More than 1 million immigrants arrive in the U.S. each year. In 2017, the top country of origin for new immigrants coming into the U.S. was India, with 126,000 people, followed by Mexico (124,000), China (121,000) and Cuba (41,000).
The transition from cyclical migration to permanent immigration coincided with a 10x increase in border security spending from the 1980s to 2010. If cyclical migration patters had remained the same, there would be an estimated 1/3 less undocumented immigrants from our southern border.
67% of gun owners say protection is a major reason why they own a firearm. Considerably smaller shares say hunting (38%), sport shooting (30%), gun collecting (13%) or their job (8%) are major reasons.
For every one percent increase in a state’s gun ownership rate, there is a nearly one percent increase in its firearm homicide rate.
However, federal law, which supersedes state law, says that the sale, cultivation, and use of cannabis for any reason is illegal.
This classification means the government sees no medical value and high abuse potential. To date, no deaths have been tied directly to the use of marijuana.
In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decided that the right to privacy implied in the 14th Amendment protected abortion as a fundamental right. However, in the 2022 Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court decided that abortion is not federally protected and that it is up to states to decide.
This is the lowest rate ever observed in the United States. In 1973, the year abortion became legal, the rate was 16.3. The number reached its peak of 29.3 in 1981 and has steadily declined ever since.
People without health coverage are exposed to these extreme costs. This can sometimes lead people without coverage into deep debt or even into bankruptcy.
By 2030, it is estimated that payroll taxes will only cover 38 percent of Medicare costs. The rest will contribute to the federal budget deficit.
56% of prisoners in state prison and 45% in federal prisons report having a mental illness. Although black people make up 13% of the American population, they make up 35% of the prison population.
Who profits off of our prison system? Almost half of the money spent on running the correctional system goes to paying staff. Private companies that supply goods to commissaries or provide phone services bring in $2.9 billion.
On June 26 the Supreme Court ruled 5-4, that states cannot ban same-sex marriage.
Federal laws don’t ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity the way they do regarding sex and religion.
As the world’s wealthiest nation, the U.S. provides more assistance than any other country, but a smaller proportion of its GNP than most other wealthy nations.
Typically, when the U.S. wants to support a country that is ruled by a corrupt, uncooperative, or autocratic government, U.S. assistance goes through private, non-governmental organizations.
The United States spends more on defense than the next nine countries combined. The budget covers Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2020.
U.S. Central Command says between 60,000 and 70,000 U.S. troops are in the Middle East.
U.S. intelligence agencies have increased security, but legislators have so far failed to agree on any legislation that would help dissuade foreign election interference.
In Illinois, Russian cyberactors were in a position to delete or change voter data, though there is no evidence they did so.
Climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities.
It will adversely impact humans and natural systems, including water resources, human health, human settlements, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
Bureau of Land Management: 248 million acres or 10.5 percent of all land in the country
U.S. Forest Service: 193 million acres or 8.5 percent of the country
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 89 million acres or 3.9 percent of the country
National Park Service: 84 million acres or 3.7 percent of the country
Emissions from fossil fuels extracted on federal land account for nearly 25 percent of the nation’s carbon footprint.
The rationale is that people with less usually have to spend a higher percentage of their income on basic living necessities than wealthier people.
This attributes to the complexity of our tax code. Federal tax compliance overall consumes more than 6 billion hours of time each year.
If it had kept up with executive-level pay increases, it would be $23/hour. Current minimum wage translates to $15,080 a year.
Many states have annual increases based on cost of living. In total, 24 states and 48 cities and counties will raise their minimum wages sometime in 2020.
That's a 145% increase (including inflation adjustment) from 1971. Median household income has only increased 28% in the same time period.
Some of the highest demand for that level of education is in 3 of the fastest growing occupations—STEM, healthcare professional, and community services.