Pam Fessler

When Pope Francis visits the U.S., he won't just be meeting with President Obama and politicians on Capitol Hill. Right after his address to a joint meeting of Congress, he'll be traveling across town to St. Patrick's Catholic Church, where he'll be meeting with some of the country's poor residents.

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Baltimore clothing shop Flawless Damsels is one of the more than 400 businesses damaged in last spring's riots. The shop recently reopened and was bustling, though that's not the case everywhere.

The city tore down thousands of public housing units and is replacing them with mixed-income developments. The goal is to deconcentrate poverty. But it has been a hard return home for some residents.

Many families forced out of public housing by Hurricane Katrina now use government vouchers to subsidize rent elsewhere. Meant to deconcentrate poverty in the city, the shift hasn't worked as planned.

Disabled Americans are twice as likely to be poor as those without disabilities. They continue to face many financial and physical barriers, despite the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The rapid rehousing program provides the homeless with short-term rental assistance. But many recipients ultimately face the same problems as those who stay in shelters, a new government study finds.

Last year was a very good year for charitable giving. In fact, it was the best, according to the Giving USA Foundation that's tracked donations in the U.S. for the past 60 years.

Nearly 400 businesses were damaged during riots after Freddie Gray's death. But weeks later, the repairs are limping along, despite promises of aid from nonprofits and both city and state officials.

While doing a profile of a transgender activist in Washington, D.C., NPR's Pam Fessler heard some touching personal stories from trans women trying to adapt to their new lives.

After becoming homeless and jobless following her transition to being a woman, Ruby Corado got her act together, and now helps others facing similar challenges. "We have a family here," she says.

The charities have been charged with bilking consumers out of more than $187 million. The Federal Trade Commission along with every state and the District of Columbia brought the charges.

Twenty states have implemented online voter registration and seven are expected to follow. It has Republican and Democratic support, but some still worry about cyberthreats.

A day after Baltimore chief prosecutor Marilyn Mosby announced charges against six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, residents of the neighborhood where he grew up hope change will come to the area.

Some residents complain that Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has done little to help the impoverished neighborhoods where much of the unrest occurred. Will the crisis tarnish the rising star?

Virginia found 1-in-5 of its touchscreen machines vulnerable to attack with passwords as easy as "abcde." As voting equipment ages, new concerns are being raised.

The Legislature has passed a bill that would bar people on public assistance from using cash aid on theme parks, pools and casinos, or from withdrawing more than $25 per day from the ATM.

Some of the largest, most established walkathons and similar events that raise cash for charity aren't doing as well as they used to. There's more competition, fundraisers say, for money and time.

Omar Shekhey left engineering to start a nonprofit that helps refugees navigate their new lives near Atlanta. He also drives a cab — and often gives the money to families to help them settle in.