Pakistan’s kiln workers bricked in by debt, By Pamela Constable, July 3, 2009, Washington Post: “At the end of a village road, behind a grassy bluff, lies a hidden valley carpeted with thick red dust and canyoned with craggy mounds of earth. At the bottom, clay-colored figures squat barefoot all day, shaping balls of mud into bricks. In the distance, a dozen scattered chimneys spew clouds of black smoke, which trail off prettily across the horizon…”

U.S. shifts strategy on illicit work by immigrants, By Julia Preston, July 2, 2009, New York Times: “Immigration authorities had bad news this week for American Apparel, the T-shirt maker based in downtown Los Angeles: About 1,800 of its employees appeared to be illegal immigrants not authorized to work in the United States.  But in contrast to the high-profile raids that marked the enforcement approach of the Bush administration, no federal agents with criminal warrants stormed the company’s factories and rounded up employees…”

Constant fear and mob rule in South Africa slum, By Barry Bearak, June 29, 2009, New York Times: “The two robbery suspects had already been viciously beaten, their swollen faces stained with rivulets of red. One of them could no longer sit up, and only the need to moan seemed to revive him into consciousness. The other, Moses Tjiwa, occasionally stared into the taunting crowd and muttered, ‘I didn’t do anything’…”

Nebraska judge strikes down Medicaid rule, By Nate Jenkins (AP), July 2, 2009, Lincoln Journal Star: “Nebraska has been wrongfully denying Medicaid coverage to hundreds of low-income residents whom state officials argued did not work enough to comply with a welfare-to-work program, a judge has ruled.  The ruling nixes a controversial state policy that required a single parent with one or more children younger than 6 years old, for instance, to work at least 20 hours a week to retain the Medicaid benefits…”

State welfare rolls feel impact of recession, By Pam Fessler, July 3, 2009, National Public Radio: “Welfare caseloads have been going up in most states over the past year, but not in every state. In fact, cases are going down in some of the hardest-hit areas. That’s raised questions about whether the program is an adequate safety net for families in need…”

Stimulus eases community college troubles, By Kimberly Leonard, July 2, 2009, Stateline.org: “States are digging into their federal stimulus money to help finance community colleges, where rising tuition, soaring enrollment and budget cuts threaten to shut students out of the system.  But the $144 billion in stimulus money for state and local fiscal relief won’t make up for budget cuts in every state…“

Caseworker shortage delaying food-stamp applications, By Alfred Lubrano, July 2, 2009, Philadelphia Inquirer: “More people need food stamps than ever before, but there are fewer state workers in Pennsylvania to process the claims; this may result in applicants missing out on benefits, according to anti-hunger advocates.  Research by the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger shows that a major problem for people eligible for food stamps is communicating with their caseworkers at local offices of the state Department of Public Welfare…”

• Welfare up 11 percent in county, reversing a trend, By Chris L. Jenkins, July 2, 2009, Washington Post: “After years of declining caseloads, the sputtering economy is causing a surge in welfare rolls in Fairfax County…”
• More seek relief in bad times, By Gerry Weiss, June 28, 2009, Erie Times-News: “The nation’s deep recession continues to take a burdening toll on people in Erie County, forcing a sharp rise in the number of welfare and food-stamp recipients…”

• U.S. job losses rise in June as unemployment reaches 9.5%, By Peter S. Goodman and Jack Healy, July 2, 2009, New York Times: “The American economy lost 467,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate edged up to 9.5 percent in a sobering indication that the most painful downturn since the Great Depression has yet to release its hold…”
• 467K jobs cut in June; jobless rate at 26-year high, By Neil Irwin, July 2, 2009, Washington Post: “Employers kept slashing jobs at a furious pace in June as the unemployment rate edged ever closer to double-digit levels, undermining signs of progress in the economy, and making clear that the job market remains in terrible shape…”

• State Medicaid coverage, costs grow, By Sarah Fisher, July 2, 2009, Baltimore Sun: “A year into a new effort to expand health coverage, recession-weary Marylanders are flocking to the state’s Medicaid program in numbers far greater than expected, costing the state $50 million more in the process…”
• A healthy start, Editorial, July 2, 2009, Baltimore Sun: “At a time when some cash-strapped states are contemplating reducing Medicaid coverage, Maryland has boldly moved in the opposite direction. Today marks the first anniversary of a program that has brought taxpayer-financed medical assistance to more than 44,000 low-income parents, the vast majority of whom lacked health care before…”

