Covid-19 misinformation is everywhere, but it could have been much worse

Covid-19 has taken over our lives, but it hasn’t been around for very long. Scientists have been studying it in real-time as the world collectively goes through a traumatic, world-changing event. It’s killed more than half a million people—and we don’t even know exactly where it came from. Which, on […] Read more »

Mistrust of a Coronavirus Vaccine Could Imperil Widespread Immunity

Almost daily, President Trump and leaders worldwide say they are racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine, in perhaps the most urgent mission in the history of medical science. But the repeated assurances of near-miraculous speed are exacerbating a problem that has largely been overlooked and one that public health experts […] Read more »

Research on voting by mail says it’s safe – from fraud and disease

A Pennsylvania election worker processes mailed-in ballots for the state’s primary election in May 2020. AP Photo/Matt Rourke Edie Goldenberg, University of Michigan As millions of Americans prepare to vote in November – and in many cases, primaries and state and local elections through the summer as well – lots […] Read more »

Democracy Maybe: Attitudes on Authoritarianism in America

The overwhelming majority of Americans embrace democracy. Consistently over the past three years, 87 percent of Americans say that a democratic political system is a good way of governing the country. At least 80 percent of Americans rate the importance of living in a democracy as an 8 or higher […] Read more »

Many Americans See Exaggeration, Conspiracy Theories and Partisanship in COVID-19 News

As Americans continue to process a steady flow of information about the coronavirus outbreak – from changing infection and death rates to new testing protocols and evolving social distancing guidelines – they give the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health organizations the highest rating when it […] Read more »