Cambridge, MA – A national poll released today by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School indicates that among18-to-29-year-olds, President Biden’s approval rating stands at 36%, a drop of three percentage points since last fall (39%) and five percentage points since last spring (41%.) The poll also finds that nearly half of young Americans (48%) have felt unsafe in the past month, with 40% worried about falling victim to gun violence. Trust in the Supreme Court to “do the right thing” has fallen by ten percentage points over the last decade, while less than half of young Americans feel like their local police department makes them safer. Nearly half (47%) of Americans under the age of 30 report “feeling down, depressed, or hopeless,” and 24% have considered self-harm at least several days in the last two weeks.

For over twenty years, the Harvard Public Opinion Project has provided the most comprehensive look at the political opinions and voting trends held by young Americans. The Spring 2023 Harvard Youth Poll surveyed 2,069 young Americans between 18- and 29-years old and was conducted between March 13 and 22, 2023.

“The data collected in this poll clearly demonstrates not only the growing levels of political engagement among young people, but the urgency of addressing serious issues such as mental health, gun violence, housing, and more,” said IOP Director Setti Warren. “The results of previous Harvard Youth polls have had a direct influence on public policy, and I expect to see that trend continue.”

“From the midterms through the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court election, we are seeing young Americans increasingly motivated to engage in politics out of sheer self-defense and a responsibility to fight for those even more vulnerable than themselves,” said John Della Volpe, Director of Polling at the Institute of Politics, and author of Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America. “Every major political battle in America has Gen Z in the middle of it. This generation has a fire and urgency unlike any I’ve seen in 20 years, and they expect their elected officials and candidates to show the same.”

What's happening: House Democrats will hold an informal “shadow” hearing Thursday morning with a panel of medical experts and advocates giving testimony on the “the state of a post-Roe America.”

The event will come just days after the Supreme Court ruled to hold back lower court orders that would have implemented sweeping restrictions on abortion pills, maintaining access to the drugs for now but leaving in jeopardy the most common method of terminating a pregnancy.

Details: Chaired by Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), the hearing will feature one OBGYN who leads the board of Physicians for Reproductive Health and three abortion rights advocates representing the groups Liberate Abortion, the Florida Access Network and the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The Democratic Women’s Caucus is encouraging members both to ask the panelists questions and “share abortion stories from their state/districts.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis on Monday launched her campaign to become the first woman governor of the nation’s most populous state, pushing out ahead of what’s expected to be a sprawling field in 2026.

Kounalakis will open a campaign committee for governor and immediately start raising money and building her nascent public profile for the distant election. In an exclusive interview with POLITICO, Kounalakis said she wanted to tackle a long list of problems plaguing the state, from homelessness, income inequality and the soaring cost of living to the housing crisis, issues around mental health and rising deaths linked to fentanyl.

“The challenges that California has require leaders who are decisive, who have experience and who have a track record of getting things done,” Kounalakis said.

Her formal entry jumpstarts the race and puts pressure on other would-be contenders to announce gubernatorial bids of their own, perhaps sooner than they otherwise planned. California statewide campaigns are among the most expensive in the country, with TV ads in major markets costing millions each week and politicians taking years and even decades to establish their brands. Republicans don’t pose a serious threat in top-of-the-ticket races, so the scramble for early money and endorsements will take place primarily among Democrats.

President Joe Biden is eyeing longtime Democratic operative Michael Tyler for the role of communications director on his 2024 campaign, according to two people familiar with the deliberations.

Tyler has held numerous high-ranking positions within the Democratic Party in addition to working at various groups within the progressive advocacy ecosystem. He recently helped the city of Atlanta with its unsuccessful bid for the Democratic National Convention in addition to working on Sen. Cory Booker’s 2020 presidential campaign and as chief of staff for the Democratic National Committee.

Tyler is widely regarded as a savvy operative with extensive experience on ballot access issues and party infrastructure matters. But he has also operated largely behind the scenes, suggesting that the communications director role for the campaign is not being envisioned as public facing.

Both people familiar with the deliberations cautioned that no decision has been made. But Biden’s consideration of Tyler for the senior position is another marker of a campaign in waiting inching closer to an actual announcement.

NEW YORK (AP) — TV personalities Gayle King and Charles Barkley will headline a new prime-time weekly CNN show, “King Charles,” debuting in the fall, the network announced Saturday as it tries to engineer a turnaround amid tumbling ratings.

CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht said in a statement that the show “will be an exciting new way we are delivering culturally relevant programming and unique perspectives to our audience, from two incredibly dynamic personalities.”

Licht said King will continue to anchor “CBS Mornings,” and former NBA star Barkley will continue his current role at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports.

Appearing on TNT to discuss the new show, King said she hadn’t been looking for an additional job but relished the chance to work with Barkley.

House Republicans in competitive districts dominated their Democratic counterparts in fundraising during the first three months of 2023, according to an Axios analysis.

Why it matters: Republicans have an early financial edge as they seek to expand their narrow majority and defend nearly 20 seats that went for President Biden in 2020.

By the numbers: Out of the 39 House incumbents whose seats are rated as either "toss-up" or "lean" by Cook Political Report, 17 of the top 20 fundraisers in the first quarter were Republicans.

On average, the Republicans raised $686,075, while the Democrats brought in $404,687.

Despite rising support for former President Donald Trump in his race for re-election, the Republican governor of New Hampshire remains skeptical.

"Donald Trump is a loser," Gov. Chris Sununu told NBC's Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

While Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn't officially announced a bid for the presidency, he seemed like a potential rising star for Republicans in 2024. That star has dimmed of late, however, as several lawmakers in his own state have thrown their support behind Trump.

Despite the momentum now behind Trump, Sununu said he doesn't think the former president has the nomination locked up, especially as Trump faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records in Manhattan.

CLIVE, Iowa, April 22 (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopefuls will make their pitch to evangelical voters in Iowa on Saturday, the first major event for candidates to court the key conservative voting bloc in a state set to hold the party's first nominating contest in early 2024.

The annual presidential forum, hosted by the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition conservative nonprofit is a chance for evangelical leaders and voters to see where the candidates stand on issues ranging from abortion to school choice.

It will be headlined by former Vice President Mike Pence, a devout evangelical who may soon launch a presidential bid, and U.S. Senator Tim Scott, who is exploring a run. Former President Donald Trump will participate remotely via video link.

The event comes as Trump appears to be consolidating his grip on the Republican Party, with some national polls showing him expanding his lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential primary rival who is not attending the forum but will visit the state next month.

The Australian comedian Barry Humphries, best known for his drag character Dame Edna Everage, has died aged 89.

​”​He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit,” his family said in a statement, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute in a tweet, calling him “a great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind.”

The entertainer had been readmitted to hospital on Wednesday for complications following hip surgery last month, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Humphries had a hip replacement following a fall in February.

Federal prosecutors have considered charging Hunter Biden with three tax crimes and a charge related to a gun purchase, said two sources familiar with the matter.

The possible charges are two misdemeanor counts for failure to file taxes, a single felony count of tax evasion related to a business expense for one year of taxes, and the gun charge, also a potential felony.

Two senior law enforcement sources told NBC News about "growing frustration" inside the FBI because investigators finished the bulk of their work on the case about a year ago. A senior law enforcement source said the IRS finished its investigation more than a year ago.

The Washington Post previously reported that federal investigators believed they had gathered enough evidence to charge Hunter Biden with tax crimes and a false statement related to a gun purchase.