U.S. and world news for April 1

President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House on March 23. CNN News Source

CNN Poll: Trump’s approval rating on the economy hits a new low

(CNN) — President Donald Trump’s approval rating for handling the economy has fallen to a new career low of 31%, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, reflecting growing pessimism among Americans over the issue they consistently describe as the most important. Roughly two-thirds of Americans say Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the US, up 10 points since January. Just 27% say they approve of Trump’s handling of inflation, down from 44% one year ago. Trump’s overall approval rating has held relatively steady at 35%, one point off his all-time low in CNN polling. There’s been notable erosion, however, in his standing with his own partisans. The share of Republicans who strongly approve of his job performance has dropped to 43%, from 52% in January. Trump’s economic approval rating is down 8 points overall since January and a larger 14 points among Republicans. Among Republicans younger than 45, the decline is an even more stark 23 points. And almost 3 in 10 Republicans (28%) say his policies have worsened economic conditions in the US, up from 13% who felt that way in January. Since the US emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic, poll after poll has found the economy topping lists of the most important issues, with the public broadly dissatisfied with Washington’s handling of it. But CNN’s new poll shows that negativity has reached a new level: The 65% who say Trump’s policies have made the economy worse is the highest of his presidency, higher than the share who said the same about Democrat Joe Biden’s policies at any point during his time in office. Around three-quarters of Americans say the US economy is in poor shape, up 8 points since January, with the share calling it “very poor” up 12 points. Roughly 6 in 10 say they expect the economy to be in poor condition a year from now, the highest share to say so during either of Trump’s presidencies.

Retail sales rose more than expected in February

Washington (CNN) — Americans stepped up their spending at US retailers in February, after three consecutive months of declines, showing the US consumer hasn’t tapped out yet in the face of weak job growth and low consumer sentiment. Retail sales rose 0.6% in February from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday, up from January’s downwardly revised -0.1%. Wednesday’s figure was higher than the 0.4% increase economists projected in a poll by data firm FactSet. Retail sales are adjusted for seasonal swings but not inflation. The February retail sales report was delayed a few weeks because of last year’s government shutdown. Retail sales climbed across nearly every category in February, declining only at grocery stores and furniture retailers, each decreasing 1%. Meanwhile, retail spending increased the most at department stores (3%), personal care shops (2.3%) and clothing retailers (2%). A measure of retail sales that strips out volatile categories — such as building materials, cars and gasoline — rose 0.45% in February, higher than expectations of a 0.3% increase. That figure, known as the “control group,” is a closely watched indicator of underlying demand in the economy. The US-Israeli war with Iran is now in its fifth week. As a result, the Strait of Hormuz, a major global chokepoint, has been closed off for weeks. One-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the key waterway, in addition to various other commodities. “The February retail sales report predates the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East,” Vivian Chen, financial market economist at Nationwide, said in a release. “It does not yet reflect any potential drag from higher energy prices, financial-market volatility, or heightened geopolitical uncertainty.” The war threatens to both jack up inflation and weaken economic growth, with that risk growing the longer the Middle East conflict persists. President Donald Trump said the war could be done within two to three weeks, and is set to deliver an address to the nation Wednesday evening.

What to watch for in today’s NASA’s moon mission launch

(CNN) — The countdown clock is officially rolling at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where four astronauts are preparing to take off on the mission of a lifetime — circumnavigating the moon and returning humans to deep space for the first time in five decades as part of Artemis II. After nearly two months of tests and troubleshooting, NASA appears to be on the cusp of firing its 322-foot-tall (98-meter) Space Launch System rocket to orbit. The current target for takeoff is a two-hour launch window that opens at 6:24 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Rockets launch fairly frequently from the United States’ Space Coast, as the area surrounding NASA’s KSC facilities is called, but this mission is an obvious standout. NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen will climb aboard the Orion spacecraft — which sits atop the Space Launch System rocket — and blast toward space, reaching supersonic speeds — or 768 miles per hour (1,236 kilometers per hour) — in one minute. Within three and a half hours after liftoff, the Orion capsule will be fully separated from the rocket, and the astronauts will get a chance to manually pilot the spacecraft. One important note for those planning to follow along as NASA prepares for liftoff: The countdown clock isn’t always intuitive. It shows the “T minus” time, where the “T” stands for “terminal count.” Occasionally, the clock will stop rolling — and that’s intentional. The launch team has a series of pre-planned holds, including one at the 40-minute mark and the 10-minute mark. There are, however, no guarantees that the astronauts will take flight on Wednesday. Weather or technical issue can always arise. And the rocket powering this mission, the Space Launch System or SLS, is notoriously finicky. The gargantuan orange vehicle has had numerous issues with hydrogen, the fuel used to power it. Millions of gallons of super-chilled liquified hydrogen must be loaded onto the SLS if launch teams give the “go” for fueling — which happens about 10 hours and 20 minutes before liftoff.

Dems in recent elections are flipping independent and Republican votes

(CNN) — Two special election victories in Florida provided more evidence that the Democratic success in elections since Donald Trump’s return to the White House rests not just on a motivated base but also on winning over Republicans and independents. More registered Republicans than registered Democrats voted in two special elections on March 24, according to turnout data from election officials. In state House District 87, the district including Mar-a-Lago that was flipped by Democrat Emily Gregory, voter turnout was 46% Republican to 36% Democrat. In state Senate District 14, Democrat Brian Nathan finished ahead in a race with 46% GOP turnout versus 37% Democrat. In both races, Gregory and Nathan overperformed 2024 presidential margins by an amount larger than the shift in partisan turnout. That suggests that Democratic success was not just from turning out their base — some combination of registered Republicans and unaffiliated voters likely also broke toward the Democratic candidates. For example, in the district that included Mar-a-Lago, had all the registered Republicans voted for Jon Maples, the GOP candidate, voters not affiliated with either major party would have broken for Gregory roughly 84% to 16%. And if unaffiliated voters instead split evenly, then about 13% of registered Republicans would have voted for Gregory. In 2024, unaffiliated voters were more likely to vote for Republicans (assuming similar defection rates among the two parties). When asked about the results in Senate District 14, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded Tuesday that the Republican loss despite an apparent GOP turnout advantage suggested both poor performance with independents and that “Republicans are voting the other way.” He also noted his differences with Jane Tomkow, the Republican who lost to Gregory.

2026 World Cup schedule released

(CNN) — Following the conclusion of the final FIFA playoff results, soccer fans now know which group their country will play in for the opening stages of the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA has released the full schedule of games, so supporters know where their national teams are heading on particular days and what time they will play.

Scroll down to find out when, where and who your country plays. All times are listed in Eastern Time.

Note: The real venue names will be changed to reflect host city names during the tournament.

United States (Group D)

9 p.m. June 12 vs. Paraguay in Los Angeles
3 p.m. June 19 vs. Australia in Seattle
10 p.m. June 25 vs. Turkey in Los Angeles

Mexico (Group A)

3 p.m. June 11 vs. South Africa in Mexico City
9 p.m. June 18 vs. South Korea in Guadalajara
9 p.m. June 24 vs. Czech Republic in Mexico City

South Africa (Group A)

3 p.m. June 11 vs. Mexico in Mexico City
Noon June 18 vs. Czech Republic in Atlanta
9 p.m. vs. South Korea in Monterrey

South Korea (Group A)

10 p.m. June 11 vs. Czech Republic in Guadalajara
9 p.m. June 18 vs. Mexico in Guadalajara
9 p.m. June 24 vs. South Africa in Monterrey

Czech Republic (Group A)

10 p.m. vs. South Korea in Guadalajara
Noon June 18 vs. South Africa in Atlanta
9 p.m. June 24 vs. Mexico in Mexico City

Canada (Group B)

3 p.m. June 12 vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto
6 p.m. June 18 vs. Qatar in Vancouver
3 p.m. June 24 vs. Switzerland in Vancouver

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B)

3 p.m. June 12 vs. Canada in Toronto
3 p.m. June 18 vs. Switzerland
3 p.m. June 24 vs. Qatar in Seattle

Qatar (Group B)

3 p.m. June 13 vs. Switzerland in San Francisco Bay Area
6 p.m. June 18 vs. Canada in Vancouver
3 p.m. June 24 vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle

Switzerland (Group B)

