The New Normal: Poverty Driven by Extreme Weather

Natural disasters strike indiscriminately. But recovering from devastating events like hurricanes and wildfires is heavily dependent on wealth — and is exacerbating inequality across the country.

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The Time is Now for Action on Job Quality

Just holding employment isn’t enough for many Americans to get by. Maureen Conway and Mark Popovich of the Aspen Institute argue that we need a national focus on job quality.

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Midterms Usher in Medicaid Expansion and Minimum Wage Increases

Voters in traditionally Republican states approved Medicaid expansion and increases in the minimum wage in the 2018 midterm elections, two notable results on poverty-related issues.

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Spotlight on Poverty & Opportunity

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a non-partisan initiative that brings together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to find genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

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In the Spotlight

Spotlight Exclusives includes commentaries from policymakers, advocates, academics, and other contributors from all points on the political spectrum, as well as Out of the Spotlight blog posts from our team. New headlines on poverty and economic mobility are posted daily.

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Spotlight on the States

State and local governments, community-based organizations and other non-profits play a significant role in implementing policies and programs to reduce poverty and promote opportunity.

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* Hover over a state to get a snapshot of poverty statistics in the state, then click or use the drop-down menu to access information and resources, news articles, and links to learn more about state efforts to reduce poverty.

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