Certain government assistance programs are available to green-card holders

DACA provides temporary protection for undocumented youth brought to America as children

Created by executive order during the Obama administration, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy provides temporary deportation protection and work authorization for undocumented individuals brought to the US as children. Explore the history and ongoing political debates surrounding DACA and citizenship pathways.

Multiple legal pathways exist for immigrating to the United States

This comprehensive guide outlines various routes to US immigration, including family-sponsored and employment-based visas, as well as humanitarian protections. Navigate the complex American immigration system and understand the options available to prospective immigrants seeking legal entry.

How many Americans receive government assistance?

In 2022, nearly half of all American children—and roughly one in three Americans overall—were enrolled in at least one government assistance program. Those programs provide support for people who cannot afford healthcare, food, housing, or other needs. Find out more about the number of Americans receiving government assistance here.

Studies show immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born Americans

Research examining incarceration records and crime data generally finds that immigrants—including undocumented individuals—have lower crime and incarceration rates than US-born citizens, though measurement is limited by gaps in national data on immigration status.

The federal government offers billions in student aid each year in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, and more

The very first—and necessary—step is to fill out a federal application to get your information into the system. Known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, this key form must be completed by Oct. 1 for the following academic year.

Sanctuary cities limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement

Sanctuary cities limit how local agencies help ICE—such as restricting detainers, jail transfers, or data sharing—while still enforcing criminal law, leaving immigration enforcement mostly to federal authorities.

How America's cocaine habit fueled its migrant crisis

The United States has been facing a migration crisis along its southern border. Thousands of people have been fleeing their homes in Central America, traveling north through Mexico, and claiming asylum in the USA. Much of this crisis can be traced...

Watch a breakdown of tax breaks most Americans don't know about

Programs like healthcare savings accounts or flexible spending accounts are tax-free accounts that are designed to help lower healthcare costs. However, many Americans don't use them and don't understand how they work.

13 things Medicare gives you for free

Even people on Medicare, the US government health insurance program for people 65 and older, have to pay for their own co-pays and prescription drug costs. But other services, like alcohol counseling and colorectal screenings, may be free for Medicare recipients. To learn about 11 more things that are free with Medicare, scroll through this list.

Birthright citizenship grants citizenship to those born on a country's soil

The United States grants citizenship to individuals born in its territory—excluding the children of foreign diplomats and those born in American Samoa—regardless of their parents' citizenship status. This principle—known as jus soli—was established in the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868.

Special needs trusts help financially care for dependents with disabilities

Special needs trusts are a specific type of trust that ensures dependents with special needs still qualify for Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid, given the trust's assets are excluded from the asset limits tests required to qualify for these programs.

Hospitals are required to care for emergency patients, even if they can't pay

A federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which was passed in 1986, requires any Medicare-participating hospital with an emergency room to provide emergency medical care—including if the patient is in labor—until the patient is stable. That requirement applies regardless of the patient's ability to pay, insurance status, or, in some cases, immigration status.

Federal subsidies have boosted US fracking profits

Between 2000 and 2020, the US government invested tens of billions of dollars to facilitate the extraction of shale oil and gas reserves. These subsidies helped make new projects viable and kept fossil fuel companies afloat while global energy prices and renewable energy startup costs have fallen.

H-1B approval rates have swung sharply between administrations

Denial rates for new H-1B petitions rose from 6% in 2015 to 24% under the Trump administration as officials tightened standards. Under Biden, approvals rebounded, with denials falling to just 2% by 2022—the lowest since 2009.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

State governments have public pensions for their employees

In many US states, these pensions are set aside for teachers, firefighters, and/or other state government workers. However, many of these pensions are currently underfunded. This map provides a visual representation of how strong each US states’ public pensions are.

Digital passports allow identity verification to be digitized

By scanning the security chip on the back of passports and capturing images or video of a person, apps like Google Wallet and Apple Wallet create a digital version of the document. Some states have also developed their own apps for digital driver's licenses.

