Over the past decade, many U.S. cities have seen a new rise in infestations of the common bed bug — known scientifically as Cimex lectularius — in residences, hotel facilities and elsewhere. The phenomenon has had significant social and health consequences in densely populated cities such as New York, and the topic has seen extensive news coverage.
American public opinion is decidedly mixed regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to substantially uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in June 2012. While supporters of the ACA hope it will reduce health care costs and provide affordable options for the uninsured, it will not be until 2014 that much of the ACA goes into effect. Survey data strongly suggest that health care coverage and costs remain areas of deep worry across the population.
According to a new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project and the Project for Excellence in Journalism, in the United States the Internet is now a more popular source of news than print newspapers and radio. That makes it the third most popular news platform overall, behind only national and local television news.
