The Morning Buzz | June 26, 2012

Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? After the success of “Sherlock,” a TV show about a modern-day Sherlock Holmes (complete with nicotine patches instead of his signature pipe), I’m more inclined to entertain shows and movies that reboot classic tales to the present day. But – and I’m sorry for this, Canadian TV – not Anne of Green Gables.

Both sides declared a tentative victory after the Supreme Court struck down part, but not all, of Arizona’s controversial immigration law. The Romney campaign’s perspective was particularly difficult to suss out. One poll, however, indicates that the decision could nudge more of Arizona’s Latino voters to cast a ballot for Obama.

The rest of the week is likely to be consumed by more speculation about the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act, which will be (probably? maybe? hopefully?) announced on Thursday. Former president Bill Clinton added his voice to the mix, predicting that a ruling against the law would have dire consequences for many Americans.

One Christian fundamentalist textbook goes well beyond the usual purview of creationism, declaring that the Loch Ness monster is proof that evolution is bunk. A majority (57%) of Americans believe that humans and other living things have evolved over time, while 38% say that humans and other living things have existed in their present form since creation.

Over at the National Catholic Reporter Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr worries that the “Fortnight for Freedom,” is causing the bishops to look more like “the Republican party at prayer” than “men of the Gospel of Jesus.” To keep up with PRRI’s Fortnight of Facts on Religious Liberty, stay tuned to our blog.

According to the National Weather Service, more than 80% of lightning strike victims are men. I’ll let you puzzle that one out on your own.

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