More Black Women Say Abortion Is Their Top Issue in the 2024 Election

Amanda Seitz at The Associated Press reports that a new pollconducted by research firm KFF has found that more than a quarter of female Black voters (28%) say abortion is their top issue in this year’s presidential election. Geographically speaking, more than half of Black Americans live in Southern states where abortion is predominately banned. The survey also found that nearly two-thirds of voters oppose a national abortion ban beginning at 16 weeks of pregnancy. PRRI research finds that 42% of Americans state that they consider a candidate’s position on abortion when voting.

Biden Team Brings In $10 Million in the 24 Hours After the State of the Union

Kristen Welker and Scott Bland at NBC News report that President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign raised a record-setting $10 million following his State of the Union address. This adds to Biden’s early financial lead over former President Donald Trump; Biden’s campaign and the DNC currently have about $40 million more than Trump and the RNC combined. PRRI’s 2023 American Values Survey finds that 45% of Americans agree that if Trump wins the election democracy is broken, compared with 38% who agree with this sentiment if Biden wins the 2024 election.

As Trump Supports Merges With Christian Nationalism, Experts Warn of Extremist Risks

For USA TODAY, Will Carlessexamines former President Donald Trump’s embrace of the Christian nationalist movement and the growing potential for violence or terrorism as a result of framing a political battle as a conflict between good and evil. PRRI’s latest survey finds that most Americans reject or are skeptical of Christian nationalism, but more than 45% qualify as Christian nationalism adherents or sympathizers in North Dakota (50%), Mississippi (50%), Alabama (47%), West Virginia (47%), and Louisiana (46%). Joseph Wiinikka-Lydon, a senior research analyst at the SPLC, told Carless, “They are fringe, but they’re a fringe that is well-organized and well-resourced.”

Why People Are Reluctant To Call Themselves Atheists

CNN’s Harmeet Kaur exploresatheism and the range of beliefs and experiences it encompasses. Because atheism can be considered off-putting, some atheists opt for less taboo self-identifications such as humanist, freethinker, non-practicing Jew, or secular Muslim. Kaur writes that atheism and spirituality aren’t necessarily at odds. Long-distance swimmer and atheist Diana Nyad stated: “I’m an atheist who’s in awe. […] We all live with something that is cherished and we feel the treasure of it.” PRRI data finds that most religiously unaffiliated Americans (78%) who left a religious tradition say they did so because they stopped believing in its teachings.