GOP polling change, Estonian airspace, Wall Street records

Your afternoon news update

ADVERTISEMENT View in Browser | APNews DONATE View in Browser | APNews DONATE AP Afternoon Wire Advancing the Power of Facts Policy changes, but facts endure. AP delivers accurate, fact-based journalism to keep the world informed in every administration. Support independent reporting today. Donate. By Amy Langfield September 19, 2025 By Amy Langfield September 19, 2025 Good afternoon and welcome to your afternoon news update from AP. Today, a new AP-NORC poll on Americans' outlook on the direction of the country, Estonia says 3 Russian fighter jets entered its airspace and Wall Street is on track for another record-setting week. UP FIRST Well-wishers add to a memorial set up at Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix after the shooting death of Charlie Kirk. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Following Kirk's assassination, Republicans sour on the direction of the country, new AP-NORC poll finds A new poll shows Republicans' outlook on the direction of the country has soured dramatically. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll was conducted shortly after last week's assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. Only about half in the GOP see the nation on the right course, down from 70% in June. The shift is even more glaring among Republican women and the party's under-45 crowd. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Live updates: Federal judge tosses Trump's $15B defamation lawsuit against The New York Times Rights group calls for urgent action for 5 men deported by US and held in Eswatini without charges George Soros' philanthropy reaches for new ideas as it grapples with the limits of its power TOP STORIES Estonia says 3 Russian fighter jets entered its airspace in 'brazen' incursion Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission Friday and stayed there for 12 minutes, the Foreign Ministry said, just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland and heightened fears that the war in Ukraine could spill over. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Britain's outgoing spy chief highlights Russia, China and Iran as threats Ukraine aims to expand its weapons industry to deter Russia and help allies Russia appeals global aviation agency's decision blaming it for downing MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 Wall Street coasts toward another record-setting week Wall Street is coasting toward the finish of its latest record-setting week on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% and was on track to close out its sixth winning week in the last seven. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 129 points, or 0.3%, as of 1:01 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher. All three hit all-time highs the day before, as did the small stocks in the Russell 2000 index, which finally surpassed its prior record set in 2021. Read more. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Who qualifies for 'no tax on tips' and what counts as a tip? Here are the new rules Gen Z's credit scores are dropping. Here's what to do if yours is too How to take care of yourself and your finances when you've experienced a layoff ADVERTISEMENT IN OTHER NEWS In this photo provided by Qatar Foreign Ministry, Qatari and British diplomats, left, pose with the released British couple, Barbie and Peter Reynolds, aboard a plane before departing to Qatar from Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday. (Qatar Foreign Ministry via AP) Afghanistan: Taliban release British couple held for months on undisclosed charges Sudan: Paramilitary drone attack on a mosque kills at least 70 people, army says Drivers trapped for 10 hours: Mudslides bury roads and damage homes in California Washington state: Officials find remains they believe are Travis Decker, wanted in killings of his 3 young daughters Louisiana: A brutal beating by deputies was caught on tape. They were cleared by state police anyway Brett James: Grammy-winning songwriter who co-wrote 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' dies in plane crash WATCH: Finding happiness in amber: All along the German Baltic Coast, people go hunting for precious pieces TRENDING Willie Nelson performs at Farm Aid 30 in Chicago in 2015. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP) Willie Nelson and Neil Young highlight 40th Farm Aid concert Farm Aid — the annual fundraising concerts launched by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp during the farm crisis of the 1980s — celebrates its 40th anniversary on Saturday in Minneapolis. Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Amy Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Amy SUPPORT THE AP. DONATE. Manage preferences | Privacy policy | Unsubscribe   *Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. If you're interested in advertising, contact us here. ADVERTISEMENT