America’s population size is standing still, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Population growth over the 12-month period from July 1, 2020 through July 1, 2021 stood at unprecedented low of just 0.12%. This is the lowest annual growth since the Bureau began collecting such statistics in 1900, and reflects how all […]

For the nation’s infrastructure and built environment, 2021 felt like a year of extremes. Extreme weather events such as Hurricane Ida, western wildfires, and recently, the Kentucky tornados made the effects of climate change harder to ignore. Housing prices and rents rose precipitously, driven by strong demand, pandemic-related supply constraints, and policy choices. The digital […]

Like millions of frontline workers around the country, Lisa Harris, a cashier at a Kroger grocery store outside of Richmond, Va., will bring home a larger paycheck this holiday season. For the first time in her 14-year career at Kroger, Harris finally earns more than $15 per hour—about $1.50 more than she did before the […]

As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated economic insecurity for millions of people across the U.S., many cities instituted policies and programs aimed at providing some relief to individuals and families. These include policies that temporarily halted fines and fees collections, which disproportionately impact Black and Latino or Hispanic communities. Fees are often used as a surcharge […]