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A new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey shows that 71% of U.S. adults believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. That figure marks the highest level recorded during President Donald Trump’s second term. With midterm elections approaching, the result signals a deeply troubled national mood for the Republican Party.
Poll respondents expressed strong dissatisfaction with economic conditions. They also showed widespread distrust toward both major political parties. However, Trump and Republicans absorbed the sharpest criticism. A majority of Americans view the Trump administration as uniquely corrupt. At the same time, they remain skeptical of corruption across the political spectrum. Trump’s approval rating fell to 34% among U.S. adults, a second-term low in this poll. His disapproval rating climbed to 66%. Democrats fared poorly as well. Only 43% of adults view the Democratic Party favorably.
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Woman Drives Into Youth Soccer Game in Wichita, Killing Two
A 6-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man died Saturday afternoon after a woman drove a truck through a youth soccer game at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas. Ten other people suffered injuries in the incident. Police took the 34-year-old driver into custody shortly afterward.
Authorities had not immediately confirmed whether the act was intentional. Wichita Police Captain Aaron Moses told reporters at an evening news conference that the driver had been cooperative throughout the investigation. Two children were inside the truck at the time. One of the woman’s children had a scheduled game at the complex, though on a different field. The injured included five children between the ages of 5 and 9, along with five adults ranging from 28 to 68 years old.
Zelenskyy Warns Against U.S. Siding With Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned that the United States formally aligning with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be a “historic mistake.” Despite a series of moves that have unsettled Ukraine and its allies on Capitol Hill, Zelenskyy said he still views Trump as an ally.
“We want to trust him,” Zelenskyy told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “I hope that he will change his decisions, because I think that it’s all mistakes, and it will not help us, and it will not help United States.” On Friday, Trump waived sweeping new sanctions against Russia that Congress had passed. That decision came days after U.S. intelligence sharing was briefly blocked, leaving Ukraine without warning of incoming ballistic missiles. Limits on Starlink technology, critical for intercepting drones, also took effect. Zelenskyy told moderator Kristen Welker that Ukrainian officials believe SpaceX imposed those limits following a “message from American government.”
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined three times to confirm whether Ukraine is a U.S. ally. When pressed a second time, he said, “We provide three different things to Ukraine, so that’s what you do for an ally. We’re not providing those to Russia.” Asked a third time, Bessent replied, “I’m not the secretary of state. I’m not the president.” Zelenskyy also responded to Trump’s decision to suspend the Russia sanctions legislation, which Trump himself had signed just last month. “It seems to me that this won’t stop Putin,” Zelenskyy said. “On the contrary, he feels joy and happiness that there is such support.”
Separately, anti-Trump rallies under the banner “No Kings” took place Saturday in cities across the United States. Organizers aimed to encourage early voter turnout ahead of the midterms. Trump also announced plans to redevelop the East Potomac Golf Links course in Washington, D.C., which has been at the center of an ongoing legal dispute. In addition, Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of next week’s parliamentary election in Israel.
Pope Leo XIV Released From Hospital After Cancer Surgery
Pope Leo XIV left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday after undergoing surgery for lung cancer. His surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, told Vatican News there were “no clinical reasons” to prevent the pontiff from making his planned trip to Latin America next month. Doctors expect a full recovery within approximately 10 days.
Leo had been recovering at the hospital since Tuesday. He walked out unaided and spent several minutes speaking with well-wishers outside. He appeared to accept a handmade gift depicting a smiling figure of the pope before departing by car to the Vatican. On Sunday, he thanked supporters as he recited the Angelus prayer from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.
California Coastline Battered by Record Tides and Storm Surges
Southern California’s coastline is already showing signs of serious erosion, months before El Niño reaches its peak. Record-setting king tides and powerful storm surges have reshaped vulnerable stretches of shoreline. An unusually active hurricane season earlier this year sent three storms toward Hawaii and Mexico. The resulting weather pattern claimed more than a dozen homes along the shore in Long Beach. Boardwalks and sections of the Pacific Coast Highway farther south also suffered damage.
“This is just a little bit of a taste of what we will see in the future,” warned Timu Gallien of the Coastal Flood Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In sports, the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at a sold-out Chase Center. Valkyries star Gabby Williams led all scorers with 26 points, including two decisive free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining. Golden State forced 12 turnovers and scored 17 points off them. Also, boxing champion Daniel Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title with a second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London.
In other news, police across France arrested at least 1,800 people after violent clashes broke out during demonstrations over rising living costs and poor school conditions. Canada’s defense minister confirmed that four people died and others were injured in an incident at a military base in Alberta that triggered a major fire. In New York, a man died after being shot during a dispute at a Manhattan subway station in the Theater District. “Dancing with the Stars” professional Val Chmerkovskiy received a one-week suspension following a social media comment. Finally, a 71-year-old man died after an alligator attacked him while he was fishing, according to authorities.
