Charts
Experts Have Wanted to Update the Poverty Line for Years—but Not the Way Trump Is Planning to Do It
Amid attacks on several food security programs from the Trump administration, this proposed change could ignite yet another debate about where we draw the line.
The Fatal Shooting of Muhlaysia Booker Is Part of a Larger Trend of Violence Against Black Trans Women
Five black transgender women have been killed in the United States so far this year.
Where Will Abortion Be Illegal If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned?
Here's what will happen to abortion access in your state if the Supreme Court decision ensuring legal abortion throughout America is overturned.
More Than a Third of Tech Industry Employees Have Experienced or Witnessed Sexism, a New Survey Finds
Other research suggests that women are more likely to experience both sexism and sexual harassment in male-majority workplaces.
Should We Blame Pharmaceutical Companies for America's Opioid Epidemic? Here's What the Science Says.
Legal evidence is needed to pin addiction and death on opioid manufacturers, but the science suggests that a large and ready supply of legal prescription painkillers led to many addictions.
Denver Just Passed a No-Tampon-Tax Bill. Where Else Have Such Taxes Been Lifted?
One study suggests such bans are especially helpful to low-income women.
How Well Do States Keep Lead Out of School Drinking Water?
Last year, a government watchdog report found that about 13 million American children went to schools where officials discovered lead in their drinking water. Now, advocacy groups have graded states' school water policies.
A New CDC Study Shows a Dramatic Increase In Fentanyl Deaths
Between 2011 and 2016, drug overdose deaths in the United States involving the synthetic opioid fentanyl dramatically increased, according to a report released Thursday.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 Has Not Paid for Itself
The Republican legislation, coupled with spending bills, accounts for 46 percent of the growing deficit.
Is Commercial Flight Safer Than Ever?
The crash of a Boeing 737 in Ethiopia prompted Donald Trump to call new airplanes less safe than old ones.
What Does America Do With Recycled Plastic?
India just banned imported scraps of plastic, leaving countries like the U.S. with limited overseas options for where to send their plastic waste.
Non-White School Districts Get $23 Billion Less Funding Than White Ones
A new report finds that funding gaps between white and non-white districts persist across all poverty levels.
Should We Lower the Voting Age? California and Oregon Are the Latest States to Try.
Bills introduced in California and Oregon are the latest in an ongoing movement to enfranchise more young people.
Teens See Depression and Anxiety as the Biggest Problem Among Their Peers
A new study from the Pew Research Center shows 70 percent of teens see depression and anxiety as a major problem among their peers.
High Rents Are Stunting Job-Market Growth
A mismatch between the numbers of jobs and the number of job seekers in a neighborhood doesn't only hurt workers. It hinders the labor market too.
Elizabeth Warren Wants Child Care to Be Cheap or Free. What Are Americans Paying Now?
Massachusetts senator and 2020 Democratic hopeful Elizabeth Warren unveiled her plan for universal child care on Tuesday.
Members of Congress Are Guaranteed Pay Through Shutdowns. Can All of Them Afford to Forgo Paychecks?
Over 100 members of Congress refused their paychecks in solidarity with unpaid workers.
The 116th Congress Is Refocused on Gun Control in the Wake of Parkland
A Pacific Standard analysis reveals the only other time a new Congress has introduced so many gun-control bills was in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting.
It's Time to Abolish the State of the Union Address
The speech was once useful for setting legislative agendas, but the digital age has made it a mostly useless spectacle.
The Government Shutdown Could Mean an Exodus of Public-Sector Employees
There's reason to believe Trump's willingness to freeze worker pay might have created a rift that can't be fixed.
Research on Americans' Policy Priorities This Year Reveals Growing Party Polarization
There are significant differences between what the Democratic and Republican parties hope to see the government address in 2019.
A New Report Links Climate Change, the Arab Spring, and Mass Migration
The study pinpoints a particular area and time period where climate change had a profound impact: countries affected by the Arab Spring between 2010 and 2012.
Union Membership Dipped Slightly in 2018
That membership dropped only slightly is somewhat surprising given how unfriendly the current administration is to organized labor.
Why Racial Economic Disparity Keeps Growing in the U.S.
A new report highlights how little progress the country has made in addressing racial wealth inequality.