Contradictory stats on poverty, explained

+ Lizzo and Cardi B pull from the ancient Greeks US Edition - Today's top story: Safety net policies are helping reduce the number of Americans below the poverty line – but that's not the whole story [View in browser]( US Edition | 24 August 2021 [The Conversation]( The COVID-19 pandemic has rattled and rejiggered every aspect of the U.S. economy over the past year and a half. Millions of low-income Americans lost their jobs during the lockdowns, ensuring upheaval, and yet early estimates indicate that fewer Americans were living in poverty in 2020 than a year earlier. Elena Delavega, who researches and teaches about social welfare policies at the University of Memphis, puts several seemingly contradictory statistics into context. Some [10.3 million Americans at least hovered above the poverty line]( “because the government stepped up, strengthening the safety net,” she writes. At the same time, she encourages readers not to get “too excited” since the way this country monitors and measures poverty has many shortcomings. Also today: - [How full FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine is different from emergency use]( - [Black parents suffer at work when their kids are suspended]( - [The scientific evidence that led the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos as a pesticide for food crops]( Emily Schwartz Greco Philanthropy + Nonprofits Editor Food insecurity appears to have grown in 2020 despite the decline in poverty. Spencer Platt/Getty Images [Safety net policies are helping reduce the number of Americans below the poverty line – but that’s not the whole story]( Elena Delavega, University of Memphis Early estimates US poverty rate estimates indicate that policies intended to soften the blow of economic upheaval made a big difference. Health - [What does full FDA approval of a vaccine do if it’s already authorized for emergency use?]( Jennifer Girotto, University of Connecticut While emergency use authorization gets vaccines out to the public more quickly, it doesn’t skip any steps that full approval requires. - [The fertility industry is poorly regulated – and would-be parents can lose out on having children as a result]( Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia; Dena Sharp, University of California, Hastings An unknown number of people have lost their dreams of parenthood because of storage disasters at fertility clinics. These experts note poor government oversight and the need for stronger regulation. Education - [Black parents say their children are being suspended for petty reasons that force them to take off from work and sometimes lose their jobs]( Charles Bell, Illinois State University Suspensions don’t just harm Black children – they also harm their parents’ employment, a school discipline expert argues in a forthcoming book. - [Students from struggling economic backgrounds sent home with food for the weekend have improved test scores, study finds]( Michael Kurtz, Lycoming College When kids have enough food to eat over the weekend, they do better in reading and math, a December 2020 study finds. Environment + Energy - [The EPA is banning chlorpyrifos, a pesticide widely used on food crops, after 14 years of pressure from environmental and labor groups]( Gina Solomon, University of California, San Francisco What kind of evidence does it require to get a widely used chemical banned? A professor of medicine and former state regulator explains how the case for chlorpyrifos as a threat to public health developed. Politics + Society - [India and Pakistan fought 3 wars over Kashmir – here’s why international law and US help can’t solve this territorial dispute]( Bulbul Ahmed, Bangladesh University of Professionals Kashmir has been in conflict since 1947, despite repeated UN and US interventions. An expert in security studies explains why international law has failed to keep the peace. Economy + Business - [Corporate directors don’t see stopping wayward CEOs as their job – contrary to popular belief]( Steven Boivie, Texas A&M University A new study involving extensive interviews with dozens of directors shows that they see their roles as more about supporting executives, not challenging them. Arts + Culture - [In ‘Rumors,’ Lizzo and Cardi B pull from the ancient Greeks, putting a new twist on an old tradition]( Grace B. McGowan, Boston University The classical tradition has long excluded anyone who wasn’t white. But a succession of Black female artists have attempted to broaden these ossified boundaries. From our International Editions - [The impact of COVID-19 has been lower in Africa. We explore the reasons]( Alex Ezeh, Drexel University; Michael Silverman, Western University; Saverio Stranges, Western University The emergence of variants of concern with increased potential for transmission and more severe disease in the younger population could make Africa more susceptible to a severe COVID-19 epidemic. - [Soeharto: the giant of modern Indonesia who left a legacy of violence and corruption]( Tim Lindsey, The University of Melbourne Soeharto’s rise to become the billionaire autocrat of the world’s fourth largest country would have seemed very unlikely in his childhood. - [Being chased, losing your teeth or falling down? What science says about recurring dreams]( Claudia Picard-Deland, Université de Montréal; Tore Nielsen, Université de Montréal Dreams help us regulate our emotions and adapt to stressful events. Repetitive content may represent an unsuccessful attempt to integrate difficult experiences. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s graphic [A map of the United States with blue dots that represent electric vehicle charging stations. The darker dots represent clusters of many stations.]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](