3 p.m. June 13 vs. Qatar in San Francisco Bay Area
3 p.m. June 18 vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Los Angeles
3 p.m. June 24 vs. Canada in Vancouver

Brazil (Group C)

6 p.m. June 13 vs. Morocco in New York/New Jersey
9 p.m. June 19 vs. Haiti in Philadelphia
6 p.m. June 24 vs. Scotland in Miami

Morocco (Group C)

6 p.m. June 13 vs. Brazil in New York/New Jersey
6 p.m. June 19 vs. Scotland in Boston
6 p.m. June 24 vs. Haiti in Atlanta

Haiti (Group C)

9 p.m. June 13 vs. Scotland in Boston
9 p.m. June 19 vs. Brazil in Philadelphia
6 p.m. June 24 vs. Morocco in Atlanta

Scotland (Group C)

9 p.m. June 13 vs. Haiti in Boston
6 p.m. June 19 vs. Morocco in Boston
6 p.m. June 24 vs. Brazil in Miami

Paraguay (Group D)

9 p.m. June 12 vs. USA in Los Angeles
Midnight June 19 vs. Turkey in San Francisco Bay Area
10 p.m. June 25 vs. Australia in the San Francisco Bay Area

Australia (Group D)

Midnight June 13 vs. Turkey in Vancouver
3 p.m. June 19 vs. USA in Seattle
10 p.m. June 25 vs. Paraguay in San Francisco Bay Area

Turkey (Group D)

Midnight June 13 vs. Australia in Vancouver
Midnight June 19 vs. Paraguay in the San Francisco Bay Area
10 p.m. June 25 vs. USA in Los Angeles

Germany (Group E)

1 p.m. June 14 vs. Curaçao in Houston
4 p.m. June 20 vs. Ivory Coast in Toronto
4 p.m. June 25 vs. Ecuador in New York/New Jersey

Curaçao (Group E)

1 p.m. June 14 vs. Germany in Houston
8 p.m. June 20 vs. Ecuador in Kansas City
4 p.m. June 25 vs. Ivory Coast in Philadelphia

Ivory Coast (Group E)

7 p.m. June 14 vs. Ecuador in Philadelphia
4 p.m. June 20 vs. Germany in Toronto
4 p.m. June 25 vs. Curaçao in Philadelphia

Ecuador (Group E)

7 p.m. June 14 vs. Ivory Coast in Philadelphia
8 p.m. June 20 vs. Curaçao in Kansas City
4 p.m. June 25 vs. Germany in New York/New Jersey

Netherlands (Group F)

4 p.m. June 14 vs. Japan in Dallas
1 p.m. June 20 vs. Sweden in Houston
7 p.m. June 25 vs. Tunisia in Kansas City

Japan (Group F)

4 p.m. June 14 vs. Netherlands in Dallas
Midnight June 20 vs. Tunisia in Monterrey
7 p.m. June 25 vs. Sweden in Dallas

Sweden (Group F)

7 p.m. June 14 vs. Tunisia in Monterrey
1 p.m. June 20 vs. Netherlands in Houston
7 p.m. June 25 vs. Japan in Dallas

Tunisia (Group F)

10 p.m. June 14 vs. Sweden in Monterrey
Midnight June 20 vs. Japan in Monterrey
7 p.m. June 25 vs. Netherlands in Kansas City

Belgium (Group G)

3 p.m. June 15 vs. Egypt in Seattle
3 p.m. June 21 vs. Iran in Los Angeles
11 p.m. June 26 vs. New Zealand in Vancouver

Egypt (Group G)

3 p.m. June 15 vs. Belgium in Seattle
9 p.m. June 21 vs. New Zealand in Vancouver
11 p.m. June 26 vs. Iran in Seattle

Iran (Group G)

9 p.m. June 15 vs. New Zealand in Los Angeles
3 p.m. June 21 vs. Belgium in Los Angeles
11 p.m. June 26 vs. Egypt in Seattle

New Zealand (Group G)

9 p.m. June 15 vs. Iran in Los Angeles
9 p.m. June 21 vs. Egypt in Vancouver
11 p.m. June 26 vs. Belgium in Vancouver

Spain (Group H)

Noon June 15 vs. Cabo Verde in Atlanta
Noon June 21 vs. Saudi Arabia in Atlanta
8 p.m. June 26 vs. Uruguay in Guadalajara

