Recently released U.S. Census data suggests poverty is down slightly. The new figures count the official poverty rate at 11.8 percent, or 38.1 million Americans. Yes, a study from the Federal Reserve Board found that about 40 percent of Americans say they can’t afford a $400 emergency bill.

Karen Dolan, who directs the Criminalization of Race and Poverty Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, joined the Real News to discuss how the U.S. Census data’s Official Poverty Measure excludes 100 million Americans who are either poor or low income.

Watch the original interview with a full transcript at the Real News.