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Poverty dropped in most states last year, but trend could reverse as cuts loom

People walk into a New York City grocery store that accepts food stamps. The poverty rate declined last year, but participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, is up in 18 states. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Poverty dropped last year nationwide and in 38 states, according to census estimates released Thursday. But since that decrease was recorded in mid-2024, more people have signed up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, in 18 states and the District of Columbia. In those places, more people were using food stamps in May 2025 than in May 2024, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nationally, the number of people on food stamps decreased slightly, by about 11,000 people, according to the preliminary data. The broad domestic policy law President Donald Trump signed in July will cut federal funding for SNAP and tighten elig...
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Appeals court allows provision freezing Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood signage is seen in New York City on April 16, 2021. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — The Trump administration can block Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood after an appeals court on Thursday overturned a lower court’s preliminary injunction.  Republicans in Congress included the one-year funding prohibition in their “big, beautiful” law, which President Donald Trump signed in early July.  The Department of Health and Human Services, however, has not been able to implement that policy change after a district court judge blocked it from taking effect in a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood.  The Trump administration appealed that ruling to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which released  a two-page order Thursday without explaining its decision.  The three-judge panel comprised Gustavo A. Gelpí, Lara E. Montecalvo and Seth R. Aframe, all of whom were nominated to their current position by forme...
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Trump Education Department to divert grants from colleges serving students of color

File photo of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which is among the nation's largest Hispanic-serving institutions. Hispanic-serving institutions and other colleges and universities serving students of color will lose funding under a recent U.S. Education Department decision. (Photo by Hugh Jackson/Nevada Current) WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education announced it will withhold $350 million of congressionally approved funds to minority-serving colleges and universities and divert the funds elsewhere, saying that the institutions’ admissions quotas are discriminatory.   The move eliminated fiscal 2025 discretionary funding for institutions that serve students who are Asian, Black, Indigenous and Hispanic, as well as a program for students of color pursuing careers in science and engineering. It’s consistent with President Donald Trump’s longstanding objective to eliminate programs that center on diversity, equity and inclusion. “To further our commitment to ending...
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In D.C., a moped on the ground, an SUV full of US marshals and a mystery

U.S. Marshals and Homeland Security Investigations agents take a man into custody at the intersection of 14th and N streets NW in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 3, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON — A siren blared down one of Washington, D.C.’s busiest thoroughfares. And then, a loud noise.  Residents in nearby apartment buildings peered through windows and from balconies to find a dark-colored SUV bumped up against a moped lying on the ground. A dog walker called 911 to report the incident before it became apparent that the unmarked vehicle belonged to federal law enforcement, when men in U.S. Marshals Service flak vests exited. The rear driver-side tire on the Chevy Tahoe had completely blown and the marshals struggled to find a jack and spare while a uniformed Washington Metropolitan Police Department officer stood guard. Bystanders pulled out phones to record and heckled. “Shame, shame, shame,” one repeatedly yelled. Another from a nearby apartment bal...
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3 students hospitalized after shooting at Colorado high school

Law enforcement officers respond to a shooting at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County on Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office) Three students were hospitalized in critical condition after a shooting at Evergreen High School, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. One of the hospitalized students is the suspected shooter. The shooting was reported shortly after noon and is believed to have taken place on school grounds but not inside the building, Jacki Kelley, a sheriff’s office spokesperson, said in a press conference. It was not immediately clear how the shooting suspect was injured, but Kelley said she did not “believe law enforcement fired any rounds today.” “There is no danger. No one needs to be locked down,” Kelley said. “The school has been swept, so now the hard work begins. We have to to protect our crime scenes, and we have to put together a case.” GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE Colorado Gov. Jared Polis...
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Charlie Kirk shot during event at Utah Valley University

Founder and executive director of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk speaks at the opening of the Turning Point Action conference on July 15, 2023 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah, at Utah Valley University in Orem on Thursday, according to reports from the scene.  Videos circulating on social media show students scattering after a popping sound is heard and Kirk appears to be impacted by something. In a statement, Utah Valley University confirmed Kirk was shot, but that his condition was unknown. A suspect is in custody, the university said in an X post . “Today at about 12:10 a shot was fired at the visiting speaker, Charlie Kirk. He was hit and taken from the location by his security,” the university wrote. Police are investigating and the campus has been closed for the rest of the day. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been...
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US paid El Salvador $4.76 million to detain up to 300 migrants in mega-prison

Minister of Justice and Public Security Héctor Villatoro, right, accompanies Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, center, during a tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center on March 26, 2025 in Tecoluca, El Salvador.  (Photo by Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — The Trump administration paid El Salvador $4.76 million to detain up to 300 immigrant men for up to a year at a notorious mega-prison and barred the funds from being used to help asylum seekers, reproductive care or diversity initiatives, according to a court document filed Tuesday.  It’s the first time the  financial agreement has been made public after the White House initially said the deal amounted to $6 million.  The payments were part of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown and decision to invoke a wartime law to remove Venezuelan nationals.  The four-page agreement between the United States and El Salvador verifies that the funds came out of ...
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