re-election announcement, the White House continues to book Biden in campaign-style appearances across the country. On Monday, Biden is expected to speak to the International Association of Fire Fighters, the first major labor group to endorse him ahead of the 2020 campaign.

☆ 'Bregret'? Many Brits are suffering from Brexit regret
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Polling suggests that a majority of Brits now think that the U.K. was wrong to leave the European Union. NurPhoto / Contributor / Getty ImagesLONDON — Almost seven years and four prime ministers since the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, polling suggests public sentiment has turned against Brexit. "The second thing is the increasing number of leave and other voters who are coming to see Brexit as having had negative economic impacts." But longer-term factors played a role, and he suggested that a lengthy stagnation in living standards, partly caused by the austerity policies introduced by David Cameron's government, contributed to the anger unleashed across working-class communities in the Brexit vote. Brexit being 'redefined' Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a landslide election victory in 2019 with a promise to "get Brexit done," touting an "oven-ready" withdrawal agreement he had negotiated with the European Union.

☆ Fact Check-Clip of Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussing U.S. support to Ukraine taken out of context online
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A short clip of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussing U.S. support to Ukraine and repercussions should Russia invade a NATO member state has been taken out of context online with the false suggestion that he was calling for U.S. troops to fight on the ground in Ukraine. The 19-second clip shared online originates from a 2-hour news briefing delivered by Zelenskiy on Feb. 24, marking the first anniversary of the full-scale war. Thank you.”Zelenskiy, via the translator, responded by first thanking “all the American people that are supporting Ukraine” (timestamp: 1.37.59s). He subsequently states that the number of Americans who view that the U.S. is providing too much support for Ukraine is increasing. Zelenskiy was discussing the repercussions should Russia invade a NATO member state if Ukraine loses the war, not calling for U.S. troops to join the current war in Ukraine.

☆ Here's why American men die younger than women on average and how to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Charlotte Morabito | In Charlottemorabito | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Men die younger than women in the United States, on average. American women had a life expectancy of 79 years in 2021, compared with men's, which was only about 73, according to CDC data. "Across, basically, almost every major cause of death, men are more likely to die than women are." That means there are some steps we can take to work toward helping men live longer. Watch the video above to learn more about why men die younger on average than women and what we can do to change it.

[1/2] Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden addresses the International Association of Fire Fighters in Washington, U.S., March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - U.S. first lady Jill Biden wants Americans to know that her husband, President Joe Biden, does plan to run for a second four-year term, and she's all for it - even as a formal declaration of his intentions has yet to be made. Cedric Richmond, a former Biden White House adviser, said Biden would announce "whenever he's ready" when asked if an announcement was coming in March or April. Some 71% of respondents, including 52% of Democrats, said they did not believe that Biden should run for re-election in 2024. Democratic strategist Bud Jackson said the issue of whether Biden should run again is a topic of great debate in Democratic circles.

They are demanding steep spending cuts to tame the deficit at a time when the United States is pumping billions of dollars in military and other aid into Ukraine. For now, Republican leaders in Congress, who fiercely oppose Biden on most issues, support aid for Ukraine's defense, even calling for Washington to send more powerful weapons, more quickly. "Americans' support for Ukraine is reflected in strong bipartisan support Ukraine assistance has received in both houses of Congress," Watson said. A global Ipsos poll late last year found that majorities in NATO members including Canada, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and Poland back continued military support to Ukraine. Only in Hungary and Italy did more oppose than support it, and those countries' leaders have fallen in line with European initiatives to support Ukraine.

☆ Biden, 80, to have closely watched physical exam
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the IBEW Local 26 in Lanham, Maryland, U.S., February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden, 80, will undergo a closely watched physical examination on Thursday, ahead of an expected announcement that he is seeking a second four-year term. His last physical and colonoscopy, in November 2021, showed the president to be a "healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male," his doctors said. At his last exam, Biden's White House physician, Kevin O'Connor, declared him fit for duty and able to execute his responsibilities. Biden told Judy Woodruff in a PBS interview last week that any Americans concerned about his age should "watch me" perform the duties of the presidency.

Haley this week became just the second major Republican to say she is seeking the party's presidential nomination in 2024, taking on her old boss former President Donald Trump. But voters in the state also have repeatedly reelected Republican Governor Chris Sununu, a far more moderate voice than Trump's, and in November rejected hard-right Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Bolduc. Haley will appear at an evening town hall event in Exeter, about 45 miles (70 km) north of Boston in southern New Hampshire. In the first days of her campaign, Haley has stressed the need for generational change. The Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary have traditionally been the first two events of the U.S. presidential nominating season.

The former South Carolina governor is just the second Republican to seek the party's backing to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden, 80, who is expected to seek reelection next year. [1/7] Former South Carolina Governor and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley announces her run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination at a campaign event in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. February 15, 2023. Nikki will be a leader with an iron fist in a velvet glove," he told Haley supporters at her Charleston campaign event. If she wins, she would be the first non-white or female Republican presidential nominee.

CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb 15 (Reuters) - Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley is expected to focus on the threats China and Russia pose to the United States and the need for fresh blood atop the Republican ticket in the first stop of her campaign for the 2024 presidential nomination on Wednesday. China has captured renewed attention in the United States over the past week after the U.S. military shot down what officials said was a Chinese spy balloon off the South Carolina coast. She is scheduled to speak in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, at 11 a.m. local time (1600 GMT). Haley is later slated to swing through Iowa and New Hampshire, which will hold the first and second Republican nominating contests of the 2024 campaign cycle. She may not be the only South Carolina Republican eyeing the White House.