Cape Verde (Group H)

Noon June 15 vs. Spain in Atlanta
6 p.m. June 21 vs. Uruguay in Miami
8 p.m. June 26 vs. Saudi Arabia in Houston

Saudi Arabia (Group H)

6 p.m. June 15 vs. Uruguay in Miami
Noon June 21 vs. Spain in Atlanta
8 p.m. June 26 vs. Cabo Verde in Houston

Uruguay (Group H)

6 p.m. June 15 vs. Saudi Arabia in Miami
6 p.m. June 21 vs. Cabo Verde in Miami
8 p.m. June 26 vs. Spain in Guadalajara

France (Group I)

3 p.m. June 16 vs. Senegal in New York/New Jersey
5 p.m. June 22 vs. Iraq in Philadelphia
3 p.m. June 26 vs. Norway in Boston

Senegal (Group I)

3 p.m. June 16 vs. France in New York/New Jersey
8 p.m. June 22 vs. Norway in New York/New Jersey
3 p.m. vs. Iraq in Toronto

Iraq (Group I)

6 p.m. June 16 vs. Norway in Boston
5 p.m. June 22 vs. France in Philadelphia
3 p.m. June 26 vs. Senegal in Toronto

Norway (Group I)

6 p.m. vs. Iraq in Boston
8 p.m. vs. Senegal in New York/New Jersey
3 p.m. vs. France in Boston

Argentina (Group J)

9 p.m. June 16 vs. Algeria in Kansas City
1 p.m. June 22 vs. Austria in Dallas
10 p.m. June 27 vs. Jordan in Dallas

Algeria (Group J)

9 p.m. June 16 vs. Argentina in Kansas City
11 p.m. June 22 vs. Jordan in the San Francisco Bay Area
10 p.m. June 27 vs. Austria in Kansas City

Austria (Group J)

Midnight June 16 vs. Jordan in the San Francisco Bay Area
1 p.m. June 22 vs. Argentina in Dallas
10 p.m. June 27 vs. Algeria in Kansas City

Jordan (Group J)

Midnight June 16 vs. Austria in the San Francisco Bay Area
11 p.m. June 22 vs. Algeria in the San Francisco Bay Area
10 p.m. June 27 vs. Argentina in Dallas

Portugal (Group K)

1 p.m. June 17 vs. Democratic Republic of Congo in Houston
1 p.m. June 23 vs. Uzbekistan in Houston
7:30 p.m. June 27 vs. Colombia in Miami

Democratic Republic of Congo (Group K)

1 p.m. June 17 vs. Portugal in Houston
10 p.m. June 23 vs. Colombia in Guadalajara
7:30 p.m. June 27 vs. Uzbekistan in Atlanta

Uzbekistan (Group K)

10 p.m. June 17 vs. Colombia in Mexico City
1 p.m. June 23 vs. Portugal in Houston
7:30 p.m. vs. Democratic Republic of Congo in Atlanta

Colombia (Group K)

10 p.m. June 17 vs. Uzbekistan in Mexico City
10 p.m. June 23 vs. Democratic Republic of Congo in Guadalajara
7:30 p.m. on June 27 vs. Portugal in Miami

England (Group L)

4 p.m. June 17 vs. Croatia in Dallas
4 p.m. June 23 vs. Ghana in Boston
5 p.m. June 27 vs. Panama in New York/New Jersey

Croatia (Group L)

4 p.m. June 17 vs. England in Dallas
7 p.m. June 23 vs. Panama in Toronto
5 p.m. June 27 vs. Ghana in Philadelphia

Ghana (Group L)

7 p.m. June 17 vs. Panama in Toronto
4 p.m. June 23 vs. England in Boston
5 p.m. June 27 vs. Croatia in Philadelphia

Panama (Group L)

7 p.m. June 17 vs. Ghana in Toronto
7 p.m. June 23 vs. Croatia in Toronto
5 p.m. June 27 vs. England in New York/New Jersey

Knockout Rounds

Round of 32: June 28-July 3
Round of 16: July 4-7
Quarterfinals: July 9-11 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California; Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida; and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Semifinals: July 14-15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
Third-place match: July 18 at Hard Rock Stadium
Final: July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey