Nov 15 Will Trump, a fast-food fan, remake healthy school lunches? By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Children grumbling about healthier school meal rules championed by first lady Michelle Obama may have reason to cheer Trump's election as the billionaire businessman is a proud patron of Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's while promising to curb federal regulations. Continue reading
Sep 13 Income is up, poverty is down, but neither are back at pre-recession levels By Kristen Doerer With improving incomes, 3.5 million people climbed out of poverty in 2015, pushing down the official poverty rate to 13.5 percent. Continue reading
Feb 16 Watch Will shoppers on food stamps pick up fresher foods? By PBS News Hour The U.S. government wants to steer the 46 million Americans who receive food stamps toward healthier food choices. The USDA plans to require retailers that accept those benefits to stock more fresh foods. But would healthier options change behavior? Gwen… Continue watching
Feb 16 USDA rules would increase food stamp access to healthy foods By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press The Agriculture Department unveiled new rules on Tuesday that would force retailers who accept food stamps to stock a wider variety of healthy foods or face the loss of business as consumers shop elsewhere. Continue reading
Apr 23 Twitter chat: Should the government tell welfare recipients how to spend their money? By Nora Daly A new Kansas restricts the ways in which recipients of government assistance can spend their benefits. While many states have placed restrictions on how benefit cards can be used, prohibiting purchases such as alcohol, tobacco products and adult entertainment, the… Continue reading
Apr 16 New Kansas law would limit how welfare recipients can spend their benefits By John Hanna, Associated Press TOPEKA, Kan. -- A new Kansas law tells poor families that they can't use cash assistance from the state to attend concerts, get tattoos, see a psychic or buy lingerie. The list of don'ts runs to several dozen items. Continue reading
Mar 20 States to test ways to get food stamp recipients back to work By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Ten states will test new ways to get food stamp recipients back to work, using Agriculture Department grants aimed at helping some of the 46 million Americans who receive benefits move off the rolls. Continue reading
Mar 17 GOP proposes $3.8 trillion budget that boosts defense, overhauls Medicare By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a $3.8 trillion budget plan for next year that effectively breaks tight budget limits on military spending while promising a familiar roster of big cuts to social programs such as food stamps and… Continue reading
Dec 10 A food stamps success story By Miles Corak A yawning gap has opened up between market income poverty rates and total income poverty rates, which can only be heralded as a major success story for out-of-work assistance, particularly those components under federal control, argues economist Miles Corak. Continue reading
Jul 16 Why summer is the hungriest season for some U.S. kids By Jason Kane Summertime can present a great nutritional risk for children in need. Without the support of the free and reduced lunch programs offered in schools, many U.S. children go hungry between June and August. This year, the problem is expected to… Continue reading