The nerdy, traditionally apolitical world of federal data is increasingly getting swept up in the Trump administration's push to control every level of government. - Across the federal government, agencies are changing how they collect and publicize information. More and more, politics and ideology are part of the equation. Why it matters: Reliable, unbiased data informs nearly everything the federal government does — from distributing benefits and enforcing workplace discrimination laws to responding to public health threats. Driving the news: The administration's moves in recent weeks span an array of agencies and types of data. Measles. Reuters reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the CDC…
The nerdy, traditionally apolitical world of federal data is increasingly getting swept up in the Trump administration's push to control every level of government. - Across the federal government, agencies are changing how they collect and publicize information. More and more, politics and ideology are part of the equation. Why it matters: Reliable, unbiased data informs nearly everything the federal government does — from distributing benefits and enforcing workplace discrimination laws to responding to public health threats. Driving the news: The administration's moves in recent weeks span an array of agencies and types of data. Measles. Reuters reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked the CDC…Open
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1968 to 2026 Annual Social and Economic Supplements ; Note: Census identifies breaks in the series in 2013 and 2017 due to methodological changes; Chart: Russell Contreras/Axios U.S. household income hit a record in 2025, but the lowest earners barely shared in the gains, new Census data show. Why it matters: On paper, Americans look richer than ever. But broader measures of financial security show millions still getting squeezed by medical costs , uneven income gains and a thinning public safety net. - The 2025 Census report largely captures the economy before the major safety-net reductions in President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" took hold. - That makes this year's record income…
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1968 to 2026 Annual Social and Economic Supplements ; Note: Census identifies breaks in the series in 2013 and 2017 due to methodological changes; Chart: Russell Contreras/Axios U.S. household income hit a record in 2025, but the lowest earners barely shared in the gains, new Census data show. Why it matters: On paper, Americans look richer than ever. But broader measures of financial security show millions still getting squeezed by medical costs , uneven income gains and a thinning public safety net. - The 2025 Census report largely captures the economy before the major safety-net reductions in President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" took hold. - That makes this year's record income…Open
The Trump administration's renewed attempt to rewrite the rules for counting the U.S. population could upend congressional apportionment in future elections and likely spark a flurry of legal challenges. Why it matters: The administration has proposed cutting undocumented immigrants and people without lawful permanent status from the 2030 tally, a sharp expansion of Trump's prior attempts to overhaul the count that could redefine who is considered part of the U.S. population. - "The current administration wants to have their own definition of who are real Americans, which is not the same as what the census has counted for many, many decades," says William Frey, a senior fellow with Brookings Metro and a demographer who has been a…
The Trump administration's renewed attempt to rewrite the rules for counting the U.S. population could upend congressional apportionment in future elections and likely spark a flurry of legal challenges. Why it matters: The administration has proposed cutting undocumented immigrants and people without lawful permanent status from the 2030 tally, a sharp expansion of Trump's prior attempts to overhaul the count that could redefine who is considered part of the U.S. population. - "The current administration wants to have their own definition of who are real Americans, which is not the same as what the census has counted for many, many decades," says William Frey, a senior fellow with Brookings Metro and a demographer who has been a…Open
The proposals for 2030 are among significant changes that would upend a process for helping allot congressional seats and shape policies that address disparities.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, International Database ; Chart: Noah Bressner/Axios People 65 and older now outnumber children ages 5 and younger worldwide for the first time in recorded history, according to a new report by the U.S. Census. Why it matters: A global plunge in fertility — demographers' term for the number of children being born — and increased longevity are creating a demographic inversion that's projected to deepen for decades. - It's a trend that's shifting the historic balance between working-age people and older adults . By the numbers: The scale and speed of the shift as the youngest Baby Boomers move toward their mid-60s are striking. They reflect the scope of the challenge in caring for the elderly and maintaining…
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, International Database ; Chart: Noah Bressner/Axios People 65 and older now outnumber children ages 5 and younger worldwide for the first time in recorded history, according to a new report by the U.S. Census. Why it matters: A global plunge in fertility — demographers' term for the number of children being born — and increased longevity are creating a demographic inversion that's projected to deepen for decades. - It's a trend that's shifting the historic balance between working-age people and older adults . By the numbers: The scale and speed of the shift as the youngest Baby Boomers move toward their mid-60s are striking. They reflect the scope of the challenge in caring for the elderly and maintaining…Open
The Financial Times’ Gillian Tett joins Morning Joe to discuss her latest piece, ‘Who Counts in Trump’s America.’ In it, Tett exposes the ‘technical reforms’ that the Trump administration is pushing to make ahead of the 2030 U.S. Census that could affect the accuracy of the data gathered in regards to race and gender. The Morning Joe panel breaks down how those changes could be felt beyond the census.
The U.S. debt has surpassed $40 trillion. And, a new census report on noncitizen voting that President Trump is touting has ties to a think tank aligned with him, raising concerns among experts.
The U.S. debt has surpassed $40 trillion. And, a new census report on noncitizen voting that President Trump is touting has ties to a think tank aligned with him, raising concerns among experts.Open
A Trump-aligned think tank has ties to a highly unusual Census Bureau report that the president is using to renew false claims of widespread voting by non-U.S. citizens in 2020, NPR has learned.
