Poverty Dispatch - January 8, 2009

IRP compiles and distributes Poverty Dispatches, links to Web-based news items dealing with poverty, welfare reform, and related topics twice a week. Each Dispatch lists links to current news in popular print media. Persons wishing to receive Poverty Dispatches by e-mail should send a request to irppubs@ssc.wisc.edu.

Today's Topics in the News:

• Homeless Families and Shelters - Illinois, New York
• Poverty Rates - Mississippi, Oklahoma
• Joblessness and Unemployment Insurance
• State Unemployment Claims Systems
• Cash Assistance Caseloads - Michigan
• Kids Count Report - Indiana
• Teenage Pregnancy Rates
• State Children's Health Insurance Program
• Hospitals and Debt Collection - Maryland
• Health Care Spending
• Funding for High-poverty Schools
• Opportunidades Anti-poverty Program - Mexico
• State Minimum Wage Increases

Today's Articles:

Note: All links are external; some links may require a free registration at the host site (e.g., New York Times, Chicago Tribune).
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Homeless Families and Shelters - Illinois, New York

Shelters brace for homeless families. (ILLINOIS) Read Article
By Lisa Black, Lolly Bowean and Steve Schmadeke, Chicago Tribune. January 7, 2009.
 

Economy, weather push more LIers to shelters, other aid. (NEW YORK) Read Article
By Michael Amon, Newsday. December 24, 2008.
 

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Poverty Rates - Mississippi, Oklahoma

City's poverty rate 'striking.' (MISSISSIPPI) Read Article
By Valerie Wells, Hattiesburg American. December 29, 2008.
 

Grim picture for the poor. (OKLAHOMA) Read Article
By Josh Newton, Tahlequah Daily Press. January 7, 2009.
 

To stop poverty, it takes a village. (OKLAHOMA) Read Article
By Josh Newton, Tahlequah Daily Press. January 8, 2009.
 

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Joblessness and Unemployment Insurance

What about the safety net? 'A lot of people are falling through.' Read Article
By Jane M. Von Bergen, Philadelphia Inquirer. December 21, 2008.
 

A safety net in need of repair. Read Article
The Economist. December 30, 2008.
 

Jobless benefits, state by state. Read Article
By Moira Herbst, BusinessWeek. December 28, 2008.
 

New jobless claims drop again, but more continue to seek aid . Read Article
USA Today. January 8, 2009.
 

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State Unemployment Claims Systems

Jobless Ohioans can't reach swamped state hot line, Web site. (OHIO) Read Article
By Catherine Candisky, Columbus Dispatch. January 6, 2009.
 

Jobless claims overwhelm state. (MICHIGAN) Read Article
By Charlie Cain and Oralandar Brand-Williams, Detroit News. January 8, 2009.
 

Michigan promises to fix unemployment system delays, backlog. (MICHIGAN) Read Article
By Ben Beversluis, Grand Rapids Press. January 7, 2009.
 

State’s unemployment system buckles under surging demand. (NEW YORK) Read Article
By Patrick McGeehan, New York Times. January 6, 2009.
 

Lost jobs put strain on states. (SOUTH DAKOTA) Read Article
By Terry Woster, Argus Leader. December 22, 2008.
 

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Cash Assistance Caseloads - Michigan

State welfare cases drop. (MICHIGAN) Read Article
By Mark Hornbeck, Detroit News. January 7, 2009.
 

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Kids Count Report - Indiana

Report: Indiana youth better off a decade ago. (INDIANA) Read Article
By Grace Schneider, Louisville Courier-Journal. December 29, 2008.
 

Recession hitting Indiana's needy children. (INDIANA) Read Article
Associated Press, Indianapolis Star. December 21, 2008.
 

Free-lunch eligibility rises as economy sours. (INDIANA) Read Article
By Angela Mapes Turner, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. December 21, 2008.
 

Subsidized meals on rise in Indiana schools. (INDIANA) Read Article
By Carrie Ritchie, Indianapolis Star. December 23, 2008.
 

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Teenage Pregnancy Rates

After long decline, U.S. teen birth rates rise again. Read Article
By Katherine Tandler, Miami Herald. January 7, 2009.
 

Teen birth rates up in 26 states. Read Article
By Sharon Jayson, USA Today. January 7, 2009.
 

