About Jen @jenafifield
Jen Fifield is a demographics reporter at Stateline. Before joining Pew, Fifield spent five years covering state, county and city policy and politics for The Frederick News-Post in Maryland and education for The Gazette of Montgomery County.
Jen’s Recent Stories
Nation Mar 05
Nobody knows how many kids get caught with guns in school. Here’s why.In the past few years, school and state officials have not properly tracked deadly school shootings in Arizona and Colorado, and firearm-related school incidents in Maine.
Nation Feb 08
Why taxpayers pay when legislators are accused of sexual misconductLawmakers in at least five states — California, Illinois, Iowa, New York and Pennsylvania — have proposed banning the use of public dollars for settlements or payouts related to sexual harassment allegations against state lawmakers.
Nation Aug 07
Rural veterans face long paths to health careWhile long drives and limited access to health care are familiar burdens for many rural residents, the problem is particularly acute for veterans in those areas. They are far older than other rural residents, and far more likely to be…
Nation Jun 07
Why child abuse in military families may go unreportedMilitary families face unique stresses that may put military children at higher risk of maltreatment. Pentagon officials are pushing for state laws to require better reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect.
Nation May 24
What happens when states go hunting for Medicaid fraudFaced with growing Medicaid enrollment and tight budgets, Republican lawmakers in several states are taking steps to ensure that people receiving welfare benefits are eligible for them.
Nation Apr 20
Cities, states try to protect immigrants’ data from federal officialsIn the face of stepped-up deportation efforts, many unauthorized immigrants worry that state and local programs that are designed to help them could instead be used by federal agents to identify and expel them from the country.
Nation Oct 01
As pipeline projects grow, so do protestsAs more oil and gas pipelines crisscross the country, environmental and energy lawyers say protests against them are becoming increasingly common.
Nation Aug 22
Can diverse police departments ease community tension?As police-involved shootings have increased tensions between police and black communities across the country, some law enforcement agencies have put out similar calls for help in hopes of recruiting a more diverse force as one way to re-establish community trust.
Health Aug 10
What happens to developmentally disabled as parents age, die?About 860,000 people over 60 years old nationwide are caring for someone with intellectual or developmental disabilities in their home.
Nation Jul 14
Scientists study link between U.S. oil drilling and rise in earthquakesUsing a growing body of research, along with trial and error, scientists and state regulators are gradually getting closer to pinpointing the cause of the startling increase in earthquakes in the Central and Eastern U.S., and preventing them.
