More members of Congress, especially Democrats, are talking about Black History Month on social media
64% of members of Congress mentioned Black History Month on Facebook or Twitter in February 2021, up from just 29% in 2015.
Americans’ Trust in Scientists, Other Groups Declines
Trust in scientists and medical scientists has fallen below pre-pandemic levels, with 29% of U.S. adults saying they have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the best interests of the public. This is down from 40% in November 2020 and 35% in January 2019, before COVID-19 emerged. Other prominent groups – including the military, police officers and public school principals – have also seen their ratings decline.
Increasing Public Criticism, Confusion Over COVID-19 Response in U.S.
Americans are increasingly critical of the response to COVID-19 from elected officeholders and public health officials. Positive ratings of public health officials, such as those at the CDC, have fallen 10 points since August. And 60% of U.S. adults say they’ve felt confused as a result of changes to recommendations on how to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Fewer Americans now say Trump bears a lot of responsibility for the Jan. 6 riot
Americans remain deeply divided about the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and the ongoing congressional investigation into what happened.
Up until the postwar era, U.S. Supreme Court confirmations usually were routine business
It’s worth remembering that vacancies on the Supreme Court didn’t always devolve into partisan slugfests.
Black women account for a small fraction of the federal judges who have served to date
Only 70 of the 3,843 people who have ever served as federal judges as of Feb. 1, 2022, have been Black women.
Public’s Views of Supreme Court Turned More Negative Before News of Breyer’s Retirement
Today, 54% of U.S. adults say they have a favorable opinion of the Supreme Court, while 44% have an unfavorable view. And 84% say justices should not bring their political views into decisions.
Biden Starts Year Two With Diminished Public Support and a Daunting List of Challenges
Americans’ views of the economy remain negative; most say prices have gotten worse while job availability has improved.
Americans Are Less Likely Than Before COVID-19 To Want To Live in Cities, More Likely To Prefer Suburbs
Nearly half of U.S. adults say the pandemic has driven people in their community apart. Many see a long road to recovery: About one-in-five say life in their community will never get back to the way it was before COVID-19.
The Future of Digital Spaces and Their Role in Democracy
Many experts say public online spaces will significantly improve by 2035 if reformers, big technology firms, governments and activists tackle the problems created by misinformation, disinformation and toxic discourse. Others expect continuing troubles as digital tools and forums are used to exploit people’s frailties, stoke their rage and drive them apart.
