government assistance

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Giving Cash to Poor Moms May Help Babies' Brains
Cash Aid to Moms May
Result in Smarter Babies
new study
Jan 25, 2022 11:29 AM CST

Cash Aid to Moms May Result in Smarter Babies

Study shows gains in development for infants

(Newser) - It's a study loaded with political implications—researchers say giving cash aid to low-income mothers appears to help the brain development of their babies. The New York Times reports the difference spotted after one year is modest, the equivalent of "moving to the 75th position in a line...

In Experiment, Calif. City Gives 125 Residents $500 a Month

Stockton tries out 'universal basic income'

(Newser) - Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang wants to give cash to every American each month. Susie Garza has never heard of Yang. But since February, she's been getting $500 a month from a nonprofit in Stockton, Calif., as part of an experiment that offers something unusual in presidential politics: a...

Food Stamps Shouldn't Pay for Junk Food

Congress needs to change the rules: Charles Lane

(Newser) - The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, you'll notice, has the word "nutrition" in the title. So why is it that SNAP debit cards, aka food stamps, can be used to purchase such decidedly non-nutritious items as Cheetos and Fanta orange soda? The Agriculture Department itself states, on its website,...

Cory Booker's Food Stamp Regret: I Didn't Buy Eggs
Cory Booker's Food Stamp
Regret: I Didn't Buy Eggs
weeklong challenge
Dec 5, 2012 9:22 AM CST

Cory Booker's Food Stamp Regret: I Didn't Buy Eggs

Newark mayor thinks he should have clipped coupons, too

(Newser) - Cory Booker began his food stamp challenge yesterday, showing off his decidedly modest grocery haul for the week to the New Jersey Star-Ledger . The vegetarian mayor spent $29.78 on an assortment that included 17 cans of beans, seven yams, two bags of frozen vegetables, and two apples. "If...

Northeast Cuts Heating Aid for Poor

Thousands could suffer

(Newser) - Thousands of people in the Northeast could be left in the cold this winter, as the federal government cuts heating aid to the poor. Congress is considering cutting more than $1 billion from last year's $4.7 billion Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program budget, which helped almost 9...

15% of Americans Use Food Stamps
 15% of Americans 
 Use Food Stamps 
RECORD high: 45.8M
Nov 2, 2011 10:52 AM CDT

15% of Americans Use Food Stamps

Mississippi leads the way, with 21% of residents on the rolls

(Newser) - A record 45.8 million people—that's a staggering 15% of Americans—sustained themselves via food stamps in August, reports the Wall Street Journal . That number was up 1.1% over July, notes Business Week , and 8.1% over the year prior. In terms of sheer numbers, Texas and...

Food Stamp Abuse Shows Perils of 'Big Government'
Food Stamp Abuse Shows Perils of 'Big Government'
OPINION
Jun 23, 2011 12:58 PM CDT

Food Stamp Abuse Shows Perils of 'Big Government'

Number of recipients surging, along with fraud: James Bovard

(Newser) - The number of people on food stamps has risen from 26 million to 44 million since 2007, and abuse of the system is running unchecked, writes James Bovard at the Wall Street Journal . The federal government is more interested in getting people signed up than helping states curb fraud, he...

SC Lt. Gov. Compares Poor People to 'Stray Animals'

Andre Bauer refuses to back off remarks about welfare recipients

(Newser) - Mark Sanford is no longer the most embarrassing politician in South Carolina: His lieutenant governor, Andre Bauer, is in hot water after comparing government assistance for the poor to "feeding stray animals." Said Bauer, who is running to succeed Sanford as governor: "You're facilitating the problem if...

8 Stories