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    Brazil’s Changing Religious Landscape

    As young Catholics gather in Brazil, awaiting Pope Francis’ visit in celebration of World Youth Day, an analysis of census data finds that the share of Brazil’s population that identifies as Catholic has been dropping steadily in recent decades. Over the same period, the percentage of Brazilians who belong to Protestant churches has been rising.

  • short reads

    Partisan polarization, in Congress and among public, is greater than ever

    While the Senate appears to have reached a deal on executive-branch appointments that heads off a showdown over filibuster rules, the fact that the confrontation went as far as it did points up the increasingly polarized state of Congress. From immigration reform to food stamps to student loans, it almost seems as if congressional Republicans and Democrats inhabit […]

  • report

    Fewer See Events in Egypt as Critical to U.S. Interests

    Overview Public interest in news from Egypt has plummeted since the early weeks of the Arab Spring in February 2011. And the share of Americans saying what happens in Egypt is “very important” to U.S. interests has fallen by 10 points – from 46% to 36% – since then. The survey by the Pew Research […]

  • short reads

    On Twitter: Anger greets the Zimmerman verdict

    The response on Twitter to George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the killing of Trayvon Martin was almost equally divided between sharing news about the verdict and weighing in on it. And among those offering opinions about the outcome, their conclusion was very different from the jurors’. According to a new Pew Research Center analysis of nearly […]

  • short reads

    Mexican public favors military use, U.S. aid to fight drug cartels

    On Monday, the Mexican military captured Miguel Angel Treviño Morales, leader of the Zetas, one of the major Mexican drug cartels. Treviño Morales is wanted in Mexico and the United States for charges of drug trafficking, murder, torture, kidnapping and extortion, among other crimes. Mexican armed forces made the arrest early Monday morning after a […]

  • short reads

    Supreme Court same-sex marriage rulings spark state court challenges

    Just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decisions on same-sex marriage, LGBT advocates are ramping up legal efforts to expand marriage rights for gays and lesbians at the state level. In five states – Arkansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas – gay marriage supporters have filed new lawsuits seeking to legalize same-sex […]

  • report

    Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing

    A majority of Advanced Placement and National Writing Project teachers say digital tools encourage students to be more invested in their writing and make teaching writing easier, but also worry that they are having some undesirable effects.