• Remember the War On Poverty?, By Saul Friedman, July 18, 2010, The Huffington Post: “Long before there was a war on terrorism and the war on drugs, the nation declared war on poverty. Specifically, Lyndon Johnson in his first State of The Union, in 1964, declared amid great cheers from the Congress, an ‘unconditional war on poverty in America’ and he pledged not to rest ‘until that war is won.’ In his last State of the Union in 1988, Ronald Reagan, who had been no fan of Johnson’s agenda, declared to snickering lawmakers, that in the War on Poverty, ‘poverty won…’”

Too old for foster care, youths struggle, By Catherine Jun, July 21, 2010, Detroit News:”A growing number of youths in Michigan are reaching adult age while in foster care, a situation experts fear leaves them vulnerable to homelessness, poverty and incarceration.
State and welfare agencies say a lack of funding has been the greatest obstacle to getting these youths the safety net they need when they age out of the system. When they’re pushed out onto the streets at age 19 after years of jumping from home to home, the trauma of being separated from their families and getting inconsistent adult guidance destines them to multiple problems, said Paul Toro, professor of psychology at Wayne State University…”

Fuel poverty shock for Sedgemoor, By David Hemming, July 21, 2010, The West County: “NEARLY a quarter of households in Sedgemoor are struggling to cope with the rising cost of their energy bills, according to Government experts. The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group has revealed 22% of homes in the district - or roughly 10,000 people - are struggling to pay their bills … and there are fears that figure could rise yet further. The advisory group warns energy bills could increase by a further 50% on top of the 125% rise over the last six years. Chairman Derek Lickorish said the cost of energy infrastructure schemes and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emission, while essential, would be passed onto customers. He added: “Energy prices are set to rise so the Government needs a clear strategy on how it is going to end fuel poverty…”

Indiana changes food stamp policy that drew fire, By Charles Wilson (AP), July 21, 2010, Seattle Times: “Indiana will no longer reduce a state grocery benefit paid to hundreds of developmentally disabled people simply because they receive food stamps, the state government announced Wednesday. Indiana Family and Social Services Administration spokesman Marcus Barlow said state officials decided to change the policy after discussions with the U.S. Food and Nutrition Service. Advocates and legal experts said the 10-year-old policy was a clear violation of federal law that says food stamps can’t be counted against other benefits. The policy was the target of a lawsuit filed this month on behalf of a 26-year-old autistic Indianapolis man, and has been the subject of an investigation and two stories by The Associated Press. Barlow said the lawsuit and media attention “brought it to our attention, definitely.” Since 1964, federal law has barred states from counting food stamps as income or using them to reduce any other public benefits. Legal experts said the law was clear. But since 2000, Indiana’s food stamp policy has affected people with developmental disabilities who need financial help to live independently and who receive additional assistance to buy groceries. Under that system, when the federal government raised food stamp amounts, Indiana officials reduced state grocery allowances so a person’s total food benefits did not exceed $200 a month…”

Stocks drop as Bernanke warns of uncertain economy, By Stephen Bernard (AP), July 21, 2010, Denver Post: “Stocks fell sharply Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke confirmed investors’ fears that the economy has weakened. Interest rates dropped in the Treasury market as investors sought safer places for their money. Bernanke told a congressional committee that the economy is “unusually uncertain.” He said the economy is fragile, but he did not forecast that it would fall back into recession. The Dow Jones industrial average, which was modestly higher before Bernanke’s prepared remarks, fell more than 150 points as investors absorbed Bernanke’s assessment of the economy, and his statement that the Fed is ready to take action if the economy worsens. Bernanke’s comments, part of his semiannual report to Congress, weren’t surprising given the economic reports and corporate earnings numbers released in recent weeks. But they were enough to upset investors who have grown increasingly nervous about the state of the economic recovery. Some investors may have been hoping for a more upbeat reading from the Fed chairman. The Fed is still expecting the economy to expand this year, but the central bank has lowered its forecast for growth…”

Homeless People’s Problems Grow, By Natasha Bita, July 22, 2010, The Austrilian:  “Two in every three homeless people are being turned away from crisis accommodation each night, a damning government report reveals. Three years after the Rudd government pledged to halve homelessness by 2020, crisis services are facing unprecedented levels of demand. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare yesterday reported that 62 per cent of homeless people — including 80 per cent of couples with children — were unable to find a bed on any given day during 2008-09. The homeless crisis is hitting youth the hardest, with 56 per cent of people with a “valid unmet request” for a bed for the night being turned away. A further 37 per cent of the homeless were aged 20 to 44. Ninety per cent of the homeless people were Australian-born, and more than a quarter of them were indigenous. The institute found that 82,300 Australians were seeking emergency accommodation each night, including 13,300 women escaping domestic violence and 24,600 children…”