The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Secretary of Defense has directed the deployment of the USS Lake Erie guided-missile cruiser, along with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, to SOUTHCOM as part of efforts to combat narcoterrorism.
A memo reveals that Trump’s Department of Homeland Security formally requested military assistance in Chicago last week, saying ICE requires significant backup to carry out deportations “efficiently and securely.”
UPDATE: The tragic cable car crash in Lisbon has killed 15 people and injured 18, with five in serious condition; medics report that several of the victims, both dead and injured, have foreign surnames.
A National Health Service doctor in the United Kingdom who has repeatedly expressed support for Hamas and issued antisemitic statements online is facing disciplinary proceedings that could strip her of her license. Dr. Rahmeh Aladwan, a physician who describes herself as a longtime pro-Palestine activist, revealed last week that she had been referred to the Interim Orders Tribunal (IOT), which has the authority to suspend or restrict medical practitioners pending a full investigation into their fitness to practice. The IOT is part of the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, the independent body that rules on whether doctors and associates remain eligible to work in the UK. Aladwan announced the referral in a post on X, claiming that the “Israel lobby” was trying to bypass normal investigative processes to suspend her license, describing the move as retaliation for her public positions. “This is not the result of any professional failure,” she wrote, “but the outcome of a coordinated lobbying campaign against me because of my public stance against the genocide in Gaza being carried out with my tax pounds.” Aladwan has drawn repeated complaints to the General Medical Council over her social media activity and public statements. She has said she has participated in more than 300 pro-Palestinian protests over the last two years. In recent weeks, she has amplified and authored posts explicitly supporting Hamas and the October 7 attacks on Israel. On Wednesday, she retweeted a post calling the massacre “an act of resistance” and wrote in late August that “If and when Palestinians win – there will be no ‘Israel.’” Her feed is filled with incendiary rhetoric targeting Jews and Jewish institutions. On August 27 she posted, “Am Yisrael lie. Soon…Am Yisrael bye. Then, Am Yisrael die. Finally, Am Yisrael cry, cry, cry.” She has denied that antisemitism exists, claiming Jews are “oppressors and colonizers,” and wrote that “most synagogues, Jewish organizations, agencies, institutions, and communities are Zionist.” She has repeatedly praised Hamas fighters, writing on August 30, “Glory to the Palestinian armed resistance, the bravest men on earth,” and on July 23, “I don’t condemn Hamas. I don’t condemn October 7. I don’t condemn armed resistance to occupation.” Jewish News noted that referral to the IOT does not guarantee that Aladwan will lose her license. The tribunal has, in some cases, allowed doctors accused of antisemitism to resume practicing medicine. In August, the outlet reported that another NHS medic, Dr. Rehiana Ali, had her suspension lifted despite claiming Judaism prescribes killing Christians. Aladwan, who continues to portray herself as a victim of political retaliation, insists she is being targeted for her activism rather than professional misconduct. But her case will test how far the UK’s medical regulatory system is prepared to go in confronting physicians whose public rhetoric strays into explicit support for terrorism and antisemitism. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Israeli leaders on Wednesday dismissed Hamas’s latest claim of readiness for a sweeping hostage-prisoner exchange, underscoring the gulf between the sides as U.S. and regional players continue to probe for a way back to negotiations. In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Hamas’s announcement was “another attempt to spin” the situation, reiterating that Israel would not end the war without the release of all hostages, the disarmament of Hamas, the establishment of a civilian-led government in Gaza and continued Israeli security control over the enclave. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz struck an even sharper tone. “Hamas continues to deceive and issue empty words, but it will soon understand that it must choose between two options,” he said. “Accepting Israel’s conditions to end the war — first and foremost, the release of all hostages and disarmament — or Gaza City will become like Rafah and Beit Hanun. The IDF is fully prepared.” The remarks came after Hamas reiterated its own conditions: a comprehensive deal under which all Israeli hostages would be released in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners. The group made its announcement on Wednesday evening, shortly after President Donald Trump publicly called on Hamas to release all 20 living hostages. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Netanyahu to reengage. “The Israeli government does not have to accept Hamas’s conditions,” he said. “It does have to return to negotiations immediately and try to close a deal. It is impossible not to even try to bring our hostages home.” Behind the scenes, U.S. officials are working to restart talks, according to informed sources. One source told the Jerusalem Post that Hamas’s statement could be viewed as “a response to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s demand for a comprehensive deal, indicating the opening positions of both sides. The debate is also spilling into questions over the future governance of Gaza. Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American involved in the hostage deal discussions, told Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya channel that he had floated a proposal for the release of all hostages before Trump’s latest social media intervention. Hamas, he said, questioned its credibility. “Israelis believe that Netanyahu will not agree to any deal without significant U.S. pressure,” Bahbah added. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The IDF said Wednesday that its air force killed two Hezbollah-linked operatives in southern Lebanon within the span of two hours, underscoring persistent tensions along the border despite a ceasefire in place since late last year. One of the men, identified as Al-Munim Musa Sweidan, was struck in the southern town of Yater. The IDF described him as Hezbollah’s representative in the town, responsible for coordinating with residents and facilitating the group’s use of private property for storing weapons and conducting surveillance. A separate strike targeted a member of the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese Resistance Brigades in the village of Shebaa, the IDF said. The military described both men’s activities as violations of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The strikes came a day after an encounter involving Israeli drones and UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel near the village of Marwahin. UNIFIL said four grenades were dropped close to observers clearing roadblocks, including one within 20 meters of UN staff and vehicles. The peacekeeping mission called the episode “one of the most serious attacks on UNIFIL personnel and assets since the cessation of hostilities agreement last November.” The IDF said its forces had detected a “suspicious presence” in the area and deployed several stun grenades to disrupt the situation. The military emphasized that no deliberate fire was directed at UNIFIL and that no injuries occurred. Following the incident, Israeli officials said they used communication channels with UNIFIL to clarify what had happened. UNIFIL, which has patrolled southern Lebanon since 1978, recently saw its mandate extended through 2026 by the UN Security Council, with a drawdown scheduled the following year. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Mexico and the United States on Wednesday agreed during U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to keep collaborating on cross-border security, including fighting the trafficking of drugs, guns and fuel, but made clear it would be done from their respective sides of the border, respecting each other’s sovereignty at a time of heightened concerns over U.S. intervention in the region. What had initially been advertised as the signing of a broad security agreement evolved into the possibility of a memorandum of understanding, but in the end was a reaffirmation of the collaboration Mexico and the U.S. have said they’ve been doing all along. The priorities remain stopping fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into the U.S., and preventing high-powered guns bought in U.S. gun shops from being smuggled into Mexico, while continuing to control migration, which has fallen dramatically. The new development was the establishment of a “high-level implementation group” that would be the mechanism for that continued collaboration. “This is a high-level group that will meet and coordinate on a regular basis to make sure that all the things we are working on, all the things we have agreed to work on, are happening, are being implemented,” Rubio said. “It’s the closest cooperation we’ve ever had, maybe between any country, but definitely between the U.S. and Mexico,” Rubio said. Mexico Foreign Affairs Secretary Ramón de la Fuente said, “It’s fundamental to show to U.S. society, Mexican society, that yes, models of cooperation, of collaboration can be built that work, that give results.” Rubio spoke after meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday to stress the importance the U.S. places on cooperating with Washington on Western Hemisphere security, trade and migration. Rubio will visit Ecuador on Thursday on his third trip to Latin America since taking office. Sheinbaum has voiced fears of the U.S. encroaching on Mexican sovereignty. Gunboat diplomacy The meeting came a day after President Donald Trump dramatically stepped up his administration’s military role in the Caribbean with what he called a deadly strike on a Venezuelan drug cartel. Trump has alienated many in the region with persistent demands and threats of sweeping tariffs and massive sanctions for refusing to follow his lead, particularly on migration and the fight against drug cartels. Likely to heighten those concerns is the U.S. having deployed warships to the Caribbean and elsewhere off Latin America and announcing a lethal strike on an alleged Tren de Aragua gang vessel carrying narcotics. Rubio continued defending the strike without addressing details, including whether those aboard the boat were warned before being fired upon. “The president, under his authority as commander in chief, has a right under exigent circumstances to eliminate imminent threats to the United States,” Rubio said. His Mexican counterpart, de la Fuente, emphasized his country’s preference for “nonintervention, peaceful solution of conflicts.” The U.S. has a complicated legacy of sticking its hand in Latin American affairs, and American military interventions — particularly during the Cold War — in the region played a major part in destabilizing governments and paving the way for coups in countries like Guatemala and Chile. In recent years, the U.S. has taken a more subtle approach, providing foreign assistance to many countries, including training security forces, but not making direct strikes like what was seen Tuesday in Caribbean waters. Mexico’s president pushes back on Trump saying she’s not ready to target cartels Trump […]
A Queens mother and child narrowly escaped an anti-Semitic attack last Thursday morning when a man wielding a metal pipe chased them down a Bayswater street while shouting violent threats, police said. The 59-year-old woman was pushing her 7-year-old child in a stroller just after 9 a.m. outside Khal Chassidim of Bayswater, a shul on Westbourne Avenue, when the attacker confronted them, according to a criminal complaint. The assailant allegedly screamed “Kill the Jews!” while swinging the pipe and pursuing the pair for nearly a block. The victims managed to flee into a nearby home and called 911. Responding officers arrested the suspect, identified as 53-year-old Courtney Bryan, at the scene. Unconfirmed reports state that the attacker was wearing a keffiyeh at the time of the incident. Police said a metal pipe was recovered in front of the house where the woman and child found refuge. Neither victim was physically injured, but both were left shaken by the ordeal. Bryan has been charged with menacing, harassment, stalking, and endangering the welfare of a child — all as hate crimes — in addition to criminal possession of a weapon. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is leading the investigation. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The House rejected a resolution to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., and remove her from a committee that oversees immigration and national security as she faces federal charges stemming from a visit to an immigration detention facility. The House voted 215-207 to table the measure, a sign that some were uncomfortable moving forward with censure while McIver’s case is still pending in the courts. A trial in her case has been scheduled for November. Democratic lawmakers unanimously voted to table the resolution, which was sponsored by Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La. Five Republicans joined them and two others voted present. As the resolution was being read, some Democrats were incensed. “Liar,” some shouted. “Shame,” yelled one Democratic lawmaker. Many Republicans streamed out of the chamber before the vote concluded. Democrats cheered and hugged at the final tally’s reading. “The censure attempt against me has failed. Rightfully so. It was a baseless, partisan effort to shut me up,” McIver wrote on social media after the vote. “I was not elected to play political games — I was elected to serve. I won’t back down. Not now. Not ever.” Republicans sought to punish McIver for a confrontation with federal law enforcement during a congressional visit to a new immigration detention facility in Newark, N.J. McIver has pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing her of assaulting and interfering with immigration officers outside the facility. The censure resolution recounted how McIver is alleged to have interfered with Homeland Security Investigations officials’ ability to arrest an unauthorized visitor. It said she is alleged to have slammed her forearm into the body and forcibly grabbed an HSI officer. The resolution also said body camera and other video evidence supported the allegations made in the federal indictment. The measure said such actions did not reflect credibly on the House and that her continued service on the House Homeland Security Committee was a significant conflict of interest. The committee’s portfolio includes oversight of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which operates the detention center that McIver tried to enter. The effort had the backing of GOP leadership. Some Republicans expressed dismay with the outcome. “We have a member of Congress who assaulted an ICE officer. I don’t even know what we’re doing anymore,” said Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida. Donalds said he did not know why some Republicans broke ranks to back the motion to table the censure resolution. Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said the McIver vote was “a breath of fresh air in such a toxic environment.” McIver won a special election last year after Democratic Rep. Donald Payne Jr. died in office. She won a full two-year term in November. McIver was joined by two other New Jersey Democrats, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez, during a visit to a privately owned 1,000-bed facility that ICE is using as a detention center. Newark’s mayor, Democrat Ras Baraka, was arrested after officials determined he was not authorized to enter. That charge was later dropped. Baraka is suing over what he said was a malicious prosecution. Parts of the confrontation can be seen on a nearly two-minute video clip from the visit released by the Department of Homeland Security. The video shows McIver on the facility side of a chain-link […]
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has pulled veteran presenter Juliet Newell off the air after she pressed a prominent guest on whether comparing Israel’s war in Gaza to the Holocaust was “provocative.” The controversy erupted during a live interview this past Friday with Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, chair of the Desmond Tutu IP Trust, which had issued a statement likening famine in Gaza to Nazi extermination policies. When Ramphele repeated the claim, Newell interjected: “But how can you compare them? I’m not saying Gaza isn’t horrific. It is horrific. But comparing them, it almost undermines what the Holocaust was all about.” Ramphele pushed back: “It is a holocaust by any definition… What happened in the Holocaust was a people, the Nazis, who decided that the Jews have to be exterminated. It’s the same thing.” The exchange ended with the two agreeing to disagree, but the fallout was immediate. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign accused SABC of “whitewashing” Israel’s military campaign, while South Africa’s Sunday Times mocked Newell as a “Mampara,” local slang for fool. Hours later, SABC announced she would be taken off the schedule, citing its mandate to ensure “diverse viewpoints.” The firing drew a sharp rebuke from Jerusalem. “Instead of standing by journalist @julietnewell for rejecting a grotesque Holocaust distortion, @SABCNews removed her from the air. Punishing integrity while tolerating falsehood is a moral failure,” Dani Dayan, chairman of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, wrote on X. The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) called SABC’s move “an attack on editorial independence,” arguing Newell was fulfilling her duty to test extraordinary claims. “Drawing comparisons between contemporary Israeli policy and that of the Nazis is antisemitic under the IHRA definition,” the group said. “Newell signposted opposing views and sought to inform viewers rather than inflame them. Punishing her is censorship by proxy.” The federation demanded SABC review the decision, issue an apology, and reaffirm editorial independence. The uproar comes as South Africa intensifies its campaign against Israel, including a high-profile genocide case at the International Court of Justice. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Federal officials have agreed to restore health- and science-related webpages and data under to a lawsuit settlement with doctors groups and other organizations who sued. The settlement was announced this week by the lead plaintiffs in the case, the Washington State Medical Association. Soon after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, federal health officials deleted or removed information on a range of topics including pregnancy risks, opioid-use disorder and the AIDS epidemic. The move was made in reaction to a Trump executive order that told agencies to stop using the term “gender” in federal policies and documents. The administration saw it as a move to end the promotion of “gender ideology.” Doctors, scientists and public health advocates saw it as an “egregious example of government overreach,” says Dr. John Bramhall, the organization’s president, said in a statement. “This was trusted health information that vanished in a blink of an eye — resources that, among other things, physicians rely on to manage patients’ health conditions and overall care,” Bramhall said. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has agreed to restore more than 100 websites and resources to the state they were in, said Graham Short, a spokesperson for the Washington State doctors’ group. “We expect the sites will be restored in the coming weeks,” Short said in an email. The case was filed in federal court in Seattle. The plaintiffs include, among others, the Vermont Medical Society, the Washington State Nurses Association and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care. The defendants included U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and federal health agencies and officials who work under him. Federal officials responded to questions about the settlement with this statement: “HHS remains committed to its mission of removing radical gender and DEI ideology from federal programs, subject to applicable law, to ensure taxpayer dollars deliver meaningful results for the American people.” The case is similar to one filed in Washington, D.C., by Doctors for America and others against the government. That lawsuit also sought to force the government to restore health information to the public, and the two cases overlapped somewhat in the websites they targeted, Short said. In July, a judge in the Doctors for America case ordered restoration of websites. As of last week, 167 of the websites at issue had been restored and 33 were still under review, according to a court filing. (AP)
A leading cardiologist is urging Americans not to trust federal health guidance under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose leadership has already sparked turmoil inside the nation’s top public health agencies. Dr. Jonathan Reiner, appearing on CNN, told anchor Boris Sanchez that Kennedy’s actions — including the firing of CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez last week — have undermined confidence in the federal government’s health recommendations. His remarks came as nine former CDC directors published a blistering New York Times op-ed accusing Kennedy of “endangering every American’s health” by advancing vaccine skepticism. “Americans need to rely on their physicians,” Reiner said. “Professional groups like the American Association of Pediatrics and the American College of Gynecology — these are the voices Americans should turn to. Ultimately, the nation’s doctors and health care providers are really the boots on the ground.” Reiner added that patients should seek guidance directly from their doctors on issues such as COVID-19 and flu vaccinations or pregnancy-related care — not from the HHS secretary. “Do not trust, in my opinion, the leadership of HHS,” he said. Sanchez responded to the blunt assessment with a single word: “Wow.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
A federal judge in Boston on Wednesday ordered the reversal of the Trump administration’s cuts to more than $2.6 billion in funding research grants for Harvard University. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs sided with the Ivy League school, ruling the cuts amounted to illegal retaliation for Harvard’s rejection of White House demands for changes to its governance and policies. The ruling delivers a significant victory to Harvard in its battle with the Trump administration, which also has sought to prevent the school from hosting foreign students and threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status. The ruling reverses a series of funding freezes that later became outright cuts as the Trump administration escalated its fight with the nation’s wealthiest university. If it stands, it promises to revive Harvard’s sprawling research operation and hundreds of projects that lost federal money. Beyond the courthouse, the Trump administration and Harvard officials have been discussing a potential agreement that would end investigations and allow the university to regain access to federal funding. President Donald Trump has said he wants Harvard to pay no less than $500 million, but no deal has materialized even as the administration has struck agreements with Columbia and Brown. Harvard’s lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of waging a retaliation campaign against the university after it rejected a series of demands in an April 11 letter from a federal antisemitism task force. The letter demanded sweeping changes related to campus protests, academics and admissions. It was meant to address government accusations that the university had become a hotbed of liberalism and tolerated anti-Jewish harassment on campus. Harvard President Alan Garber pledged to fight antisemitism but said no government “should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.” (AP)
Florida plans to become the first state to eliminate all childhood vaccine mandates, a move that critics called “reckless and dangerous.” State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo cast current requirements in schools and elsewhere as an “immoral” intrusion on people’s rights that hampers parents’ ability to make health decisions for their children. “People have a right to make their own decisions, informed decisions,” said Ladapo, who has frequently clashed with the medical establishment, at a news conference in Valrico. “They don’t have the right to tell you what to put in your body. Take it away from them.” Physician groups and other health organizations have long considered vaccines to be safe and the most effective way to stop the spread of communicable diseases, especially among schoolchildren. Dr. Rana Alissa, chair of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said removing vaccines puts students and school staff at greater risk. “When everyone in a school is vaccinated, it is harder for diseases to spread and easier for everyone to continue learning and having fun,” Alissa said in an email. “When children are sick and miss school caregivers also miss work, which not only impacts those families but also the local economy.” Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani, who is running for Orlando mayor, said in a social media post that scrapping vaccines “is reckless and dangerous” and could cause outbreaks of preventable disease. “This is a public health disaster in the making for the Sunshine State,” she said on the social platform X. Meanwhile, the Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon and California announced Wednesday that they created an alliance to safeguard health policies, contending that the administration of President Donald Trump is politicizing public health decisions. The partnership plans to coordinate health guidelines by aligning immunization plans based on recommendations from respected national medical organizations, according to a joint statement from Gov. Bob Ferguson of Washington, Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. In Florida, vaccine mandates for child day care facilities and public schools include shots for measles, chickenpox, hepatitis B, Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis, polio and other diseases, according to the state Health Department’s website. The state Health Department, Ladapo said, can scrap its own rules for some vaccine mandates, but others would require action by the Florida Legislature. He did not specify any particular vaccines but repeated several times the effort would end “all of them. Every last one of them.” Under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida resisted imposing COVID vaccines on schoolchildren during the pandemic, requiring “passports” for places that draw crowds, school closures and mandates that workers get the shots to keep their jobs. “I don’t think there’s another state that’s done as much as Florida. We want to stay ahead of the curve,” the governor said. DeSantis also announced the creation of a state-level “Make America Healthy Again” commission Wednesday modeled after similar initiatives pushed at the federal level by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The commission would look into such things as allowing informed consent in medical matters, promoting safe and nutritious food, boosting parental rights regarding medical decisions about their children, and eliminating “medical orthodoxy that is not supported by the data,” DeSantis said. The commission will be chaired by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and Florida […]
