Four in 10 Americans Still Highly Concerned About Illegal Immigration

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Forty-one percent of Americans report worrying a great deal about the issue of illegal immigration, with another 19% worried a fair amount, according to a March 1-18 Gallup survey. The survey was conducted before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it will soon terminate the emergency powers given to border agents during the pandemic that have allowed them to turn migrants back without an opportunity to seek asylum.

The 41% currently worried a great deal roughly ties the percentage found a year ago but is otherwise on the high end of Gallup readings taken over the past decade. CONTINUED

Lydia Saad, Gallup

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Bidenism is failing. The question is how badly.

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… Biden has been explicit about taking a different approach to the presidency than Donald Trump did. But my impression is that Biden and his advisers also believed he would be more effective than Barack Obama was, because conservative White voters would feel less threatened by him and congressional Republicans would be more willing to work with a longtime former colleague.

Nope. Biden’s approval rating is about 42 percent, while about 53 percent of likely voters disapprove of him, according to the FiveThirtyEight polling average. That’s not much better than Trump’s standing at the same point in his presidency, when about 42 percent approved and 54 percent disapproved. Obama wasn’t as unpopular until the fifth year of his presidency. …

I’m focusing on approval ratings for two reasons. First, because they are one of the few tangible pieces of data that we have across presidencies. Second, because they matter. When presidents become more unpopular, the media covers them more negatively, and other politicians, particularly politicians from their own party, feel freer to criticize them — which tends to make them even more unpopular. Presidential unpopularity creates a self-reinforcing cycle. CONTINUED

Perry Bacon Jr., Washington Post

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Higher gas prices a factor for those considering a hybrid or electric car

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About a third of U.S. adults would consider an electric car (slightly more would think about a hybrid) if they were in the market for a vehicle, citing higher gas prices as one big reason why, along with the belief that these vehicles are cleaner for the environment. Another quarter say they might consider buying an electric car. CONTINUED

Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News

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Awareness of government actions to combat climate change is low in most countries

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In a new global survey of 23,577 adults aged 16 – 74 in 31 countries, Ipsos found that climate change is a regular concern for half of people across a global country average. Concern is notably higher in Latin American countries, with Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Argentina and Italy all leading the way as those who think about the effects of climate change on their countries most frequently. Conversely Great Britain ranks in the bottom five countries who don’t think about climate change as much, beaten only by Japan, the Netherlands, Russia and China. CONTINUED

Pippa Bailey, Ipsos

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What Russians think of the war in Ukraine, according to an independent pollster

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What do ordinary Russians think about President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and how much are they feeling the effect of Western sanctions? Denis Volkov has been working to find out. He’s the director of the Levada Center, an independent polling firm in Russia.

As Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep notes, doing anything independently in Russia is tricky (the government has branded the firm a foreign agent), as is conducting polls on this topic — since the government prohibits calling the invasion a war, and dissenters are arrested. CONTINUED

Rachel Treisman, NPR News

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Nearly half of Americans feel they pay too much in taxes, particularly conservatives

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With tax day upon us, three in four Americans expect they will file their income taxes on time this year, and most who file expect a refund from the federal government. Still, nearly half of Americans feel they pay more than their fair share in taxes. Those who expect to owe money this year are particularly likely to feel they pay too much — 60% hold this opinion. CONTINUED

Fred Backus, CBS News

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