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The Upshot
August 31, 2026

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WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FROM UPSHOT FRIENDS

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Meet the Megadonors Who Have Poured $1.2 Billion Into the Midterms

The leaderboard of the top 20 donors is dominated by the tech industry and ultrawealthy Republicans.

By Theodore Schleifer and Matt Zdun

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Influencers Have a Lot to Say About Politics. Many Are Quietly Paid for It.

Their videos have proliferated on social media, but the payments are frequently hidden from viewers.

By Ken Bensinger and Stuart A. Thompson

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The New York Times

New York Is Relying on Office Conversions to Address Its Housing Crisis

A New York Times analysis shows that the pace of office-to-residential conversions like the former Pfizer building, where two steel columns buckled in July, has quickened sharply.

By Arfa Momin, Edison Wu, Mihir Zaveri and Hurubie Meko

People in safety vests work on a floor of a building under construction.

Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

More Columns Lacked Support in Troubled N.Y.C. Building, Documents Show

Drawings obtained by The New York Times and reviewed by engineers show insufficient reinforcements on eight more steel columns than previously known at a Manhattan building.

By James Glanz and Simon Ducroquet

POLLING AROUND THE NATION

Nate Cohn answers reader questions

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President Trump’s Approval Rating: Latest Polls

Track the latest approval rating and polls on Americans’ approval of President Trump.

By Annie Daniel, Jon Huang, Ruth Igielnik, Jasmine C. Lee, Alex Lemonides, Jonah Smith, Caroline Soler, Albert Sun and Rumsey Taylor

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Erik Carter

Why the Times/Siena Poll Isn’t Hanging Up the Phone

The traditional use of phones in Times/Siena surveys is far from perfect, but its strengths shouldn’t be overlooked.

By Nate Cohn

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The New York Times

Maine U.S. Senate Election 2026: Latest Polls

Track the latest polls in the Maine U.S. Senate election.

Midterm Test

This question comes from a recent Times article. Click an answer to see if you’re right. (The link will be free.)

This Senate battleground state is one of the nation’s biggest oil producers. But spiking diesel prices worsened by the Iran war have hurt residents in the state’s remote areas as the race heats up.

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