The 15% expansion of food stamp payments under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, or SNAP for short, during the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced the odds of needy children going hungry, especially in Hispanic-American and large households, finds research to be published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Large-scale, government-led cash transfer programs drove significant improvements in health outcomes across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), according to a major new study in The Lancet from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. More women received health care early in their pregnancies, more babies were born in health facilities, and more births were attended by trained health workers when governments gave money through cash transfer programs. 

Robots powered by popular AI models failed multiple safety and discrimination tests. The tests revealed deeper risks, including bias and unsafe physical behavior. The researchers call for regular risk assessments before AI systems control real-world robots.

In 2020 Kansas City implemented a policy making all of its buses fare free. Joel Mendez of the University of Kansas conducted a study on the effects of the policy, finding it attracted new users, increased bus usage overall and also had equity benefits, boosting mobility for marginalized populations. While Kansas City is a large, geographically sprawling metro that covers two states and many counties, Mendez argues the results could help drive transit decisions in other cities.