Los Angeles' homeless population has jumped 16% from 2018

Surrounding counties boast even higher increases.

Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
  • Los Angeles County claims nearly 59,000 homeless, a 12 percent increase, while the city itself is up 16 percent.
  • It's not only LA: Orange County is up 42 percent; Alameda County, 43 percent; Kern County, 50 percent; and San Francisco, 17 percent.
  • Angelenos need to make $47.52 an hour to afford the median rent price in the city.
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Politics & Current Affairs

Are we confusing money with well-being? New Zealand's leaders believe so.

New Zealand's recent budget policy puts the health and well-being of its citizens over economic growth.

(Photo: Christoph Strässler/Flickr)
  • Economists and politicians have traditionally focused on economic growth to set policy and measure how citizens fare.
  • New Zealand has become the first country to put well-being, not growth or production, at the center of its economic policy.
  • Calls for "purposeful capitalism" are emerging in other countries, including the United States.
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Politics & Current Affairs

Why Atlanta is building the nation's largest 'food forest'

Soon, residents will be able to pick fruits and vegetables — for free.

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  • Atlanta recently passed a measure that will convert an undeveloped plot of land into a food forest that will include food-producing trees, shrubs, and vines.
  • For years, thousands of Atlanta residents have lived in areas that don't provide easy access to fresh food — places called "food deserts."
  • The Urban Food Forest seeks to bring fresh produce back into local neighborhoods, hopefully serving as a model for other cities.
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Politics & Current Affairs

Why it’s hard to tell when high-class people are incompetent

A recent study gives new meaning to the saying "fake it 'til you make it."

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  • The study involves four experiments that measured individuals' socioeconomic status, overconfidence and actual performance.
  • Results consistently showed that high-class people tend to overestimate their abilities.
  • However, this overconfidence was misinterpreted as genuine competence in one study, suggesting overestimating your abilities can have social advantages.
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Surprising Science

‘Alexa, are you reinforcing gender biases?’ U.N. says yes.

Why do all of our virtual assistants have a female voice?


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  • A new U.N. report claims that virtual assistants, such as Alexa and Siri, are reinforcing gender stereotypes.
  • The report covers gender gaps in science, technology, and computer literacy.
  • The reason why most virtual assistants are female may stem from the fact that consumers generally prefer the female voice.
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Politics & Current Affairs