CDC says teen pregnancy rates rising. Read Article
By Kristi L. Nelson, Knoxville News Sentinel. January 7, 2009.
 

Mississippi has highest teen birth rate, CDC says. (MISSISSIPPI) Read Article
By Mike Stobbe (Associated Press), Dallas Morning News. January 7, 2009.
 

Common ground in the battle over teen pregnancies. (CONNECTICUT) Read Article
By Dan Levy, The Day. January 5, 2009.
 

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State Children's Health Insurance Program

Kids' health insurance promoted. (OHIO) Read Article
By Catherine Candisky, Columbus Dispatch. January 6, 2009.
 

Our view: In tough economy, state should expand kids' health benefits. (ALASKA) Read Article
Editorial, Anchorage Daily News. December 28, 2008.
 

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Hospitals and Debt Collection - Maryland

In their debt. (MARYLAND) Read Article
By Fred Schulte and James Drew, Baltimore Sun. December 21, 2008.
 

Their day in court. (MARYLAND) Read Article
By Fred Schulte and James Drew, Baltimore Sun. December 22, 2008.
 

Loose rules. (MARYLAND) Read Article
By James Drew and Fred Schulte, Baltimore Sun. December 23, 2008.
 

Tighter hospital control sought. (MARYLAND) Read Article
By Fred Schulte and James Drew, Baltimore Sun. December 24, 2008.
 

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Health Care Spending

Spending rise for health care and prescription drugs slows. Read Article
By Robert Pear, New York Times. January 5, 2009.
 

Behind the health spending data. (Editorial) Read Article
Editorial, New York Times. January 7, 2009.
 

Healthcare spending in U.S. slows. Read Article
By Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times. January 6, 2009.
 

Spending on prescription drugs slows. Read Article
By Julie Appleby, USA Today. January 5, 2009.
 

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Funding for High-poverty Schools

Lower-paid teachers often paired with poorest kids. Read Article
By Simone Sebastian, Columbus Dispatch. December 23, 2008.
 

Direct more money to poorest schools. (Editorial) Read Article
Editorial, Detroit News. January 2, 2009.
 

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Opportunidades Anti-poverty Program - Mexico

A payoff out of poverty? (MEXICO) Read Article
By Tina Rosenberg, New York Times Magazine. December 19, 2008.
 

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State Minimum Wage Increases

Minimum wage rises Thursday. (CONNECTICUT) Read Article
By Ken Dixon, Danbury News-Times. December 31, 2008.
 

Business: Firms taking minimum wage increase in stride. (CONNECTICUT) Read Article
By James Mosher, Norwich Bulletin. January 1, 2009.
 

Law raises minimum wage to $7.21 an hour. (FLORIDA) Read Article
By Anna Scott, Herald Tribune. December 31, 2008.
 

Minimum wage rises Thursday. (ARIZONA) Read Article
By Betty Beard, Arizona Republic. December 29, 2008.
 

Wage increase makes sense to some. (OREGON) Read Article
By David Holley, Beaverton Valley Times. January 1, 2009.
 

New Year brings wage boost for Oregon's lowest-paid workers. (OREGON) Read Article
Hillsboro Argus. December 31, 2008.
 

Minimum wage goes up today. (NEW MEXICO) Read Article
By Brook Stockberger, Las Cruces Sun-News. January 1, 2009.
 

Thousands of Ohioans due raises tomorrow. (OHIO) Read Article
By Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade. December 31, 2008.
 

With 2009 comes tax break, increase in minimum wage. (OHIO) Read Article
By Mark Niquette and Dan Gearino, Columbus Dispatch. December 31, 2008.
 

Darkening jobs picture sparks debate on minimum wage. (MISSOURI) Read Article
By Tim Logan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 7, 2009.
 

Minimum wage bumps up automatically. (MISSOURI) Read Article
By Jordan Raubolt, Columbia Tribune. January 2, 2009.
 

Minimum wage to go up to $8.06. (VERMONT) Read Article
By Daniel Barlow, Times Argus. December 31, 2008.
 

Minimum wage to increase. (COLORADO) Read Article
By Pat Ferrier, Loveland Connection. December 30, 2008.
 

Colorado’s minimum wage rises 26 cents. (COLORADO) Read Article
By Debbie Kelley, Colorado Springs Gazette. December 30, 2008.
 

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Note: All links are external; some links may require a free registration at the host site (e.g., New York Times, Chicago Tribune).