Articles and analysis on today's issues

Federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program could cause some DC-area families to lose an average of $187 in monthly benefits.
Transit Ridership Hasn’t Recovered Since the Pandemic. What Can the US Learn from French Transit Systems? French cities have increased both bus and rail use beyond prepandemic levels, thanks to a quick return to normal service and expanded high-quality travel options.Opportunities for Rewarding Work Vary Widely Within and Across Counties Opportunities for rewarding work vary widely across counties and are influenced by numerous factors, including access to living wage jobs, financial security, wealth-building opportunities, and other metrics tracked in the Upward Mobility Data Dashboard.Rural Hospital Revenue Could Drop by $87 Billion over 10 Years Because of the Reconciliation Bill and Expiring Enhanced Tax Credits The proposed reconciliation bill and expiring enhanced tax credits would cause significant revenue losses for rural hospitals and increase the demand for uncompensated care.New Mortgage Data Standards Could Transform the Housing Counseling Experience for Homebuyers, Homeowners, Lenders, and Investors MISMO’s housing counseling data standards and specifications will streamline communication between counselors and lenders, allow mortgage data to be tracked over a longer period, and create new ways to measure and illustrate the value of housing counseling.Two Changes to Congress’s Proposed Student Loan Repayment Assistance Program Could Better Help Borrowers To better support borrowers struggling to repay their student loans, federal policymakers could consider adjusting payment thresholds for inflation and removing a substantial penalty for married borrowers.Closing Racial Income, Housing, and Education Gaps Benefits Local Economies Often, equity and growth are treated as competing goals, but new research shows this isn’t true. Equity isn’t just a moral goal; it’s an economic growth strategy.