4 Min Read
(3-minute read) 5 stories, 1 thread: The people making decisions and the people living with them are often not in the same conversation.
- Axios Harris Poll 100: America’s most-watched corporate reputation ranking is out. The companies earning trust right now are the ones showing up in people’s daily lives.
- Maternal mental health webinar: Join us on May 27 as The Harris Poll gives state and federal policymakers a sneak peek of the new 2026 State of Maternal Health Report.
- Toxic bosses: 6 in 10 workers have one. 53% have sought therapy because of one. Workers say the fix is leadership training.
- Bladder cancer’s hidden burden: 90% of patients report serious physical and emotional impacts from treatment.
- 2026 Milken Institute-Harris Poll report: We found 41% of workers have received zero employer support to use AI.
The 2026 Axios Harris Poll 100
The results are in. Our annual ranking of the reputation of America’s most visible companies as judged by the American public, have now been published in partnership with Axios.
Each year, we ask tens of thousands of Americans which companies have earned their trust. The results are the country’s most closely watched measure of corporate reputation.
Takeaway: Americans are navigating an economy that feels increasingly unfamiliar. The companies earning their trust are the ones that show up in tangible, daily ways.
Join the ‘State of Maternal Mental Health in America’ Webinar
On May 27, The Harris Poll joins the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health to brief state and federal policymakers on the 2026 State of Maternal Health Report. The session unveils this year’s MMH State Report Cards – including a new national grade – with new measures on childcare and paid leave.
Takeaway: The data is ready. The question is whether policymakers will act on it.
Register for the May 27 briefing
6 in 10 Workers Say They Have a Toxic Boss
The cost of having a toxic boss is more than financial: 47% report burnout or declining mental health, and two-thirds have changed jobs.
44% say their company invests more in AI than in coaching its managers. Workers aren’t blaming personalities. They’re pointing to a system that promoted people without training them.
“Toxic leadership isn’t a character flaw,” says Libby Rodney, Chief Strategy Officer at The Harris Poll. “It’s an investment failure.”
Takeaway: The ask from workers is simple – invest in the people who manage people.
Read the full toxic boss findings
Bladder Cancer’s Hidden Burden
90% of patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer report serious physical and emotional impacts from treatment. More than half describe those impacts as moderate or significant. About three in four patients hide how they feel.
40% of urologists who have recommended bladder removal surgery say they regret doing so – this isn’t because of a failure in clinical judgment, but because current options don’t go far enough.
“When nearly 40% of urologists say they regret recommending this surgery, it reflects the limits of what current care can offer,” says Dr. Ashish Kamat, Founding President of the International Bladder Cancer Group.
Takeaway: The clinical picture of bladder cancer is well documented. The human cost is only now being measured – and it’s significant.
The 2026 Milken Institute–The Harris Poll Listening Project
The Harris Poll’s annual Milken Institute report has a surprise finding: leaders and workers agree on AI policy – they just haven’t said it out loud.
92% of business leaders use AI daily. Meanwhile, 41% of workers received zero employer support in the past year, and 46% feel like they’re training the tool that will replace them.
81% of workers say there’s still time to get this right, if we act now. The consensus exists. What’s missing is someone willing to act on it.
Takeaway: Leaders and workers are closer than the headlines suggest. What’s missing is coordination – and someone willing to take action.
