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? Happy Halloween! Fun fact: According to the Washington Post, Americans are so depressed about the state of politics that they’d rather dress up as Beyonce Knowles than Sarah Palin.

If you missed this week’s “Figuring Faith” from our CEO, Dr. Robert P. Jones, check it out, especially if you’re puzzled by Herman Cain’s rapid ascent to the top of the GOP primary polls.

In case you were confused, Mitt Romney “thinks” the world is getting hotter, but doesn’t know for sure, nor does he know “if it’s mostly caused by humans.” His apparent unwillingness to have a decisive opinion on whether or why climate change is occurring may have to do with the fact that less than 1-in-5 Republicans (18%) and Tea Party members (18%) believe that climate change is caused by human activity.

Although the conversation about immigration in the GOP presidential primary has centered, of late, on electric fences, an article for the New York Times shows that Congressional Republicans have a more nuanced view of the issue. Some say that reforms need to include a guest worker program as well as border enforcement. When asked to choose between an approach to immigration reform that couples enforcement with a path to citizenship, and an enforcement and deportation only approach, 62% of Americans prefer the comprehensive approach.

A conflict between Hertz and 25 Somali Muslim employees who say they were fired because they refused to sign a pledge to clock out during daily prayers is raising questions about Muslims’ ability to pray during the work day. Americans are closely divided in terms of their comfort with certain public displays of Muslim religiosity, like praying in an airport or wearing a burqa.

Catholics in Los Angeles celebrated the 25th anniversary of a gay and lesbian ministry that was, when it was founded, “bold.” Today, 46% of Catholics think the Catholic Church’s position on the issue of homosexuality is too conservative.

For updates and coverage throughout the day, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Also a reminder that our CEO, online communications associate and press secretary are all on Twitter: they’re@robertpjones, @PRRIAmelia and @PRRIShannon, respectively.