Americans' faith in public institutions of all kinds — from the Supreme Court to Big Tech — is dwindling to historic lows, a new Gallup report shows.

• But confidence in small businesses remains relatively high.

Small businesses made a remarkable comeback after being clobbered in the early days of the pandemic.

• Even as Americans lose faith in big companies, they continue to trust the small ones.

What's happening: Small businesses, which employ nearly half of U.S. workers, have long been the backbone of the American economy — closely linked to the American dream, public radio's Marketplace notes.

• They're rarely caught in political crossfire. Politicians on both sides of the aisle support them.

🔎 Between the lines: Most institutions see a partisan divide in confidence. Republicans' confidence in organized religion (49%) exceeds that of Democrats (25%). Democrats' faith in organized labor (39%) tops that of Republicans (15%).

• Faith in small businesses crosses party lines: 64% of Democrats, 68% of Republicans and 66% of independents say they have a "fair amount" or "great deal" of confidence.

📬 We want to hear about your favorite local businesses! Send the name of the business, where it is, and 1-2 sentences about why you love it to [email protected].

• We'll feature some of your picks in a special small biz issue.

Finish Liner Laura V. sends us tonight's stunning snap:

• "I was recently in Santorini [Greece], where the sunsets are absolutely spectacular. How lucky did I get to have a tiny little hotel room with a tiny balcony with an enormous unrestricted view?"
• "I still can't believe [the photo] is real."