NEWS AND OPINION:
A Fox News poll has asked a dismal question in a new survey: “Would you say America is a dysfunctional family that’s breaking part?”
Here are the dismal answers to that inquiry: 81% of registered U.S. voters agree. That includes 86% of Republicans, 86% of independents and 74% of Democrats — plus 83% of women and 79% of men.
In contrast, here’s the accompanying question: “Would you say America is a tight-knit family that is emerging stronger from challenging times?”
There are more dismal answers: Only 16% of U.S. voters agree. That includes 12% of Republicans, 13% of independents and 23% of Democrats — plus 15% of women and 18% of men.
But it doesn’t end there. We’re closing in on record-breaking territory here.
“The survey also reveals sizable majorities rate economic conditions negatively (80%) and generally feel unhappy with how things are going in the country (73%). That’s the second-highest dissatisfaction rating on a Fox survey in 10 years, only behind 75% in August 2022,” wrote polling analyst Dana Blanton.
See more numbers and the poll particulars in the Poll du Jour at column’s end.
THE GRAMMY FACTOR
Will you tune in for the Grammy Awards on Sunday? If so, watch for one familiar face in particular.
First lady Jill Biden will attend the big doings — and will serve as an official presenter, according to an announcement from her office. The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, and be broadcast live at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.
Mrs. Biden will be in California over the weekend to attend a series of events in San Diego and Los Angeles in support of the Biden administration’s Cancer Moonshot project along with her own nonpartisan “Joining Forces” initiative for military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors.
Joining Forces is a government initiative founded in 2011 by then-first lady Michelle Obama and Mrs. Biden to improve employment opportunities for military spouses and remedy veteran homelessness, among other issues.
TRUMP’S LATEST
One former U.S. president is not particularly thrilled with the current U.S. president. Or with Vice President Kamala Harris.
“What we are witnessing under Joe Biden and the radical Left is the absolute destruction of our country. Which is why I ask every American one simple question: Was your life not better before Biden and Kamala seized control of the White House?” asks Donald Trump in a new public outreach for his 2024 presidential campaign.
“But to save America from the clutches of these socialists, I’m counting on every patriot to join our fight. The MAGA movement — the greatest grassroots political movement in history — has, and always will be, powered by the people,” Mr. Trump continued.
“The strength of this campaign will never be determined by the size of our supporters’ contributions, but by the sheer number of grassroots patriots in our ranks,” he concluded.
WHO WILL STEP UP?
There could be a little problem staffing the federal government in the future. The prospect does not hold much appeal to prospective workers, according to new research.
“When more than 85% of young people say they have no interest in being a part of the government workforce, it might be cause for pause – if not time to panic,” reports MeriTalk, a Virginia-based public-private partnership that provides news and analysis primarily centered on government information technology.
“According to a recent career aspirations study by Axios and Generation Lab, just 14% of Gen Z-ers said they want to spend most of their career in the government and non-profit sectors. The pollsters found that jobs at companies of all sizes are favored by the generation over careers in the federal space,” the organization said.
Generation Z, by the way, is defined as people born between 1997 and 2012.
There’s also another factor at work as well.
“Young people’s leading motivator as they advance in their careers is personal fulfillment (49%), followed by wealth (25%),” the poll said.
The survey of 824 U.S. adults aged 18-29 was conducted Jan 11-18.
A SUNNIER OUTLOOK
One Chicago-based think tank is pushing back on the climate-alarmist narrative that has become a fixture in many school systems.
The Heartland Institute has produced a new book titled ”Climate at a Glance for Teachers and Students: Facts on 30 Prominent Climate Topics” — and has sent a copy of the 80-page publication to some 8,000 middle- and high-school science teachers.
“The goal of this book is to present facts that are normally ignored or outright distorted by pundits and the mainstream media,” said author Anthony Watts, a Heartland Institute senior fellow, in a statement to Inside the Beltway.
Find this very active, perceptive organization at Heartland.org.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For sale: The Invisible House, built in 2019 on 60 acres in Joshua Tree, California. Property features a completely mirrored, glass exterior which reflects the desert environment; three bedrooms, four baths, 100-foot interior swimming pool, “world-class” white marble chef’s kitchen. The house is 5,490 square feet. Minimalist interiors are 12-feet tall; glass walls open to sweeping landscape views, home offers “unparalleled human experience.” Priced at $18 million through Aaronkirman.com/listings/the-invisible-house/
POLL DU JOUR
• 66% of registered U.S. voters disapprove of the way President Biden is handling inflation: 93% of Republicans, 77% of independents and 31% of Democrats agree.
• 61% disapprove of the way he is handling immigration; 88% of Republicans, 70% of independents and 28% of Democrats agree.
• 61% disapprove of the way he is handling border security; 88% of Republicans, 70% of independents and 27% of Democrats agree.
• 61% disapprove of the way he is handling the economy; 91% of Republicans, 71% of independents and 23% of Democrats agree.
• 51% disapprove of the way he is handling the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; 74% of Republicans, 55% of independents and 24% of Democrats agree.
SOURCE: A Fox News poll of 1,003 registered U.S. voters conducted Jan. 27-30.
• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.