Short Reads

In 2014, the median level of religious hostilities in the Middle East and North Africa reached a level four times that of the global median.

News remains an important part of public life. But Americans are cautious as they move into today’s more complex news environment and discerning in their evaluation of available news sources.

A median of 57% across the 11 NATO member countries surveyed voiced favorable views of the coalition, with only about a quarter (median of 27%) expressing negative opinions.

Compared with many other countries in the world, Americans stand out for their patriotism. But surveys show that Americans disagree over what’s behind their country’s success.

Looking at gender, race and ethnicity combined, all groups, with the exception of Asian men, lag behind white men in terms of median hourly earnings.

There are fewer electorally competitive counties, and more counties in which Democrats or Republicans hold overwhelming vote advantages, than at any time in the past three decades or so.

The sharing and on-demand economy has grown in the U.S., and some Americans are “super users”: 7% have used six or more shared and on-demand online services.

52% of U.S. Hispanics say they have experienced discrimination or have been treated unfairly because of their race or ethnicity.

In President Barack Obama’s last year in office, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that views of the United States remain strongly favorable in key European and Asian nations.

Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey had some of the highest levels of religious restrictions in 2014.