News

Latest Coverage

Find the latest stories, research, and insights on policies, programs, and ideas shaping the national conversation on poverty and economic mobility.

In the News
Child and Youth Well-Being
Families
Health
Health disparities
Medicaid
2025
Hospitals Warn GOP Medicaid Cuts Could Hurt Kids, Not Just 'Able-Bodied' Adults
September 15, 2025

Hospitals Warn GOP Medicaid Cuts Could Hurt Kids, Not Just 'Able-Bodied' Adults

“Republicans insist that President Donald Trump’s cuts to Medicaid were aimed at reducing fraud and getting more of its adult beneficiaries into jobs. But the side effects may include less care for sick kids.

In the News
Child and Youth Well-Being
Diaper access
Families
Health
Health disparities
2025
Mapping Diaper Insecurity in the U.S.
September 12, 2025

Mapping Diaper Insecurity in the U.S.

“With the rising cost of living, many families with young children in the US are struggling to afford basic necessities, like diapers and period products. This often forces caregivers to make trade-offs that can negatively affect both their and their children’s health and well-being.

In the News
Cities
Immigration
Medicaid
Politics
Public Benefits
2025
Trump Administration Investigates Medicaid Spending on Immigrants in Blue States
September 5, 2025

Trump Administration Investigates Medicaid Spending on Immigrants in Blue States

“The Trump administration is taking its immigration crackdown to the health care safety net, launching Medicaid spending probes in at least six Democratic-led states that provide comprehensive health coverage to poor and disabled immigrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal status.

In the News
Child and Youth Well-Being
Families
Health
Health disparities
Immigration
California
2025
Immigration Raids Push Immigrants to Telehealth
August 18, 2025

Immigration Raids Push Immigrants to Telehealth

“Jacob Sweidan has seen his patients through the federal immigration raids of the 1990s, a sitting governor’s call to abolish birthright citizenship, and the highly publicized workplace crackdowns and family separation policies of President Donald Trump’s first term.

In the News
Health
Health disparities
Medicaid
Politics
Public Benefits
2025
Proponent of Medicaid Cuts Set to Brief House GOP
August 14, 2025

Proponent of Medicaid Cuts Set to Brief House GOP

“An influential group of House Republicans has invited a chief architect of the hard-right push for deep Medicaid spending cuts to brief congressional aides Thursday as GOP leaders quietly map out a possible second party-line reconciliation package.

In the News
Health
Health disparities
Medicaid
Medical debt
Mental health
Colorado
2025
Colorado Hopes Last-Minute Bill Will Ease Sting of Medicaid Changes
August 12, 2025

Colorado Hopes Last-Minute Bill Will Ease Sting of Medicaid Changes

“Colorado is hoping a just-under-the-wire application to the federal government will help soften the blow of Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the recently signed tax and spending measure.

In the News
Health
Health disparities
Medical debt
Politics
Public Benefits
2025
Veterans' Care At Risk As Doctors and Nurses Leave VA In Droves
August 11, 2025

Veterans' Care At Risk As Doctors and Nurses Leave VA In Droves

“Veterans hospitals are struggling to replace hundreds of doctors and nurses who have left the health care system this year as the Trump administration pursues its pledge to simultaneously slash Department of Veterans Affairs staff and improve care.

In the News
Families
Gender
Health
Health disparities
Medicaid
2025
Medicaid Cuts Threaten Pregnancy Services in Rural America
August 8, 2025

Medicaid Cuts Threaten Pregnancy Services in Rural America

“When there’s a maternal health emergency, Jessica Wheat springs into action.

In the News
Health
Health disparities
Medicaid
Politics
Public Benefits
2025
New Federal Medicaid Work Requirements Mean Less Leeway for States
August 7, 2025

New Federal Medicaid Work Requirements Mean Less Leeway for States

“When President Donald Trump signed a law adding work requirements for some Medicaid recipients, he may have undercut lawmakers in at least 14 states who were designing their own plans, according to health industry observers.

In the News
Child and Youth Well-Being
Families
Health
Health disparities
Hunger
2025
Six More States Ban Junk Food From SNAP Benefits
August 5, 2025

Six More States Ban Junk Food From SNAP Benefits

Six more states have banned junk food purchases from being bought with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced.

In the News
Aging
Hunger
Nutrition
Politics
Public Benefits
2025
SNAP Linked to Slower Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
July 31, 2025

SNAP Linked to Slower Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

“Adults who participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, experienced slightly slower cognitive decline over the course of a decade than those who were eligible for the program but did not enroll in it. That’s according to new research presented Wednesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

In the News
Child and Youth Well-Being
Health
Health disparities
Hunger
Nutrition
2025
States Move to Exclude Soda From SNAP Benefits
July 28, 2025

States Move to Exclude Soda From SNAP Benefits