Good morning. It's Monday, July 21st.
I'm Shemita Basu.
This is Apple News Today.
On today's show, how federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are impacting states' budgets,
what to expect if you're expecting a $1,000 baby bonus,
and why the Amish don't really have allergies.
But first, now that we are six months into President Trump's second term in office,
let's take stock of how Americans are feeling about his administration overall and about two major pillars of his agenda,
immigration and the economy.
Starting with the big picture, according to the New York Times,
which tracks polls by dozens of organizations to compile an average approval rating,
the majority of Americans are unhappy with Trump's second term.
53 percent disapprove on average, compared to 44 percent who approve.
His approval rating is lower than his three most recent predecessors, Biden, Obama and Bush.
Overall, his average rating has declined since Inauguration Day.
Now, that is not uncommon.
Biden, Obama and Bush all saw similar trends.
But The Times points out Trump's approval rating appears to be dropping slightly faster than theirs.
The lens through which we should view these approval rating numbers is basically that over the past 15 years,
essentially since 2010, the second year of Barack Obama's presidency,