How to make sense of ICE arrest data
An immigration scholar guides us through the process of analyzing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest data, based on datasets published by the Data Deportation Project.
Politics & Government
Research roundups, tip sheets, articles and explainers related to the topic of politics, elections, and local and national governments
Expert Commentary
The national debt: How and why the US government borrows money
The US government is paying $1 trillion a year in interest on its debt. With interest costs outpacing national defense spending, this piece will help journalists understand the public debt and explain it to audiences.
Expert Commentary
Covering health misinformation: What journalists need to rethink
Journalists and public health experts shared 12 strategies for building trust, using careful language and improving coverage of health misinformation during a workshop at the Association of Health Care Journalists’ annual conference.
Expert Commentary
As Congress considers cuts to SNAP, we address 8 questions about this US federal nutrition program
Here’s important background info and research to bolster news coverage of potential reductions in federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Expert Commentary
ICE and hospitals: What does the removal of the ‘protected areas’ policy mean for hospitals?
Medical and legal experts have issued detailed guidelines on responding to the removal of a policy that protected health care facilities from immigration enforcement activities. The information helps journalists to report on their local hospitals and empower patients to know their rights.
Expert Commentary
For journalists who cover immigration, better ICE detention data now available
Researchers created a new method to calculate how many people are detained at ICE facilities — and uncovered some hidden population spikes that don’t appear in ICE’s own reports.
Expert Commentary
Higher education funding in the US: A broad overview
We explain higher education funding to help journalists cover the impacts of changes President Trump has made and plans to make to the U.S. Department of Education.
Expert Commentary
287(g): The program that lets state and local police perform the functions of federal immigration officers
“In the span of about two months, the Trump administration radically expanded the 287(g) program beyond anything I have seen in the past 15 years of close study of this precise policy,” writes immigration scholar Austin Kocher.
Expert Commentary
Medicaid: A guide to understanding and covering potential cuts to the program
To help finance trillions of dollars in tax cuts, Congressional Republicans are looking to cut hundreds of billions of dollars in spending, including Medicaid. We provide background, resources and research on the policies under consideration.
Expert Commentary
Story ideas from the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book: April 2025
Our semi-regular rundown of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book is full of story ideas for reporters across beats. The April edition spotlights key economic trends by region, including a New Jersey salon struggling to find qualified hires, and declining tourism from Canada and Mexico across the U.S.
Expert Commentary