That’s a good point. The article that started this discussion seems to frame it in terms of government waste and harassing the poor instead taxing the rich. Even though “poorest households” is described as earnings less than $25,000 per year, there’s nothing to indicate how many people that represents.
Financial publications used to regularly post articles emphasizing how close the middle-class was to winding up poor, but not so much lately. That was a fear tactic to get people saving and investing more, without getting into the cause of limited disposable income. Now they seem to be more focused on debt (from medical bills or student loans) and promoting inter-generational conflicts/class divisions based on wages and retirement.
Corporate-owned media supports the American myth of wealth to encourage folks to keep working toward a goal most of the population might reach but won’t remain for long. The lessons learned from hardships people faced because of the pandemic are being pushed aside for “get back to work and spending normal” messaging. Still, people are continuing the fight to end poverty in the US - and they are putting those figures front and center:
