MOOD IN U.S. REMAINS STEADY

Americans' views of how things are going remained steady last month, according to our poll with the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University.

• 31% of Americans say the country is on the right track (compared with 30% a month ago), and 32% say the economy is on the right track (compared with 30% last month).
• 47% say their personal financial situation is becoming worse (compared with 48% a month ago), while 28% say it is improving (compared with 26% a month ago).
• 81% of registered voters say they will definitely vote in the election (Democrat: 85%; Republican: 84%; Independent: 72%).
• 14% of voters say they are still weighing their candidate choices, including 25% of Independents.
• Vice President Harris holds a 1.7-point lead among likely voters. Yet, in battleground states, former President Trump has a 2-point lead among both likely and registered voters.
• Voters believe Trump would do a better job on specific foreign policy issues like the Ukraine/Russia war (+9 over Harris), standing up to China (+13) and the Israel/Hamas war (+10), while 51% of voters believe Harris is better equipped to be commander-in-chief over Trump.
• Inflation and immigration remain the top two national issues for voters, with 46% saying inflation is most important personally (Democrat: 39%; Republican: 52%; Independent: 47%).
• See also: I 'don't recall any presidential race where we've seen these polls this close': Stagwell's Mark Penn

BEST REPUTATIONS IN CANADA

Hockey dominates in Canada - yet it's the Professional Women's Hockey League that is at the top of Harris Poll's inaugural ranking of the 50 most reputable companies and organizations in the country.

• The PWHL is No. 1 - above traditional powerhouses like the NHL (35^th) - followed by Toyota, Samsung, Costco, Canadian Tire, Apple, Microsoft, Manulife, Sun Life and Nike in the top 10.
• Companies in sectors heavily reliant on pricing transparency - such as grocery (Loblaws), airlines (WestJet) and telecom (Bell) - see their reputations suffering.
• Unlike American banks, Canadian banks enjoy strong public confidence. All of Canada's "Big Five" banks ranked in the top 25, with Scotiabank leading at 13th.
• In contrast, U.S. banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America placed much lower in the American edition of the study, Axios Harris Poll 100, highlighting a significant cross-border difference in banking trust.