An electric streetcar that is one of Lisbon’s landmarks and a big draw for tourists derailed Wednesday, killing 15 people and injuring 18 others, emergency services said. Five of the injured were in serious condition and a child was among the injured, the National Institute for Medical Emergencies said in a statement. An unknown number of foreigners were among the injured, it said. Authorities called it an accident, the worst in the city’s recent history, and it cast a pall over Lisbon’s charm for the millions of foreign tourists who arrive every year. The yellow-and-white streetcar, which is known as Elevador da Gloria and which goes up and down a steep downtown hill in tandem with one going the opposite way, was lying on its side on the narrow road that it travels along. Its sides and top were partially crumpled, and it appeared to have crashed into a building where the road bends. Parts of the vehicle, made mostly of metal, were crushed. Several dozen emergency workers were at the scene but most stood down after about two hours. Eyewitnesses told local media that the streetcar careened down the hill, apparently out of control. One witness said the streetcar toppled onto a man on a sidewalk. Carris, the company that operates the streetcar, said scheduled maintenance had been carried out. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa offered his condolences to affected families, and Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas said the city was in mourning. “It’s a tragedy of the like we’ve never seen,” Moedas said. Portugal’s government announced that a day of national mourning would be observed on Thursday. “A tragic accident … caused the irreparable loss of human life, which left in mourning their families and dismayed the whole country,” it said in a statement. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also sent her condolences. “It is with sadness that I learned of the derailment of the famous Elevador da Gloria,” she wrote in Portuguese on X. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. It reportedly occurred at the start of the evening rush hour, around 6 p.m. Emergency officials said all victims were pulled out of the wreckage in just over two hours. An investigation into the causes will begin once the rescue operation is over, the government said. The streetcar, technically called a funicular, is harnessed by steel cables and can carry more than 40 people, seated and standing. It is also commonly used by Lisbon residents. The service up and down a few hundred meters (yards) of a hill on a curved, traffic-free road was inaugurated in 1885. It is classified as a national monument. Lisbon hosted around 8.5 million tourists last year, and long lines of tourists typically form for the brief rides on the popular streetcar. (AP)
WATCH: After deadly strike on Venezuelan drug boat, Sec. Rubio says US military will continue targeting cartels. “What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them.”
Pessimism about the U.S. economy has reached historic levels, with most Americans declaring that the American dream is no longer within reach, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NORC poll. The survey found that only one in four U.S. adults believes they have a good chance of improving their standard of living — a striking collapse of confidence in a country long defined by economic mobility. Nearly half of respondents said they expect the economy to get worse over the next year, compared with just a quarter who anticipate improvement, while the rest expect little change. Perceptions of the economy remain overwhelmingly negative. A majority of Americans, 56 percent, described the economy as either “poor” or “not so good.” Even though that number has eased slightly from last year, the outlook remains grim. Equally stark was the finding that 69 percent of Americans believe the American dream — the belief that hard work leads to a better life — is no longer true or never was. The survey also underscored deep financial unease. Nearly half of respondents described themselves as only “more or less satisfied” with their current financial situation, while 30 percent admitted to being outright dissatisfied. Just 22 percent expressed satisfaction. Inflation remains a central strain: nearly a third of Americans reported major financial hardship from rising prices, and another third said inflation is at least a minor burden. Even among those not yet hit hard, many warned they will feel the squeeze if prices keep climbing. Housing affordability stood out as another major concern. Fewer than a quarter of Americans said they were very confident they could buy a home if they wanted to, while more than half said they had little or no confidence in their ability to do so. Despite a modest uptick in optimism — with 44 percent rating the economy as “excellent” or “good,” six points higher than last year — the poll confirms a bleak national mood. At its core, the findings suggest a public increasingly resigned to economic stagnation and doubtful that the path to prosperity is still open. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