The EPA partners with other countries to strengthen environmental protection

Through bilateral programs on every continent, the EPA shares American environmental expertise with developing nations and economies in transition. These partnerships support air and water protection, chemical safety, and pollution control, while advancing US environmental priorities abroad.

'Statelessness: Citizens of Nowhere' podcast examines how statelessness erodes identity

This podcast series explores how millions live without citizenship or legal status. Through expert interviews and personal stories, it examines how history, borders, and policy can leave entire populations without citizenship and rights.

Visualize the most common job in every US state, from fast food worker to home health aide

Washington is the only state where "software developer" was the most common job (thanks, in part, to Microsoft and Amazon), whereas "fast food worker" was the most common occupation in 17 states.

For some debtors without assets that can be sold or returned, filing for bankruptcy can provide a path toward a clean slate

However, the bankruptcy process does not apply to several types of common debt, including money owed toward child support or alimony payments. Most debtors also do not qualify for relief from student loan payments.

3 US maps illustrate transplants, donors, and organ waitlist additions—by state

National UNOS tracking data feeds into these US maps that record all the transplants, donors, and waitlist additions in the last 12 months. California, for example, had the most transplantations in 2025—totaling about 5,200—but it also has the longest waiting list, with more than 20,000 additions in that same period.

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

A 1975 law let tribes run their own programs instead of relying on federal bureaucracies

The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act allowed tribes to contract directly with the federal government to administer their own health, education, and social services—reversing policies from the "termination era."

Debunk common myths about Social Security

Myths include the pervasive ideas that undocumented immigrants drain Social Security, members of Congress don't pay into Social Security, the program itself is “going broke,” and more.

Government shutdowns halt nonessential services and furlough federal workers

When Congress fails to pass a budget or stopgap funding, the government shuts down. This video explains which services stop, who is furloughed, and how shutdowns ripple through the economy and daily life.

Accessing the dark web is legal in the US, the EU, and most countries worldwide

As long as users do not pay for illegal goods or services or acquire illegal content, they cannot be prosecuted. Those on the dark web include academics, researchers, and cybersecurity experts gathering threat intelligence on cybercriminals, cyberterrorists, and state actors, as well as protesters, activists, and grassroots organizers.

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

The US Constitution is widely regarded as the longest-standing written national constitution still in force—see how it has influenced rights worldwide.

The United States has had a tumultuous relationship with Cuba since its 1959 revolution, highlighted by a nuclear crisis and a decades-long trade embargo.

Play the role of a student in a game where you try to navigate college and remain debt-free, selecting different income levels, high school experience, race, ethnicity, and more.

Astronauts have repaired genetic damage in space using CRISPR—a molecular tool that can make precise changes to DNA and is used in single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

Jimmy Carter signed a 1978 bill that legalized home brewing, a move credited with kick-starting the craft beer industry.

In 2025, four executives from large tech companies were given positions in the US Army Reserves—including Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, which reinforced Palantir's ties with the US military and its role as a leading defense partner.

Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus remains extremely rare, so the 2026 hantavirus cruise ship outbreak doesn't mean we're facing a COVID-style pandemic risk.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

Tattoos remain visible on your skin thanks to immune cells called macrophages

Brandi Chastain, the star of the 1999 US victory over China in the 1999 Women's World Cup, was a last-second choice to take the penalty kick that sealed the victory.

Explore fun facts from the USPS, including unique post office buildings, a stamp that traveled past Pluto, and more.

Sunflowers have long been a symbol of nuclear disarmament because they can extract large amounts of radioactive cesium from soil.

The Brothers Grimm were lawyers before they were storytellers, but became interested in fairy tales as they began investigating how rules and customs had been passed down through cultures.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

Coral reefs get their colors from zooxanthellae—microorganisms that line corals' digestive tracts and provide them with sugars in exchange for a home within this protective tissue.

While El Niño moves warm Pacific Ocean waters east along the equator, La Niña moves them west, shifting where rainfall will become more common for months.