Babies need diapers. But for 1 in 3 mothers, diapers are just too expensive to always have on hand. And that can leave children and families in a precarious situation. Professor Jennifer Randles lays out the diaper dilemma, how it affects America’s families, and what policies can be put in place to help solve the problem.

For More on this Topic:

• Read her memo, Policy Proposal: Reduce Diaper Need Among Families in Poverty
• Check out her article with Barbara Risman in Psychology Today, Diapers, Depression, and Gender Matter for Social Policy
• Want to donate to the National Diaper Bank Network? More information here

Access to good housing is key to better health, both now and in the future. So what happens when the youngest and oldest members of our society don’t get the housing support they need? First, Professor Andrew Fenelon breaks down how affordable housing can change the lives of children. Next, Professor Jennifer Ailshire outlines the problems unique to the homeless elderly and what needs to change to help this growing population.

For More on this Topic:

• Read the Kaiser Health News’ article on Fenelon’s research
• Check out the website for the Greater Los Angeles Homeless CountListen to Episode 142: Nowhere to Live on the challenges of housing assistance programs

Americans of color consistently have worse health outcomes than their white peers. So what’s behind this trend? First, Professor Margaret Hicken lays out how black Americans must often prepare themselves in the face of racism and what effects this has on their bodies. Next, Professor Abigail Sewell lays out how police use of force can impact not only the health of individuals, but of entire communities.

For More on this Topic:

• Read The Michigan Daily’s article on Hicken’s research
• Check out Hicken’s 2-page brief, Measuring the Social Impact of Mass Imprisonment on America's Black and White Families and Communities
• Find Sewell’s website and blog
• Visit the website for Cornell’s Center for the Study of Inequality, which organized the Deep Wounds conference.

After over a year of competition between hundreds of cities and municipalities, Amazon has finally announced the location, or two locations, for its HQ2. But in this archive episode, Professor Nathan Jensen explains how cities and states often lose more than they gain when politicians use tax incentives to bring businesses to town.

• Read Jensen’s SSN brief, Business Location Incentives are Ineffective – So Why Do They Persist in American States and Localities?
• Check out his book with Professor Edmund Malesky, Incentives to Pander: How Politicians Use Corporate Welfare for Political Gain, or the quick video they made to explain some of their main findings.
• Find his opinion pieces in The New York Times and The Conversation

On November 6th a historic number of women and women of color were elected to Congress. And that means important changes could be coming to Capitol Hill. Professor Kelly Dittmar dives into the role of congresswomen in Washington DC, how women in the capitol view themselves, and what the election of more women to office means for our country’s future.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Dittmar’s new book with professors Kira Sanbonmatsu and Susan J. Carroll, A Seat at the Table
• Check out their CNN OpEd, What Hasn’t Changed About Women in Power Since Anita Hill
• Listen to their interview on the New Books Network

On Tuesday, voters across the country went to the polls in one of the most watched midterm elections in decades. And now the results are in. So what does it all mean? Scholars Didi Kuo and Gabriel Sanchez break down some of the biggest trends from the 2018 midterms, like the Latino vote, what they say about our two political parties, and what we can expect for the future.

For more on this topic:

• Read Kuo’s brief, What History Teaches about Reforming U.S. Political Parties and Governance
• Check out her piece in The American Interest, The Paradox of Party Polarization
• Listen to Sanchez’ previous interview on No Jargon, The Latino Vote

Across the country, states are making abortion less and less accessible. And that means there are many people who seek an abortion but are denied one. So what does that mean for a woman’s health and well being? And what impacts does this have on her children? Professor Diana Greene Foster discusses the groundbreaking Turnaway Study she led to answer these questions.

• Check out Foster’s SSN brief, New Evidence about Women's Experience with Abortion - Compared to Carrying Unwanted Pregnancies to Term
• Visit the website for the Turnaway Study
• Read the article by Foster and the article by Professor Ushma Upadhyay mentioned in the episode (paywall)

Unemployment is very low and Americans report having strong confidence in the economy. But not everyone is benefitting equally. Professor Harry Holzer digs into why many Americans without a college degree still struggle to find jobs, especially ones that pay well, and what the government can do to help.

For more on this topic:

• Read Holzer’s report for Brookings, Jobs for the working class: Raising earnings among non-college graduates
• Check out his SSN brief, Are Job Training Programs a Good Way to Fight Poverty?

When the US decides whether or not to grant an immigrant a green card, they look at many factors. That includes if they heavily rely on certain government programs to get by. But proposed changes at the federal level means this whole system is about to change. Professor Tiffany Joseph explains these changes and what they mean for immigrants in America.

• Find the full rule online at the Federal Register, where public comments can be submitted
• Check out this explainer of the public charge rule change by Vox
• Read Joseph’s SSN brief, How Health Reform Excludes Unauthorized Immigrants – And Why That Needs to Change

College campuses are full of conversations about politics and policy. But many of these college students don’t turn out when it actually matters, on Election Day. Nancy Thomas explores what gets students to vote and how college administrators, faculty members, and students can improve voting rates on their campuses.

• Check out the report co-authored by Thomas, Election Imperatives
• Read her interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education, Here’s How Colleges Can Get More Involved in Elections -- and Not Just the Midterms
• Visit the website for the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University