The decision, announced after financial markets closed, gives Biden a pair of trusted Washington insiders to steer economic policy as the risk of recession fades but inflation lingers. Big fights also loom with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives over raising the debt ceiling. The shakeup comes as the White House tries to tackle what officials view as a frustrating disconnect between relatively strong economic data and weak public sentiment. The White House has refused to discuss spending cuts without a debt ceiling vote first. Bernstein last week conceded that the White House's early description of inflation as "transitory" had missed the mark.

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, among others. [1/7] Old welcome signs heralding the hometown of former South Carolina governor and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley sit behind the town center in Bamberg, South Carolina, U.S. February 14, 2023. Haley will kick off the start of her 2024 presidential campaign in Charleston, South Carolina. "People don't understand, unless you were here, just what a demonstrative act of leadership that was," said Tom Davis, a Republican state senator who is backing Haley's presidential bid.

☆ Most Americans think college admissions should not consider race -Reuters/Ipsos poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Gabriella Borter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sixty-seven percent of white respondents said they were against considering race at all in admissions, compared with 52% of minority respondents. In the Reuters/Ipsos survey, 46% of respondents said social policies such as affirmative action discriminated unfairly against white people. That view was held by 49% of white respondents and 39% of minority respondents. While most poll respondents said they did not think college admissions offices should consider race at all, 58% of all respondents said they supported programs aimed at increasing racial diversity of students on college campuses. Respondents also were asked how significantly other factors ought to play into college admissions.

"If the debt limit is not raised or suspended before the extraordinary measures are exhausted, the government would be unable to pay its obligations fully," the CBO report said. "As a result, the government would have to delay making payments for some activities, default on its debt obligations, or both." CBO Director Phillip Swagel attributed the rise to higher interest rates that particularly are hitting the housing industry, coupled with slowing business investment. REUTERS/Elizabeth FrantzRepublicans, who control the House of Representatives, want to withhold a debt limit increase until Democrats agree to deep spending cuts. Democrats in turn say the debt limit should not be "held hostage" to Republican tactics over federal spending.

☆ Analysis: Scotland's Sturgeon bows out at 'critical moment' for independence fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

While Sturgeon said she was "firmly of the view that there is now majority support for independence in Scotland", the polls suggest there is more work to do. In the aftermath of the court ruling, some polls showed a majority support for independence, but that has recently come down back towards 2014 levels. "If that stops being the case, then that really could knock them back, and really could damage the cause of Scottish independence." "The movement has been left with no clear strategy for independence," Salmond, who now leads the Alba party, said. "Voters see no clear successor to (Sturgeon) - it illustrates how dominant a figure she has been for so long," pollster Mark Diffley said.

"I think it shows Biden's support level is pretty soft," said Kyle Kondik, an elections analyst at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. Democratic strategists expressed confidence that the party's voters would enthusiastically support Biden once he announces his run. Biden was the pick for 35% of Democrats and Trump for 43% of Republicans. 2 with 31% of registered Republicans backing him, just 12 percentage points behind Trump. By comparison, only a quarter of registered Republicans said Trump, 76, who was hospitalized with COVID-19 during his presidency, was not fit for the physical demands of the office.

WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump leads a potentially wide field of Republicans expected to seek their party's nomination for the 2024 presidential election, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll. Trump received support from 43% of registered Republicans in the Feb. 6-13 poll, while 31% said they supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and just 4% picked former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who announced her White House run on Tuesday. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is weighing a White House bid but has also not announced one, got 7% of Republican support in the poll. The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,465 registered Republicans, part of a larger sample of more than 4,000 adults nationwide. The poll's credibility interval, a measure of precision, was about 3% for registered Republicans.

"I know there have been questions and concerns about this, but there is no, again no indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. On Sunday, a U.S. Air Force general said he would not rule out aliens or any other explanation yet, deferring to U.S. intelligence experts. John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, answers questions during the daily press briefing with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinMultiple White House officials ruled out the possibility that the objects came from extraterrestrials on Monday. "I don't think the American people need to worry about aliens with respect to these crafts, period," White House spokesperson John Kirby said during a White House briefing with reporters on Monday.

Where to live is a very personal decision. But with some degree of remote work seemingly here to stay, The Wall Street Journal set out to put data and analysis behind how to identify great places to live if you have the option to work from home. We started out by commissioning a custom survey, with Ipsos conducting a nationwide poll of 1,050 adults in the U.S. in August 2022. This poll allowed us to identify the top 10 factors people said they cared most about in a remote-work location and to weight them accordingly in our ranking. Our unique ranking highlights places you may not have thought to put at the top of your list, but that fit the criteria people say they care about the most when it comes to a great place to work remotely.

☆ Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Super Bowl Ad Reflects a Shift in Strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Jennifer Maloney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Squeezed by inflation, people are drinking at home again. The shift is causing whiplash for companies like Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, which had to pivot during the pandemic when consumers were stuck at home in lockdown and then flocked back to bars and restaurants when restrictions were lifted. Consumers in December said they were dining out less and eating at home more than they had over the past year, and they planned to eat at home even more in the coming month, according to a survey across 15 countries by Ipsos, a survey-based research company. AB InBev, which charts consumer trends through online panels, has received similar feedback.

☆ Italy's Meloni says France risks undermining EU unity on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday accused France of jeopardising EU unity on Ukraine by organising a Franco-German dinner in Paris with the Ukrainian president that excluded other European allies. "What was right was the photo of Zelenskiy with the 27 (EU leaders). "It is not easy for any of us to handle the Ukraine issue with public opinion. "Obviously I would have preferred him to be there," Meloni told reporters after the two-day EU summit. Reporting by Crispian Balmer and Alvise Armellini, Editing by Federico Maccioni and William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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