Approximately 57% of residents of Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, support the idea of becoming part of the United States, according to a poll by Patriot Polling, cited by The Hill on Monday. According to the poll, about 37% of the island’s residents opposed the possible accession to the United States, while slightly more than 5% of respondents were unable to answer.
The survey involved 416 people, while the population of Greenland is almost 57 thousand people.
This is the first time that the Patriot Polling Center has conducted a survey outside the United States. The survey was conducted during the visit to Greenland last week by Donald Trump Jr, the son of US President-elect Donald Trump.
Earlier, Trump expressed a desire to include Greenland in the United States, as it would be in Washington’s national interests. At the same time, he did not rule out the possibility that he might use military force to achieve this goal. This caused concern in Denmark and other European countries. The Greenlandic authorities have emphasized that they are seeking independence from Copenhagen in the future, but not to become part of the United States.
There is already a US military base in Greenland. The island is considered a central link in ensuring the security of the Arctic, a starting point for sea routes through the waters of the region, and a territory where rare earth metals and other resources are found. Western media note that the island has reserves of graphite, copper, zinc, gold, diamonds, iron ore, titanium, vanadium, and uranium, and that exploration work has not been fully carried out.
In 2023, the number of Americans who use marijuana on a daily basis exceeded the number of those who drink alcohol daily, the Associated Press reports, citing a study by Carnegie Mellon University.
About 17.7 million people consumed marijuana daily or almost daily the year before last, compared to 14.7 million who drink alcohol with the same frequency, the study said. For comparison, in 1992, less than 1 million Americans used marijuana almost daily.
“A good 40% of marijuana users use it daily or almost daily. This pattern of consumption is more closely associated with tobacco than alcohol,” said Jonathan Caulkins, a researcher at the university.
He emphasized that the data is based on surveys, and respondents may have been more willing to admit to daily marijuana use due to the fact that it is becoming more socially acceptable in the United States.
While marijuana is legal in most states for medical or recreational use, it is still prohibited at the federal level.
Studies show that frequent use increases the likelihood of becoming addicted to marijuana or developing cannabinoid psychosis, said David Gorelick, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
The number of housing starts in the United States in February increased by 10.7% compared to the previous month and amounted to 1.521 million at an annualized rate, according to a press release from the country’s Commerce Department. This is the most significant increase in the last nine months.
According to the revised data, in January the number of new buildings was 1.374 million (down 12.3%), not 1.331 million (down 14.8%), as previously reported.
Analysts on average had forecast a 7.1% decline from the previously announced January level, according to Trading Economics.
Construction of single-family homes jumped 11.6% last month to 1.129 million. The number of new apartment buildings (including apartments and condominiums), a more volatile segment of the market, increased by 8.6% to 377 thousand.
Meanwhile, the number of building permits for new homes in February increased by 1.9% to 1.518 million in annualized terms. This is the highest figure since August last year. Analysts had expected a rise of only 0.4%.
At the same time, the number of permits for the construction of single-family houses increased by 1%, and apartment buildings – by 4.1%.
Sales in the secondary housing market in the United States in January increased by 3.1% compared to the previous month and amounted to a five-month high of 4 million homes at an annualized rate, according to a report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
According to the revised data, sales totaled 3.88 million homes in December 2023.
Analysts on average expected the figure to rise to 3.97 million homes from the previously announced December level of 3.78 million, Trading Economics reports.
Resales of housing in the United States in January were 1.7% lower than a year earlier.
The median house price increased for the seventh consecutive month – by 5.1% in annual terms – and reached $379.1 thousand, updating the historical high for January.
The number of homes offered for sale at the end of last month amounted to 1.01 million, which is 3.1% higher than a year earlier and 2% higher than in December. At the current rate of sales, it would take 3 months to sell the homes for sale, compared to 3.1 months in December. It is believed that a six-month lead time indicates a balanced market, and less than five months indicates a tense situation.
Houses were sold in January in an average of 36 days, compared to 29 days in December and 33 days in January last year.
The secondary market accounts for about 90% of contracts for the purchase of housing in the United States, and they are taken into account in the statistics only after the transaction is completed.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has announced additional assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $175 million, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.
The package will include air defense ammunition and artillery shells, additional ammunition for HIMARS, high-speed anti-radiation and anti-tank missiles, small arms ammunition, explosive ordnance to destroy obstacles, equipment to protect critical infrastructure, spare parts, support equipment, services, training, and transportation.
“Until Russia ends this war by halting its brutal attacks and withdrawing its troops from Ukraine, it is critical that the United States continue to lead the coalition we have built, consisting of more than 50 countries that stand firmly with Ukraine. If Congress does not act to approve the president’s request for additional national security funding, this will be one of the last security assistance packages we can provide to Ukraine,” the statement said.
The State Department emphasized that helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression and secure its future is in the interests of U.S. national security and promotes global stability around the world, “and we need Congress to act now.”
The United States will support Ukraine’s grain exports to markets that desperately need them, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing.
“We are going to continue to support Ukraine’s efforts to get Ukrainian grain to markets that desperately need it,” she said.
The spokeswoman also noted the provision of U.S. financial support and supplies for Ukrainian farmers, such as seeds and fertilizer, as well as assistance with crop storage and processing.
In addition, Jean-Pierre recalled that the U.S. government is providing Ukraine with $250 million in financial assistance to support the agricultural sector.
“The United States will allocate another $250 million to the AGRI Ukraine initiative to help Ukrainian farmers produce, store and export agricultural products and grain to global markets,” she emphasized.
