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Find the latest stories, research, and insights on policies, programs, and ideas shaping the national conversation on poverty and economic mobility.
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Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity leads research and consulting initiatives that identify and address barriers to economic well-being.
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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Medicaid Cuts Threaten Pregnancy Services in Rural America
“When there’s a maternal health emergency, Jessica Wheat springs into action.

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.

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.

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.

States Move to Exclude Soda From SNAP Benefits

