Poverty Dispatch - February 16, 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:

• Economic Stimulus Spending
• Schools and Homeless Students
• Homeless Families - Washington, D.C.
• Food Assistance Programs
• Medicaid Reform - Florida, Louisiana
• Infant Mortality - Wisconsin
• Health Insurance Coverage
• No Child Left Behind and the Achievement Gap
• Child Care Subsidies - Arizona
• State Minimum Wages - Kansas, Wisconsin
• Unemployment Benefits
• Worldwide Joblessness and Unemployment
• Opinion: Trends in Women's Pay and Household Income
• Day Laborers - New Orleans, Philadelphia
• Prison Overcrowding and Prisoner Re-entry

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).
Article links will open in new browser window.

Economic Stimulus Spending

Poorest Americans should get more food stamps, unemployment help, tax credits in stimulus bill. Read Article
By Nancy Benac (Associated Press), Chicago Tribune. February 12, 2009.
 

For social programs, long-awaited boost. Read Article
By Michael A. Fletcher, Washington Post. February 16, 2009.
 

States await flood of federal money. Read Article
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org. February 13, 2009.
 

Stimulus to ease, not fix, state budget woes. Read Article
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org. February 14, 2009.
 

U.S. to compare medical treatments. Read Article
By Robert Pear, New York Times. February 15, 2009.
 

Nation's schools would get $106 billion from federal economic stimulus package. Read Article
By Seema Mehta and Jason Song, Los Angeles Times. February 13, 2009.
 

Stimulus bill gives boost to college student aid, less for campus repairs. Read Article
By Tim Post, Minnesota Public Radio. February 13, 2009.
 

Parts of stimulus favor some states over others. Read Article
By Tom Curry, MSNBC.com. February 13, 2009.
 

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Schools and Homeless Students

Homeless student numbers on the rise. (CHICAGO, IL) Read Article
By Lisa Black, Chicago Tribune. February 13, 2009.
 

Homeless kids lack school to call home. (CHICAGO, IL) Read Article
By By Carlos Sadovi, Chicago Tribune. February 13, 2009.
 

Area schools see more homeless students. (GREEN BAY, WI) Read Article
By Kelly McBride, Green Bay Press-Gazette. February 15, 2009.
 

Number of South Florida homeless students on the rise. (FLORIDA) Read Article
by Trenton Daniel, Miami Herald. February 12, 2009.
 

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Homeless Families - Washington, D.C.

Homelessness: The family portrait. (WASHINGTON, D.C.) Read Article
By Chris L. Jenkins, Washington Post. February 16, 2009.
 

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Food Assistance Programs

Demand for food stamps in Indiana is up 10%. (INDIANA) Read Article
By Will Higgins, Indianapolis Star. February 16, 2009.
 

Bay Area food banks busy as economy tanks . (CALIFORNIA) Read Article
By John Simerman, Contra Costa Times. February 15, 2009.
 

Looking for help. (OKLAHOMA) Read Article
By Ginnie Graham, Tulsa World. February 15, 2009.
 

Food stamp use on rise in middle- class suburbia. (FLORIDA) Read Article
By Marlene Sokol, St. Petersburg Times. February 15, 2009.
 

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Medicaid Reform - Florida, Louisiana

In Medicaid reform, Fla. GOP saw rich benefit. (FLORIDA) Read Article
By Travis Reed (Associated Press), Chicago Tribune. February 13, 2009.
 

Florida Medicaid program criticized. Jindal aide creates similar program. (LOUISIANA) Read Article
By Jan Moller, New Orleans Times-Picayune. February 16, 2009.
 

Reform Medicaid reform. (Editorial) Read Article
Editorial, Palm Beach Post. February 15, 2009.
 

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Infant Mortality - Wisconsin

Infant mortality fight gets $10 million boost in state. (WISCONSIN) Read Article
By Guy Boulton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. February 15, 2009.
 

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Health Insurance Coverage

Ranks of uninsured to grow. Read Article
By Kevin Freking (Associated Press), Detroit News. February 11, 2009.
 

3.8 million in Florida lack health policies -- and affordable options. (FLORIDA) Read Article
By Kate Santich, Orlando Sentinel. February 13, 2009.
 

State program helps children lacking health coverage. (VIRGINIA) Read Article
By Elizabeth Simpson, Virginian-Pilot. February 16, 2009.
 

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No Child Left Behind and the Achievement Gap

Struggles paying off. (CALIFORNIA) Read Article
By Kevin Butler, Long Beach Press-Telegram. February 14, 2009.
 

Grading our schools: Are reading, math edging out other needed subjects? (KANSAS) Read Article
By Lori Yount, Wichita Eagle. February 15, 2009.
 

Two alternatives to race-based busing. (NORTH CAROLINA) Read Article
By T. Keung Hui, Charlotte Observer. February 15, 2009.
 

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Child Care Subsidies - Arizona

‘Working poor’ to lose child care subsidies. (ARIZONA) Read Article
By Howard Fischer, East Valley Tribune. February 13, 2009.
 

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State Minimum Wages - Kansas, Wisconsin

Proposed wage hike worries restaurateurs. (KANSAS) Read Article
By Bill Wilson, Wichita Eagle. February 12, 2009.
 

Lawmakers asked to increase state’s minimum wage. (KANSAS) Read Article
By Scott Rothschild, Lawrence Journal-World. February 10, 2009.
 

State Senate votes to raise minimum wage to $7.60 per hour. (WISCONSIN) Read Article
By Steven Walters, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. February 10, 2009.
 

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Unemployment Benefits

Unemployed in R.I. to get a boost in benefits. (RHODE ISLAND) Read Article
By Neil Downing, Providence Journal. February 13, 2009.
 

Senate moves to increase jobless benefits. (WASHINGTON) Read Article
By Rachel La Corte (Associated Press), Seattle Post-Intelligencer. February 12, 2009.
 

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Worldwide Joblessness and Unemployment

Job losses pose a threat to stability worldwide. Read Article
By Nelson D. Schwartz, New York Times. February 14, 2009.
 

Iraq's young jobless threaten stability, report says. (IRAQ) Read Article
By Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times. February 16, 2009.
 

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Opinion: Trends in Women's Pay and Household Income

Women have come a long way. The family picture is less bright. (Opinion) Read Article
By Dalton Conley, Washington Post. February 15, 2009.
 

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Day Laborers - New Orleans, Philadelphia

Day laborers are easy prey in New Orleans. (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Read Article
By Adam Nossiter, New York Times. February 15, 2009.
 

Black-market day laborers face a stark situation. (PHILADELPHIA, PA) Read Article
By Michael Matza, Philadelphia Inquirer. February 16, 2009.
 

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Prison Overcrowding and Prisoner Re-entry

More money in budget for prisoner transition. (MICHIGAN) Read Article
By Susan Oppat, Ann Arbor News. February 13, 2009.
 

Save money: reform prisons. (Opinion) Read Article
By Joanna Champney, Wilmington News Journal. February 16, 2009.
 

California’s crowded prisons. (Editorial) Read Article
Editorial, New York Times. February 13, 2009.
 

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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).