Monday, July 06, 2026
Most Say Trump Doesn't Pursue The Right Priorities To Solve U.S. Problems
The chart above reflects the results of the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between June 26th and 29th of a nationwide sample of 1,606 adults (including 1,428 registered voters).The margin of error is 3.2 points for both adults and registered voters.
Nearly Half Of Americans Didn't Know What Event They Were Celebrating On The 4th
This chart is from a Cato Institute survey -- done on June 25th and 26th of a nationwide sample of 2,253 adults, with a 2 point margin of error.
Sunday, July 05, 2026
Median Wealth In The U.S. Falls (As Too Much Goes To The Rich)
The following is part of an article from Daniel Orton at Newsweek:
The typical American has suffered a major decline in wealth since the start of the decade, even as the United States has continued to create millionaires at a remarkable pace, according to UBS’ Global Wealth Report 2026.
UBS found that inflation-adjusted median wealth per adult in the U.S. fell significantly between 2020 and 2025, while average wealth per adult increased, underscoring a growing divide between households in the middle and those at the top of the wealth ladder.
The distinction is crucial. Median wealth reflects the assets held by people in the middle of the wealth distribution and is often viewed as a better measure of the financial position of a typical household. Average wealth, by contrast, can be heavily influenced by gains among the wealthiest Americans.
Despite the decline for the median American, the U.S. remains one of the wealthiest countries in the world. UBS estimates average wealth per adult at $696,277, the second-highest level among the markets surveyed. Yet median wealth stands at only $68,998, highlighting the extent to which wealth is concentrated among a relatively small share of households. . . .
For middle-class Americans, the findings suggest that the benefits of rising asset prices have not been evenly distributed. While stock markets and other financial assets have helped boost overall wealth figures, many households have not experienced comparable gains after accounting for inflation. The result is a situation in which the country is becoming wealthier on paper while the financial position of the median American has deteriorated.
The divide is reflected in the report’s measure of wealth inequality. The U.S. recorded a wealth Gini coefficient of 0.77, the sixth-highest among the 56 markets analyzed. The measure, which tracks how concentrated wealth is within a population, indicates that a relatively small share of households holds a disproportionate share of the country’s assets.
UBS also found that the U.S. ranks second in average wealth but only 28th in median wealth, one of the clearest indications in the report that gains have been concentrated among wealthier households.
The REAL Patriots Are . . .
Robert Reich discusses who the real American patriots are:
On this July 4 — the 250th anniversary of the start of this country — many people, including the current occupant of the Oval Office, believe that celebrating America means waving the flag or standing for the national anthem or shouting, “America First.”
That’s not what real patriotism is.
Real patriotism means sacrificing to keep America going.
It means paying taxes proportional to your wealth. I’m talking to you, Donald Trump, and you, Jeff Bezos, and you, Elon Musk.
It means paying your workers a living wage so they can thrive. I’m talking to you, John Furner, CEO of Walmart, and you, Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonald’s.
It means fully reckoning with how racial oppression and white supremacy have shaped this nation, not whitewashing our history and ignoring racism’s continuing legacy. I’m talking to you, Ron DeSantis, and other lawmakers trying to prevent students from learning the roles slavery and genocide have played in our history.
Real patriotism means protecting American democracy and our form of government, not trying to overturn an election that was upheld by 60 federal courts and the Supreme Court, or lying about election fraud when it barely exists, or seeking to suppress the voting rights of people of color.
I’m talking to you, Trump, along with traitorous members of Congress who refused to certify the 2020 election, and you, state legislators who have advanced nearly 400 voter suppression bills, and you, Supreme Court justices who have gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Real patriotism means not flooding our politics with big money, so the voices of the people can be heard. I’m talking to you again, Elon, as well as Charles Koch, Timothy Mellon, Miriam Adelson, and Michael Bloomberg.
And it means putting the interests of our country over partisanship. Do you hear me, Mike Johnson and John Thune?
Finally, real patriotism means using your position of power in the media to inform and educate the public rather than weaponize lies and promote extremism to get more clicks. I’m talking to you, Mark Zuckerberg, and you, David Ellison, and you, Rupert Murdoch, and, once again, you, Elon.
On this July 4, the 250th anniversary of America, we must recommit ourselves to real patriotism — the hard work necessary to make American democracy survive.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)