We've heard the economy stinks, but does it really? Statistically, the economy is in very good shape, but a majority of Americans don't buy it. Then, there's been talk over the years about arming teachers, but what do the TEACHERS think? A new report shows school shootings aren't even in the top 5 of teachers' largest safety concerns in schools. And, for our Fun Fact, we celebrate the arrival of summer -- and beach season -- with a slightly naughty and misogynistic poll question from 1965.
Many Americans have said the economy is in a recession for almost a year, but it's not. And, economic data shows that things are actually pretty good and/or getting better in terms of unemployment, income, and inflation. Why the disconnect? It's the same for crime – even though crime rates have generally been dropping for decades, a majority of Americans have said, in most years, it's getting worse. We unpack what's driving the divergence.
Next, should teachers carry guns on campus? The RAND Corporation decided to ask...teachers, and the results are interesting. Teachers' opinions differed based on location, gender, and race. But, maybe most surprising, when asked about their main safety concerns at school, "active shooters" ranked seventh. "Bullying" was number one by a wide margin. Are we having the wrong conversation? RAND Study
We end with a poll from 1965 which asked about predictions for 1985. Amidst questions about whether communism would be defeated and if we'd land a man on the moon, pollsters came up with a very different kind of question that's perfect for summer...even if it's pretty misogynistic to ask it.