• Federal wage hike set for this month, By Ry Rivard, July 1, 2009, Charleston Daily Mail: “About 26,000 West Virginians will find a bit more comfort in their paychecks later this month when the federal minimum goes up by 70 cents an hour…”
• Minimum wage in Illinois raised to $8 an hour, July 1, 2009, Belleville News-Democrat: “Despite the current recession, a lot of workers in Illinois are getting a raise Wednesday.  The state’s minimum wage has increased by 25 cents an hour…”

• Bill to expand Pa. health insurance sparks debate, By Michael Vitez and Heather J. Chin, July 1, 2009, Philadelphia Inquirer: “Democratic leaders in Pennsylvania hope to double the number of residents who receive state-sponsored health insurance, known as adultBasic, but Republicans fear the costs may be too high…”
• Pennsylvania House expands health insurance to low-income adults, By Lauren Boyer, June 30, 2009, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Over Republican objections, state House Democrats voted yesterday to expand the state’s adultBasic health insurance program to cover more than 130,000 low-income adults…”

• Down to the Wire: Dems say they have Medicaid deal; Barbour still must sign bills before deadline, By John Mott Coffey, June 30, 2009, Commercial Dispatch: “Legislative leaders expressed confidence the House and Senate today will finalize the state budget just hours before the new fiscal year begins at midnight. This would come after three days of cranking out more than 100 appropriation bills — including one for the Medicaid program that’s been the main sticking for months…”
• Miss. Medicaid bill headed to governor, By Natalie Chandler, June 30, 2009, Clarion Ledger: “A Medicaid funding plan has been approved tonight as state lawmakers continue a special legislative session at the state Capitol.  Lawmakers had to come to a quick agreement. Medicaid was set to expire at midnight unless they agreed to reauthorize the health-care program that serves nearly 600,000 lower-income Mississippians…”

• Financial crisis torments states, By Stephen C. Fehr, July 1, 2009, Stateline.org: “Four states closed billions of dollars in budget shortfalls and approved spending plans in the last 24 hours, but  legislatures and governors in six states were still far apart on their budgets as the fiscal year began Wednesday (July 1)…”
• Tracking the recession: Budget deadline looms, By Stephen C. Fehr, June 29, 2009, Stateline.org: “Nearing the Wednesday (July 1) start of a new fiscal year, several states still are struggling to cover substantial budget gaps that will leave governors and legislators no choice but to cut spending and or raise taxes and fees.  If legislatures don’t approve budgets on time, some states could be forced to shut down all but essential government services…”
• States struggle to meet budget deadlines, By Susan Saulny, June 30, 2009, New York Times: “Indiana lawmakers beat their deadline and passed a state budget early Tuesday evening, but in five other states, budget deals for the 2010 fiscal year remained in limbo, as legislators made last-minute efforts to avert shutdowns…”
• Budget deadline ticks down for states, By Nicholas Riccardi and P.J. Huffstutter, July 1, 2009, Los Angeles Times: “Across the country, state legislators and governors struggled Tuesday night to agree on spending cuts and tax hikes as they ran up against a midnight deadline to approve a budget…”

One in six kids in S.D. fighting poverty, By Molly Young, July 1, 2009, Sioux Falls Argus Leader: “One in six South Dakota children live in poverty, according to a report issued Tuesday by a children’s advocacy group.  Sioux Falls-based Voices for Children says 33,000 people younger than 18 - or 17 percent of all children in South Dakota - live below the federal poverty line of $21,027 for a family of four…”

• Costs hit low income households, By Steve Schifferes, June 30, 2009, BBC News: “The cost of living for those living on minimum household budgets is rising faster than inflation, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has calculated.  It says that the costs for a single household on its low-income budget were up 5.3% this year, with rises of 5% for pensioners and couples with children…”
• Rising cost of basic essentials ‘hitting poorest hardest,’ By Mary O’Hara, July 1, 2009, The Guardian: “The rising cost of everyday staples such as food and public transport during the recession has hit the poorest hardest, a study reveals today.  The latest Minimum Income Standard (MIS) report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) concludes that the basic amount an individual needs to earn to have an acceptable standard of living has gone up by twice the rate of inflation, leaving more people struggling…”

One in three Oregon students failed to get a diploma, By Betsy Hammond, June 29, 2009, The Oregonian: “One in three students in Oregon’s high school class of 2008 failed to get a diploma, a much worse showing than the state previously reported. Under pressure from the federal government, the state adopted a more accurate way of tracking how many students earned diplomas…”