---
title: "Weekly 10.17.26"
description: "Weekly Roundup The latest findings from Pew Research Center · Subscribe ↗ From our research The share of Americans who say they’ve cut back their spending on extras – like dining out or entertainment – in the past year."
date: "2026-10-16"
authors:
  - name: "Anna Jackson"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/newsletter/weekly-roundup/weekly-10-17-26/"
---

# Weekly 10.17.26

---

October 16, 2026

## Weekly Roundup

*The latest findings from Pew Research Center · [**Subscribe ↗**](https://pewresearch.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=434f5d1199912232d416897e4&id=3e953b9b70)*

---

- [Americans’ Views of Economic Inequality, Its Causes and Who Should Fix It](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2026/10/14/americans-views-of-economic-inequality-its-causes-and-who-should-fix-it/)

- [Trends in Income and Wealth Inequality](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2026/10/14/trends-in-income-and-wealth-inequality-2026/)

- **Also read:** [Religious Groups Differ Widely in Their 2026 Midterm Preferences](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/13/religious-groups-differ-widely-in-their-2026-midterm-preferences/)

[      ](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/15/so-far-the-119th-congress-is-among-the-least-productive-of-the-past-40-years/)

## [So Far, the 119th Congress Is Among the Least Productive of the Past 40 Years](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/15/so-far-the-119th-congress-is-among-the-least-productive-of-the-past-40-years/)

The 119th Congress has [enacted 121 laws since convening](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/15/so-far-the-119th-congress-is-among-the-least-productive-of-the-past-40-years/) in January 2025, the second fewest of any Congress in the past four decades. Only the 118th Congress had enacted fewer laws (106) by this point in its two-year term.

- [Online Communities Rarely Focus on Politics, and Many Say It Should Stay That Way](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2026/10/14/online-communities-rarely-focus-on-politics-and-many-say-it-should-stay-that-way/)

- **Also read: **[Republicans’ Views of Some Countries and International Organizations Differ Widely by Age](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/16/republicans-views-of-some-countries-and-international-organizations-differ-widely-by-age/)

## [Majority of Americans Expect Democrats to Win Control of House; Public Is Split on Senate](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/15/majority-of-americans-expect-democrats-to-win-control-of-house-public-is-split-on-senate/)

#### From our research

[70%](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/14/many-americans-are-struggling-to-afford-basic-necessities/)

The share of Americans who say they’ve [cut back their spending on extras](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/14/many-americans-are-struggling-to-afford-basic-necessities/) – like dining out or entertainment – in the past year.