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Urban Institute analyzes reach of social safety net

Feb 6, 2019
A new analysis by the Urban Institute finds that a quarter of Americans living in poverty don’t receive public assistance such as food stamps, subsidized housing, child care or cash benefits.
A sign in a New York City market window advertises the acceptance of food stamps.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Refunds are looking slimmer this tax season

Jan 29, 2019
Here's what you told us.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Millennials, like Baby Boomers, struggle with lifelong debt

Jan 21, 2019
A recent survey points out that one in 10 millennials thinks they will die in debt. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.
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Millions of workers don't do 9 to 5. So where's the child care?

Jan 14, 2019
There's a growing need for round-the-clock child care centers.
Erika Beras/Marketplace

California’s devastating wildfires have made it harder for some day workers to find employment

Jan 1, 2019
Recent devastating wildfires burned down more than 300 homes in Malibu, California — one of the wealthiest cities in California. Many homeowners there employed gardeners and housekeepers who lost their jobs. Oscar Mondragόn, the director of the Malibu Community Labor Exchange, where day workers find work, says it’s too early to tell how many workers were […]
The ruins of an ocean view home are seen in the aftermath of the Woolsey Fire in Malibu, California.
DAVID MCNEW/AFP/Getty Images

Confronting a crisis: The hard truths about American retirement

Dec 31, 2018
“We are not primarily here because of too many trips to Starbucks,” author Elizabeth White says.
Elizabeth White and her forthcoming book "55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal."
Courtesy of Elizabeth White

Seniors are still struggling to recover after the financial crisis

Dec 19, 2018
The number of seniors filing for bankruptcy has nearly doubled since 2007 to a record high of 12 percent, part of it driven by the financial crisis; another part by mounting debt for things like medical care, mortgage loans and credit card bills.
Kathy Stevens, 67, plays bridge with friends at Riverview Towers in Pittsburgh. Stevens lost about a third of her savings during the financial crisis in 2008. It set off a decade of scaling back and she now lives in subsidized senior housing.
Erika Beras/Marketplace

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Congress closes in on a final farm bill

Dec 12, 2018
Lawmakers in the House and Senate have reached a bipartisan agreement on a nearly $900 billion bill. To get there, House Republicans backed off demands to increase work requirements for people receiving food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The bill could come up for a vote this week. 

Scooters could improve mobility in low-income areas, but they have an image problem

Dec 5, 2018
They can be left anywhere, which riles wealthy communities. But that might make them surprisingly effective in underserved neighborhoods.
A user rides a Spin scooter in San Francisco.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

As homelessness rate rises for elderly, some finding shelter in cars

Nov 9, 2018
In some parts of the country, like Central Florida, senior citizens make up about 10 percent of the homeless population.
A homeless man for over 30 years, who lives inside his car, repairs a bicycle on Sept. 23, 2015 in Hollywood. 
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images