Half of all church fires in past 20 years were arsons
Of the 4,705 reported fire incidents at houses of worship between 1996 and 2015, 2,378, or 51%, have been ruled intentional.
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Gun homicides steady after decline in ’90s; suicide rate edges up
Although most Americans think the number of gun crimes has risen, the U.S. gun homicide rate has actually stabilized somewhat in recent years.
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What Canada’s new government might mean for U.S. relations
On some key issues, like the Keystone XL pipeline and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), supporters of Canada’s Liberal Party are less supportive than their Conservative Party predecessors.
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Deep Divisions in Turkey as Election Nears
Turks are split on whether their democratic system is working, and views of Erdogan are at their lowest since 2012. But they still prefer a democratic form of government over a strong leader to guide their country.
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On Immigration Policy, Wider Partisan Divide Over Border Fence Than Path to Legal Status
Survey Report As immigration emerges as a key issue in the presidential campaign, there is little common ground between Republicans and Democrats in views of several immigration policy proposals. But partisan disagreements are much more pronounced on some issues than others. Overall, the public continues to be divided over building a fence along the entire […]
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California legalizes assisted suicide amid growing support for such laws
Two-thirds of Americans say doctors should be allowed by law to assist patients who are terminally ill and living in severe pain to commit suicide.
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Mixed Views of Initial U.S. Response to Europe’s Migrant Crisis
Survey Report The public has mixed reactions to the U.S. response to the influx of hundreds of thousands of migrants arriving in Europe in recent weeks. By a narrow 51%-45% margin, more approve than disapprove of the U.S. decision to increase the number of refugees it accepts to help deal with this situation. When asked […]
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Majority Says Any Budget Deal Must Include Planned Parenthood Funding
Survey Report With the prospect of a government shutdown apparently decreasing, the public by a wide margin says that any congressional budget agreement must maintain funding for Planned Parenthood. The latest national poll by the Pew Research Center, conducted Sept. 22-27 among 1,502 adults, finds that 60% say that any budget deal must maintain funding for […]
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What’s a sin? Catholics don’t always agree with their church
Almost nine-in-ten U.S. Catholics believe that some actions are offensive to God, but many American Catholics don’t agree with church teachings on what constitutes sinful behavior.
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What Americans, Europeans think of immigrants
Pope Francis has urged European Catholics to take in some of the thousands of migrants streaming in from Syria and other countries amid the world’s largest refugee crisis on record, and in his address to Congress today he urged leaders to welcome and respect immigrants coming to the U.S. But just how closely public opinion aligns with the pope’s […]
