One-third of American families have lost income since the beginning of shutdown triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, with such losses striking families from all economic groups, according to a new nationally representative survey by the RAND Corporation. About 30 percent of households, representing all levels of income, are having trouble paying their bills. The problem...
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Staying Healthy Mentally and Physically While Protesting During a Pandemic
As people take to the streets in protest during the COVID-19 pandemic, Keck Medicine of USC experts share advice on how the public can protect both their mental well-being and physical health during this time. The importance of acknowledging the trauma many Americans experience “During this time when the American public is already mentally stretched...
George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery Deaths: Racism Causes Life-Threatening Conditions for Black Men Every Day
High-profile police shootings and deaths of black men in custody – or even while out jogging – bring cries of racism across the country. The May 25 death of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis and the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Georgia on Feb. 23, 2020 by a white...
Portland State Study Finds Bike Lanes Provide Positive Economic Impact
Despite longstanding popular belief, bicycle lanes can actually improve business. At worst, the negative impact on sales and employment is minimal, according to a new study from Portland State’s Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC). The report is part of a larger National Street Improvements Study, conducted by Portland State University, with support from consulting...
Survey Shows Regions of Elevated Food Insecurity Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Nearly half of all respondents in some states report food insecurity in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, according to new research from University of Arkansas sociologists. Results of an online survey of 10,368 adults taken the last week of March indicated that respondents from Southern and mid-Southern regions were more “food insecure” than the...
Police Training Reduced Complaints and Use of Force Against Civilians
A Northwestern University evaluation of a procedural justice training program involving more than 8,000 Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers shows it reduced complaints filed against police by approximately 10%. It also reduced use of force by 6% in the two years following officers’ training. “The CPD is undergoing significant reform on multiple fronts, through a...
What Helps Couples Weather Financial Storms
Experts have predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic will result in the worst financial crisis in the United States since the Great Depression. While the full scope of the financial fallout remains to be seen, furloughs, job losses and pay cuts resulting from the outbreak have already hit many people hard, and such financial challenges can...
Food Insecurity in Vermont Rose 33% During Pandemic
Food insecurity in Vermont has increased by one-third during the coronavirus pandemic, from 18.3% to 24.3%, according to a statewide survey conducted by the University of Vermont at the end of March. The increase in food insecurity was strongly correlated with employment status. Among survey respondents overall, 45% had lost their jobs, been furloughed or...
How People Investigate — or Don’t — Fake News on Twitter and Facebook
Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, provide people with a lot of information, but it’s getting harder and harder to tell what’s real and what’s not. Researchers at the University of Washington wanted to know how people investigated potentially suspicious posts on their own feeds. The team watched 25 participants scroll through their...
On Eve of Super Tuesday, Study Sheds Light on How People Make Choices
On Super Tuesday, Democratic voters from Colorado and across the United States will face a serious decision: Sanders or Warren? Biden, Klobuchar or Bloomberg? Then, afterward, what kind of wine to drink. Now, a new study taps into mathematics to probe how people make those kinds of fraught choices–in particular, how hypothetical, and completely rational,...