This and That

As a result of e-commerce, 6,000 brick and mortar stores have closed so far this year. There are 65,000 fewer retail jobs since January 2017. [Axios, 11/25/17]


In 1820 only 12% of the world’s population could read. Now, 86% are able to read. [Human Progress.org]


The first country to legalize gay marriage was the Netherlands. Now 26 countries are on the list and one additional country allows gay marriage in some jurisdictions. The following are the month and year when each country legalized gay marriage.

Netherlands 12/2000; Belgium 1/2003; Canada 7/2005; Spain 7/2005; South Africa 11/2006; Norway 1/2009; Mexico (in some jurisdictions) 12/2009; Sweden 5/2009; Iceland 6/2010; Portugal 6/2010; Argentina 7/2010; Denmark 6/2012; Uruguay 5/2013; New Zealand 4/2013; France 5/2013; Brazil 5/2013; England & Wales 7/2013; Scotland 12/2014; Luxembourg 1/2015; Finland 2/2015; Iceland 5/2015; Greenland 5/2015; United States 6/2015; Columbia 4/2016; Germany 6/2017; Malta 7/2017; Australia 12/2017 [PEW, with the addition of Australia]


The Harvard Institute of Politics surveyed 18-29 year olds in early November. Here is a selection of its findings.

  • 72% say they are registered to vote
  • 64% say they voted in the 2016 election
  • 37% say they are liberal, 28% say they are moderate and 32% say they are conservative
  • 38% say they are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 22% say they are affiliated with the Republican Party and 39% say they are independents
  • Only 24% say they are politically engaged or active and 23% say that this is the case with their friends
  • 54% say the country is on the wrong track
  • 67% say they are fearful about the future of America
  • 56% support Single Payer Health Care (referred to as Medicare for All)
  • 46% support and 28% oppose race-based affirmative action programs designed to increase the number of African Americans and Hispanic students on college campuses
  • 72% do not approve of Trump’s job performance as President
  • 57% prefer that the outcome of the 2018 election be a Congress controlled by Democrats while 38% prefer that Republicans be in charge
  • 80% have Facebook accounts, 59% have Instagram accounts, 54% have Snapchat accounts, 42% have a Twitter account, 40% have Pinterest accounts, 31% have LinkedIn accounts
  • 67% say we need a new spirit of community or the American Dream will continue to wither
  • 42% feel comfortable sharing their political views at their college without fear of censorship or negative repercussions; 29% do not share that view
  • 48% believe that social media platforms have an obligation to regulate fake news; 16% disagree
  • 21% say the Republican Party cares about people like them; 34% say that about the Democratic Party
  • 67% believe that the greatest threat to America comes from a force inside the country
  • 81% consider the Islamic State to be a serious threat to America; 77% believe that about North Korea; 60% believe that about Russia; and 41% believe that about China
  • 81% believe that hackers/cyber-terrorists are a serious threat to America;
    64% believe that about white nationalists
  • 53% believe the idea of the American Dream is alive while 44% believe it is dead
  • 79% are concerned about the state of race relations in America today
  • 54% believe that based on the current state of the economy students in their class in college will find it difficult to find a permanent job upon graduation