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Articles on US poverty

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Low-income residents are among those most likely to lose cooling in their homes because they can’t pay their bills. Solidcolours/iStock/Getty Images Plus

America faces a power disconnection crisis amid rising heat: In 31 states, utilities can shut off electricity for nonpayment in a heat wave

One in 4 American households are at risk of losing power because of the high cost of energy. Over 30% of those disconnections are in summer, when heat gets dangerous.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy got the House to approve a package that could reduce the Medicaid program’s scale. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Medicaid work requirements would leave more low-income people without health insurance – but this policy is unlikely to pass this time around

Adults insured by Medicaid who are 19 to 55 years old and don’t have children or other dependents would need to spend 80 hours a month doing paid work, job training or community service.
The official child poverty rate is about the same today as in 1967. More Than Words Photography by Alisa Brouwer/Moment Open via Getty Images

1 in 6 US kids are in families below the poverty line

An alternative approach to measuring poverty detected a decline in 2021, amid a surge in government support for low-income families.
Public spending aimed at reducing poverty can lead to deep reductions in child maltreatment and could improve overall child well-being. shih-wei/ E+ via Getty Images

State spending on anti-poverty programs could substantially reduce child abuse and neglect

Public investments in benefit programs could save tens of thousands of children from being victims of child abuse and have important later-life effects on child welfare and overall health.
Many children, especially from low-income communities or communities of color, eat up to half their daily calories in school. SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

Free school meals for all children can improve kids’ health

Expanding free lunch programs could also reduce stigma for students, lower administrative burdens for schools and create jobs for communities.

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