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Here’s a closer look at today’s top stories: a survey tracks young men’s shifting views of President Trump, FEMA asks states to take on more disaster response, and more.
Today’s estimated reading time is 3 minutes and 16 seconds.
- The Daily Dip Editor
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**On this day in 1797, André-Jacques Garnerin jumped from a balloon using what invention? **(answer revealed below!)
(hint: Geronimoooo)
In today’s issue:
Both parties lose groundwith young men. 🏛️FEMA plansstate-led disaster response. 📜Rising power bills squeezehousehold budgets. 📈
Plus, take ** today’s poll** and check out the
Young men’s views of President Trump have shifted sharply since he took office, according to new data from the Speaking with American Men Project. At his 2025 inauguration, men expected him to make a positive difference in their lives by a 33-point margin; by August 2026, they said he was making a negative difference by 35 points.
Right-leaning media figures also lost ground with young men, including Joe Rogan, whose favorability fell from 52% to 42%. Democrats haven’t gained either, holding a 37% favorability among young men.
**The reasons:**Young men cite the economy, cost of living and the war in Iran. Bloomberg reports some are tuning out of politics altogether.
FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton told state officials they’ll need bigger financial reserves and emergency capabilities to handle most disasters without federal help. He said changes could come in as little as six months.
Hamilton says the shift will speed recovery by avoiding delays in the federal declaration process, and he promised a national mutual aid program between states. Critics, including a former state emergency management director, warn many state agencies lack the staff and funds to fill the gap.
**The backdrop:**The plan comes as FEMA responds to Hurricane Isaias, which killed six people on the Gulf Coast. About 4,300 employees left the agency in the 2025 fiscal year.
:📈
Today’s Poll:Disaster DutiesFEMA plans to shift more disaster response to states, saying it will speed recovery and cut bureaucracy. Others question whether states have the staff and funding to take on more.
Who should take the lead in responding to most natural disasters?
About 1 in 5 Americans say rising electricity bills have them weighing keeping the power on against buying food, according to a new Consumer Reports survey. About a quarter have set their thermostats to uncomfortable temperatures to save money.
Roughly 80% of those in the same home for three-plus years saw their bills rise. Consumers point to power companies’ profits and the buildout of AI data centers, with electricity demand expected to rise 16% by 2029.
**The response:**President Trump posted on Truth Social that data centers should supply their own power and return any excess to local grids. He also said they should pay a dividend to nearby communities.
🍍 Food: Hawaiian pizza was invented in Ontario, Canada by Greek-born cook Sam Panopoulos in 1962. Not a single Hawaiian involved.
🕹️ Games: After New York City banned pinball in 1942, police smashed seized machines and sent the scrap metal to the military. Some legs became billy clubs.
🤓 Language: The earliest known printed use of the word "nerd" appears in Dr. Seuss's 1950 book * If I Ran the Zoo*. Nostalgia Nerd salutes its forefather.
🤯 WTF: The first known vending machine dispensed holy water in the first century, built by Hero of Alexandria. Blessed are the coin-operated.
TODAY’S QUIZ ANSWER:
A parachute
Garnerin cut his basket loose from a hydrogen balloon over Paris's Parc Monceau and floated down under a silk parachute that folded up like an umbrella. Sources put the height at 2,000 to 3,000 feet.
Did you take ** today’s poll**?
Looking for more specific details on each story? ** Click here** for the full show notes for yesterday’s PDS episode.
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