New York’s Shaky Legal Marijuana Rollout
While majorities of New Yorkers are broadly supportive of the state’s three-year-old law legalizing the sale and recreational use of marijuana, the widely panned rollout has hit a nerve in New York City. Nearly three in ten city residents (29%) say the problem of illegal weed shops is very serious while only 14% of suburban residents and 11% of upstaters say the same.
Life in New York State
New York state residents have a bleak outlook toward the state’s economic situation. Considerably more residents, compared with a decade ago, say New York’s economy is getting worse, and there has been a sharp increase in the proportion of residents who say they think their personal finances will get worse in the coming year. With most New Yorkers acknowledging that New York’s cost of living is unaffordable, nearly four in ten say they plan to move out of New York within the next five years. Their motivation? Nearly six in ten of those moving cite economic reasons.
Trump’s Hush Money Trial
Former President Donald Trump’s felony hush money trial will begin today, and New Yorkers divide about whether Trump has done something illegal. New Yorkers who think Trump has not broken the law do not necessarily give the former president a free pass. More than one in four say Trump has done something unethical but not illegal. The hush money case is just one of a slew of legal battles facing Trump, and six in ten New Yorkers think those investigations are warranted and not a means to thwart Trump’s 2024 presidential bid.
2024 Presidential Election
With just two points separating President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump among registered voters nationally, the major party candidates are closely matched for the 2024 presidential contest. However, the dynamics driving the race are taking an unanticipated turn. While six in ten voters say they know for whom they will vote and will not waver, about four in ten say they have not chosen a candidate or could change their mind. Biden’s supporters are slightly firmer in their support for Biden than are Trump’s backers.
The Battleground 2024: Texas
In Texas, where former President Donald Trump carried the state by about five-and-a-half percentage points in 2020, Trump now leads Biden by double that (11 percentage points) among registered voters. However, Trump’s lead narrows to seven percentage points among those who say they will definitely vote in November’s election. In the race for U.S. Senate, Republican incumbent Ted Cruz leads his Democratic challenger, Colin Allred, by 6 percentage points among Texas registered voters. The contest changes little among those definite to vote.
The Battleground 2024: Georgia
In Georgia, where President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump by about two-tenths of a percentage point in 2020, Trump now edges Biden by four points among Georgia registered voters in this year’s presidential re-match. Among those who plan to definitely vote, three points separate Trump and Biden. Since 2020, Trump has gained ground among younger voters in the state. While Biden retains a wide lead over Trump among Black voters, Trump has made significant inroads among these voters.
The Battleground 2024: North Carolina
In North Carolina, former President Donald Trump edges President Joe Biden by three percentage points among, both, the statewide electorate and those who say they definitely plan to vote in November. Although he is yet to qualify to be on the November ballot in the state, when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is factored in as a third-party candidate, he pulls double-digit support but has little impact on the margin between Trump and Biden. In North Carolina’s governor’s race, only two percentage points separate Democrat Josh Stein and Republican Mark Robinson.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the United States
Most Americans think the nation’s mix of races, ethnicities, and religions makes the U.S. stronger, including a little more than four in ten Americans who believe the nation’s differences make the United States a much stronger union. But, only 28% of Americans strongly support diversity, equity, and inclusion training for U.S. workers. This as a plurality of Americans say race relations in the United States have changed little over the last year, which is not perceived as a positive.
February’s Super Battle
How do I love thee, Super Bowl? Let me count the ways. The Super Bowl may not have been Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s intended recipient, but when pitted against Valentine’s Day, Americans are more inclined to have a love affair with the Super Bowl than the de facto most romantic day of the year. In fact, a plurality of Americans say they are more excited about the NFL’s big event than Valentine’s Day. Gender and age differences, though, do exist.
The Road to the General Election
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump remain in a statistical tie among registered voters nationally. Since August of 2023, the widest gap separating the two men has been three percentage points. However, if Trump is convicted of a crime, Biden opens a six-percentage point lead against his rival. Should Nikki Haley win the GOP nomination, the contest would still be a tight battle. The 2024 presidential contest unfolds amid an American populace concerned with preserving democracy, fighting inflation, and addressing immigration.