Thursday, February 12, 2026
Voters Give Trump Low Marks On His Job And The Issues
The chart above reflects the results of the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between February 6th and 9th of a nationwide sample of 1,551 registered voters, with a 3 point margin of error.
Most People Say Billionaires Don't Pay Enough In Taxes
The chart above reflects the results of the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between February 6th and 9th of a nationwide sample of 1,730 adults (including 1,551 registered voters). The margin of error is 3.1 points for adults and 3 points for registered voters.
The U.S. Drops To 29 On The Corruption Perceptions Index
The United States has fallen to its worst-ever position in a leading global index that measures perception of corruption in the public sector among independent experts and businesspeople.
The world’s most powerful democracy last year slipped one notch to 29th place, out of 182, in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). That’s the lowest rank since 2012, when the index, established in 1995, was relaunched using new methodology.
In its new position, the United States tied with the Bahamas and was beaten by Lithuania (28), Barbados (24) and Uruguay (17).
The US ranking has been on a downward trend for the past decade. It took another hit last year, when the Trump administration gutted the federal government’s ability to fight public corruption by pausing investigations into corporate foreign bribery and curtailing enforcement of a foreign agent registration law, among other measures.
Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has also actively weakened institutions and deployed the tools of government against his perceived foes.
The United States’ overall CPI score also hit its lowest-ever level, extending its downward slide over the past decade. It came in at 64 on a scale where 100 is very clean and 0 is highly corrupt.
“We are very concerned about the situation in the United States,” Transparency International CEO Maíra Martini told CNN Tuesday. “This declining trend might continue.”
In a statement, Transparency International, a not-for-profit coalition fighting corruption, raised further alarm about the United States: “Although 2025 developments are not yet fully reflected, actions targeting independent voices and undermining judicial independence raise serious concerns.”
It added: “Beyond the CPI findings, the temporary freeze and weakening of enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act signal tolerance for corrupt business practices, while cuts to US aid for overseas civil society have weakened global anti-corruption efforts.”
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Crockett And Paxton Lead Their Party Primary Races For Senate In Texas
The charts above are from the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs Poll -- done between January 20th and 31st of 550 likely Democratic primary voters and 550 likely Republican primary voters. The margin of error for both groups is 4.18 points.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Has The World Missed The Chance To Mitigate Global Climate Change?
When the Paris Accords were agreed to by the world's nations, it looked like it might be possible to avoid the worst of the global climate change. But that hope seems to have vanished, and it looks like the tipping point may have been reached (or soon will be) after which nothing can be done to avoid the climatic changes global warming will bring. Much of the blame goes to Donald Trump - who dropped the U.S. out of the Paris Accords, damaged severely the move to renewable and clean energy, and doubled down on the production and use of fossil fuels.
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