Year: 2025
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President Donald Trump (R) ends August with 44% approval, same as July
At the end of August, approval polling averages showed President Donald Trump (R) at 44% approval. Fifty-three percent of voters disapproved of his performance. This is the lowest approval rating he’s received during his presidency. He first received this approval rating in April. The highest approval rating Trump has received is 54%, last seen on…
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President Donald Trump (R) issued 17 executive orders in August, two more than he issued last month
President Donald Trump (R) issued 17 executive orders in August, bringing his total to 198 in his second term. To view the titles and text of each order he issued in August, click here. Trump issued two more orders this month than he did in July, when he issued 15 executive orders. Trump issued 46…
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Democrats are running for every state legislative seat this year, Republicans running for 88%
Democrats are running for every state legislative seat up for election in 2025, and Republicans are running for 88% of them. That means 12% of seats this year are guaranteed to Democrats due to a lack of Republican competition in those races, and none are guaranteed to Republicans due to a lack of Democratic competition.…
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Voters in 18 states have decided 41 death penalty ballot measures since 1912, approving 91% of measures to permit or expand it and 27% of measures to abolish it
Since 1912, voters in 18 states have decided 41 total ballot measures related to the death penalty. Measures that would permit the death penalty were more common than measures that would abolish it. Out of the 41 measures, 11 were designed to abolish the death penalty, while 22 measures proposed reinstating, permitting, or requiring the…
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Texas enacted a new congressional map for the 2026 U.S. House elections
Texas enacted new congressional district boundaries on Aug. 29, 2025, the first state among many that are considering map redraws ahead of the 2026 U.S. House elections. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed the new map into law in a video posted to X, saying, “I’m about to sign the law that creates the One Big…
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Four candidates running in Sept. 9 nonpartisan primary for mayor of Boston
Four candidates are running in the nonpartisan primary election for mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, on September 9, 2025. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election on November 4, 2025. Incumbent Michelle Wu was first elected in 2021, when she defeated Annissa Essaibi George 64%-35.6%. It has been 76 years since an incumbent…
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Proponents file recreational marijuana initiative in Nebraska for 2026 ballot—the fifth initiative attempt since 2018
An initiative to amend the Nebraska Constitution to establish a “right to use all plants in the genus Cannabis” for individuals 21 years of age or older was filed on Aug. 18. This is the fifth initiative filed to effectively legalize recreational marijuana since 2018. None has ever submitted enough valid signatures to qualify for…