---
title: "Data Feed: Online news engagement, rebounding retail sales, firmer Obamacare support"
description: "A daily roundup of fresh data from scholars, governments, think tanks, pollsters and other social science researchers."
date: "2014-03-13"
authors:
  - name: "George Gao"
    job_title: "Former "
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/george-gao/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/03/13/data-feed-online-news-engagement-rebounding-retail-sales-firmer-obamacare-support/"
---

# Data Feed: Online news engagement, rebounding retail sales, firmer Obamacare support

*A daily roundup of fresh data from scholars, governments, think tanks, pollsters and other social science researchers.*

**Politics **[Americans cite jobs, economy, government as top problems](http://www.gallup.com/poll/167873/americans-cite-jobs-economy-gov-top-problems.aspx), Gallup [Americans slightly more upbeat about country's direction](http://www.gallup.com/poll/167864/americans-slightly-upbeat-country-direction.aspx), Gallup [Americans don't believe Christie on bridge jam, Clinton on Benghazi](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-12/americans-don-t-believe-christie-on-jam-clinton-on-libya.html), Bloomberg [Clinton up in Iowa as Christie's support falls](http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-and-centers/polling-institute/iowa/release-detail?ReleaseID=2019), Quinnipiac [History suggests McConnell is not as vulnerable as he seems](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/us/politics/mcconnell-is-not-as-vulnerable-as-he-seems.html?hp), New York Times [The midterm x-factor? President Obama](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/03/13/more-and-more-the-x-factor-in-the-midterms-is-obama/), Washington Post

**Economy **[U.S. retail sales rebounded in February, up 0.3%](http://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf), Census Bureau [America's most and least unequal metro areas](http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2014/03/americas-most-unequal-metros/8623/), The Atlantic Cities [As desktops decline, mobile search is boosting Google's revenue](http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/03/13/as-desktop-declines-mobile-search-boosts-google-revenue/?mod=ST1), The Wall Street Journal [Who pays as America greys? The surprising changes in federal spending](http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/03/daily-chart-5), The Economist [Which companies have the most money parked overseas, out of IRS reach?](http://www.bloomberg.com/infographics/2014-03-12/offshore-profits-avoid-irs-reach.html) Bloomberg [Lower costs for healthcare, medical goods largely driving drop in core inflation](http://www.bloomberg.com/infographics/2014-03-12/tracking-core-personal-consumption-expenditures.html), Bloomberg [The rise and fall of U.S. labor force participation](http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/2014/q1/bullard.pdf), St. Louis Fed

**Health & Society** [64% of Americans support Obamacare as is or with small changes](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-12/americans-stick-with-obamacare-as-opposition-burns-bright.html), Bloomberg [Healthcare.gov gets 40% jump in traffic after Funny or Die video](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/12/healthcare-gov-gets-40-jump-in-traffic-after-funny-or-die-video/), CNN [How Western states are implementing healthcare reform](http://www.rockinst.org/ACA/western_states.aspx), Rockefeller Institute at SUNY [Direct visitors more engaged with news websites](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2014/03/13/social-search-direct/), Pew Research Center [Pope Francis maintains high marks on one-year anniversary](http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/03/13/pope-francis-maintains-high-marks-in-poll/), The Wall Street Journal [New data on R&D spending at U.S. colleges and universities](http://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/herd/2012/), National Science Foundation [Upbeat online messages far more likely than negative ones to affect others' moods](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303546204579435550002436002), WSJ[ ](http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/03/12/data-point-which-streaming-music-source-is-winning/?mod=ST1)

**International** [Few experts predicted Russia's military intervention in Ukraine](http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/03/07/snap_poll_the_view_from_the_ivory_tower_syria_defense_ukraine_russia), TRIP/Foreign Policy [OECD unemployment rate stable at 7.6% in January](http://www.oecd.org/std/labour-stats/harmonisedunemploymentrateshursoecd-updatedmarch2014.htm), OECD [Greek unemployment, already highest in Europe, rose to 27.5% in 4Q2013](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/greek-unemployment-rises-275-percent), AP [Reportedly low levels of genetically modified crops in trade data raises questions](http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/216311/icode/), FAO

*Got new data to share? Send it to us via email *[*facttank@pewresearch.org*](mailto:facttank@pewresearch.org)* or Tweet us *[*@FactTank*](http://www.twitter.com/facttank)*.*