In Case You Missed It . . .

Off the Charts will slow down for the next couple of weeks, but we’ll be back on our regular schedule when we return after New Year’s.  We wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season.

This week on Off the Charts, we focused on health care, the safety net, and federal taxes.

• On health care, Paul Van de Water explained that the emerging Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement needs changes to protect access to affordable drugs. Matt Broaddus reported continued gains in health coverage this year, especially among states that have adopted health reform’s Medicaid expansion. And Jesse Cross-Call noted Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s announcement of an expansion plan.
• On the safety net, Zoë Neuberger warned that Congress’ decision to require WIC to add white potatoes to the list of foods it provides ignores the nutritional needs of low-income women and very young children.
• On federal taxes, Chuck Marr highlighted a Washington Post editorial calling on policymakers to let the “bonus depreciation” tax break die next year.

This week, we updated our backgrounder on unemployment insurance.

CBPP’s Chart of the Week — Happy Holidays!

A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts recently. Here are some highlights:

As Congress cripples the IRS, tax rates are likely to rise
Washington Post
December 15, 2014

Crunch time again for health insurance sign-ups
Associated Press
December 14, 2014

In Mississippi, education money gap grows to $1.5B
Associated Press
December 13, 2014

Don’t miss any of our posts, papers, or charts — follow us on Twitter and Instagram.