Cost-of-living disparities within states complicate minimum-wage debate
The cost of living can vary widely not just from state to state but within individual states, which can make setting an appropriate minimum wage more difficult.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Journalism
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The biggest U.S. tax breaks
The hundreds of exemptions, deductions and other breaks embedded in the tax code will cost the federal government more than $1.3 trillion this fiscal year.
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Changing a social media profile picture is one way to express support or solidarity
In the wake of attacks in Brussels and in Lahore, Pakistan, some social media users are changing their profile pictures to express solidarity with victims and the people of these countries. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become a common way for Americans to get news, but they also can provide a way for […]
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5 facts about Twitter at age 10
Five facts about Twitter, as the microblogging platform marks its 10th anniversary.
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This year’s GOP presidential battle isn’t the first – or even the deepest – party divide
Both major U.S. political parties have a long history of splits, splinters and other schisms.
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So far, turnout in this year’s primaries rivals 2008 record
So far this year, Republican primaries are experiencing record turnouts, much as voting in Democratic primaries surged in 2008. But the longer-term trend in primary turnout has been down.
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Half of those who aren’t learning about the election feel their vote doesn’t matter
About one-in-ten Americans (9%) did not learn about this year’s presidential election in a given week from any of 11 types of sources asked about in a January Pew Research Center survey. One striking trait of this group is their lack of faith in the impact of voting. Half of this group thinks that their […]
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UN peacekeeping at new highs after post-Cold War surge and decline
The number of UN peacekeeping forces around the world has peaked in recent months after falling off in the late 1990s, following a period of trial and error for UN interventions.
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Long Supreme Court vacancies used to be more common
If Senate Republicans stick with their declared intention to not consider anyone President Obama might nominate to replace Antonin Scalia, his seat on the Supreme Court likely would remain vacant for a year or more. That would be the longest vacancy on the court for nearly five decades, but by no means the longest ever in U.S. history. In fact, for much of the 19th century it was not uncommon for Supreme Court seats to be unoccupied for months – or, in a few cases, years – at a time.
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Seven-in-Ten Reddit Users Get News on the Site
Presidential candidates were mentioned in over 350,000 comments in May, June and September 2015, with a high level of early interest in Bernie Sanders
