The Bulletin

• Fox News Poll: Donald Trump is trailing President Joe Biden in a Fox News 2024 presidential poll for the first time since late last year. Here's what the latest numbers reveal.
• Illinois GOP chair quits: Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy is resigning from his political post and has condemned colleagues for choosing to fight each other rather than the Democrats. Here's what Tracy said in a statement sent to party members on Wednesday.
• Putin-Kim meeting: The United Kingdom's defense secretary on Wednesday issued a warning about the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Here's why.
• Boston breaks heat record: Amid soaring temperatures, Boston broke its 100-year heat record on Wednesday with a high of 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, many states will continue to battle record heat this week.
• In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Ukrainian drones struck two Russian oil refineries on Thursday, setting them ablaze, according to local officials.

The rundown: Joe Biden appears to be losing the support of people who are certain they will vote in the presidential election, according to polls.

Why it matters: According to an analysis of Marist Poll national surveys, the number of people voting in the upcoming election who have indicated they will opt for the Democrat has declined since April. On April 22, Biden was ahead of Trump by 3 percentage points among the total number of registered voters but ahead by six percentage points among those who said they would vote in the election. Here are some critical battleground states where Biden is leading Trump.

Read more in-depth coverage:
One in 20 Donald Trump Voters Are Switching to Joe Biden This Election—Poll

TL/DR: Speaking to Newsweek, Todd Landman, a professor of political science at Nottingham University in the U.K., said that it is too early to determine whether the shifts are significant.

What happens now? With less than five months to go until polling day, it is still too early to call the results of the election, and experts have cautioned against reading too much into polls. Meanwhile, Biden and Trump are set to square off in Atlanta on June 27 for the first of two scheduled debates.

Deeper reading Joe Biden's Rock Solid Voters Have Disappeared

The rundown: America's middle class, traditionally considered the nation's backbone and its economic engine, has been shrinking for the past 50 years, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Here's what the study found.

Why it matters: The findings show that the wealth gap between Americans has grown more profound in the past decades, exacerbating inequality. While households in all income tiers had much higher incomes in 2023 than five decades before, the income for upper-income households has grown much faster than that for the middle class since the 1970s. Here's how much you must earn in every state to be considered middle class.

Read more in-depth coverage:
What is Middle Class? Gen Z See Things Very Differently

TL/DR: The share of Americans living in middle-class households has shrunk since 1970, as their income growth hasn't kept up with the upper-income tier.

What happens now? Miles Corak, economics professor at CUNY, told Newsweek that America's middle class can recover if workers gain bargaining power, child poverty decreases, opportunities increase, and the wealthy pay fair taxes.

Deeper reading America's Middle Class Is Shrinking

The rundown: A new bill requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in school classrooms in Louisiana sparked outrage across social media on Wednesday, with some calling the bill "bizarre" and the ACLU telling Newsweek there needs to be division between church and state. Here's what the legislation requires.

Why it matters: Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed the bill into law on Wednesday. The bill makes Louisiana the first state to require the display of the Ten Commandments. The legislation specifies that the posters would be paid for through donations, as state funds will not be used to implement the mandate. Here's why opinions vary on whether this idea is good or bad.

Read more in-depth coverage:
'Don't Say Gay' Law Headed for Another State

TL/DR: The legislation requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in "large, easily readable font" in all public classrooms starting in 2025.

What happens now? While the displays are expected to be implemented in 2025, lawsuits are also expected to be filed to strike down the law. According to the Associated Press, the bill did not receive final approval from Landry, and the time to veto the bill has lapsed.

Deeper reading New Bill Requiring Ten Commandments in Classroom Sparks Outrage: 'Bizarre'

The rundown: South Korean authorities reportedly hope an advanced underground rail network will help counter the country's plummeting fertility rate, the world's lowest. Find out how.

Why it matters: The average number of births per woman—fell for the fourth consecutive year last year, dropping from 0.78 to 0.72. The downward trend, which South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has called a "national emergency," continues despite nearly $300 billion in government funding for initiatives to support new mothers and encourage larger families, including cash subsidies, infertility treatments, and childcare services.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Japan and South Korea Have a Serious Population Problem

TL/DR: Yoon stated that the reduced commute time would "enable people to spend more time with their family in the mornings and evenings."

What happens now? Reuters cited officials who believe that the new train service will motivate people to leave Seoul for the suburbs, as the cost of living is a major reason young Koreans give for not getting married and having children.

Deeper reading South Korea's Train Plan to Boost Population

The rundown: Generation Z—those born between 1997 and 2012—is set to become the largest cohort in the workforce by the end of 2024. However, with the growing presence, the young generation is already gaining a reputation for being the most challenging to work with. Here's why.

Why it matters: A new poll by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for Newsweek highlighted that U.S. adults find their Gen Z colleagues challenging to work with. Forty percent of respondents identified Gen Z as the most difficult generation to work with—including Gen Z. Find out how the generation is pushing back and prioritizing work-life balance. In contrast, millennials emerged as the clear favorite to work with. Here's what it's like for a millennial boss managing Gen Z.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Gen Z Is Toxic for Companies, Employers Believe

TL/DR: The survey of 1,500 U.S. adults was conducted June 11-12 and asked respondents about their experiences with their work colleagues.

What happens now? Sean Puddle, managing director of Robert Walters New York said, “By understanding and addressing Gen Z's values, employers can leverage their technological proficiency and innovative mindset to create a more inclusive and forward-thinking work environment."

Deeper reading Gen Z Is the Worst Generation to Work With