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Subscription failed Subscribe for free Thank you for subscribing! 7 hours ago - Politics & Policy America's "Friendscape" crisis Mike Allen, author of AM New research shows Americans have fewer friends than in the past, and are less likely to have a best friend. * Why it matters: At a time of excruciating mental and societal stress, this is another sign we're breaking apart. And the friendship drought could get worse with more people working remotely or hybrid-ly. Here are two key findings, from May polling by the Survey Center on American Life, a project of the American Enterprise Institute: * Our number of close friends has declined considerably from 30 years ago, when 33% of U.S. adults reported having 10 or more close friends, not counting relatives. Now, 13% say that. * In 1990, 75% of us said we had a "best friend." This year, 59% said that. AEI senior fellow Daniel Cox, who conducted the research, told me that as he's discussed the findings on podcasts and online, people get it: "Everyone has their own anecdote." * "We realize the importance of friendship, and we're just not investing the time," he said, adding that it's another way the nation is "vulnerable." I got a different lens from Kate Murphy, a Texan who is author of " You're Not Listening," and wrote for the N.Y. Times (subscription), "The Pandemic Shrank Our Social Circles. Let's Keep It That Way." * In urging the curation of friends, Murphy cited Suzanne Degges-White, chair of counseling at Northern Illinois University, for the term "friendscape." * "People want fewer and better friends," Murphy emails. Pre-pandemic, "we were in the grips of a loneliness epidemic. That loneliness wasn't necessarily from being alone. In fact, it was often a feeling of alienation while in the presence of other people." I love this: "You can be friendly with a lot of people but you can only have a few good friends," Murphy added. "An occasional lunch, back slap at a cocktail party or exchange of texts is sociability but not social support." [W]hen your social life becomes a mad dash between events driven by FOMO, you don't have the time or emotional energy to develop those truly meaningful relationships and attachments that are essential to human health and happiness. And, of course, engaging with people digitally is a poor facsimile. The pandemic showed us that for sure. Context: This trend is nothing new, of course. Robert Putnam's bestselling "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community," was published in 2000 -- 21 years ago. * Go deeper: Explore the data. {{{cta.header}}} Enter your email address[ ] Subscribe Not a valid email format. Not a valid email format. Server error. 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Please try a different email. {{{cta.successMessage}}} {{{cta.header}}} Enter your email address[ ] Subscribe Not a valid email format. Not a valid email format. Server error. Please try a different email. {{{cta.successMessage}}} Go deeper Ivana Saric 1 hour ago - World Tunisian president ousts prime minister, suspends parliament amid unrest Tunisians stage a protest in response to the problems in the health sector in the country, demanding the resignation of the government and the dissolution of the parliament in Tunis on July 25. Photo: Yassine Gaidi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Tunisian President Kais Saied announced Sunday that he had dismissed the country's prime minister and frozen the parliament amidst mass protests in the country, Reuters reports. Why it matters: The move, which comes on the 64th anniversary of Tunisia's independence, escalates Saied's longstanding feud with Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and poses a challenge to the 2014 constitution that "split powers between president, prime minister and parliament," per Reuters. Go deeper (1 min. read) Yacob Reyes Updated 5 hours ago - Politics & Policy Pelosi appoints GOP Rep. Kinzinger to Jan. 6 committee House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Sunday that she has appointed Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) to serve on the House select committee investigating the Jan 6. Capitol riot. Why it matters: Pelosi's announcement comes after she rejected two of the five Republican appointments offered by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Go deeper (1 min. read) Ivana Saric 6 hours ago - Politics & Policy USCP chief: Officers testifying before Jan. 6 committee "need to be heard" Thomas Manger, the new chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images New Capitol Police chief Tom Manger said officers testifying before the Jan. 6 select committee this week "need to be heard." Driving the news: The select committee's first hearing is set to take place on Tuesday and will feature testimony from law enforcement officers who were subject to some of the worst of violence during the insurrection. Go deeper (1 min. read) Axios gets you smarter, faster with news & information that matters. Copyright Axios Media, 2021 About About Axios Advertise with us Careers Events Axios on HBO Axios HQ Privacy and terms Online tracking choices Contact us Subscribe Axios newsletters Axios app Axios podcasts Courses Earn Axios rewards