Trump Favorability and a Transgender Fight

Transgender Woman Remains in Long Legal Battle with Former Employer
After nearly six years of employment at R&G and G&R Harris Funeral Homes in Michigan, Aimee Stephens came out as transgender to her company. Stephens explained her decision in a letter to her employer. In return, her employer told her things were not going to “work out,” and terminated her employment. Four years later, Stephens and the funeral home remain locked in a court battle that could wind up going before the Supreme Court. Emanuella Grinberg of CNN writes, “In July, lawyers representing the funeral home asked the Supreme Court to take up the case to determine if transgender individuals are protected under Title VII’s sex-based provisions. If the court takes up the case, it could have broader implications for the definition of sex-based discrimination. And it could impact case law that precludes firing anyone — gay, straight or cisgender — for not adhering to sex-based stereotypes.” In 2018, 71 percent of survey respondents said that they favored laws that would protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing.
PRRI’S Dan Cox: Half of Young People Say Higher Education Is a Gamble
A recent appearance on Hill.TV’ “What America’s Thinking” by PRRI Research Director Dan Cox led to a number of articles at the publication related to PRRI data. During his appearance, about how a recent PRRI study of Californians showed that young people (age 18-29) no longer believe a college education is a safe bet to a successful future. Cox says, “Education is [an institution] that for young people is increasingly being doubted,” he continues. “We asked a question on whether education or higher education is a gamble or a more smart investment in the future…Half of young people said that higher education is a gamble.” Cox also spoke about President Donald Trump’s approval rating and the stability of his favorability. “If you look at his favorability, his approval rate over the last 18 months, two years, [it is] incredibly stable,” explains. “We’ve seen major events, whether it’s Charlottesville, whether it’s stuff around immigration, the policy about refugees and Muslims, none of this has budged his approval, particularly around the 40 [percent] or so folks who are behind him. They still are behind him.” Read more from PRRI’s latest poll here.
Trump administration ranks lower than predecessors on ethics
PRRI Research Director Dan Cox appeared on Hill.TV’s What America’s Thinking to also talk about the Trump administration and how it’s perceived on ethics. Cox points to data showing that the current administration ranks lower than its three predecessors on this issue. “There’s a perception that this administration has a little bit of an ethical problem. Gallup has trend data going back a few administrations, which asked how ethically competent are members of the administration, and Trump ranks much lower than George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton’s administration,” he said. Thirty-seven percent of respondents in this poll rated the Trump administration’s ethical standards as excellent or good while 59 percent rated them as not good or poor.
Gillum’s win in the Florida primary follows trends leading up to the midterm elections
Democratic nominee for Florida Governor, Andrew Gillum, won against his more moderate counterparts on Tuesday, indicating that Florida Democrats’ long history of nominating moderates for governor has come to an end. Democratic voters have instead opted for the more ideological candidate to go head-to head with Trump favorite, Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL.) James Hohmann, political correspondent for The Washington Post, writes in The Daily 202, “Florida is a microcosm of America, and Tuesday’s results are a microcosm of the midterms”. Hohmann argues that recent elections across America have featured opposing progressive candidates instead of traditional “electable” moderates. These political dynamics might be a reflection of sharp partisan attitudes that exist within the country. According to 2017 PRRI polling, among Republicans, two-thirds see Trump’s policies as moving the country in the right direction, while three quarters of Democrats (75 percent) see Trump’s policies as a threat to the nation.
Trump Has Changed How Teens View the News
Young people can see President Trump’s tweets as jokes but they still often share his negative feelings about the press, writes Taylor Lorenz in The Atlantic. The writer spoke with teenagers to get their thoughts on news media and found that many of them harbor cynical views of the media. Emma Neely, a 19-year old living in Tennessee, said “I don’t believe there [are] any neutral news organizations. Each writer and editor has their own personal bias. What they write, even if it’s a little biased, it’s still biased.” Angie, a 16-year old living in New York agreed. “I think this whole phenomenon has given teens awareness that bias exists and things are not what they seem.” Skepticism of traditional media outlets like CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, have created a vacuum of media consumption, and social media as well as independent online outfits appear to be filling in that space.