United States links

Bush supports Democrats' minimum wage hike plan  Michael A. Fletcher and Jonathan Weisman Washington Post  December 14, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Farm block digs in on farm subsidies Dan Morgan, Sarah Cohen and Gilbert M. Gaul   Washington Post  December 22, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)   Harvesting cash: the myth of the small farmer.  Federal subsidies turn farms into big business   Gilbert M. Gaul, Sarah Cohen and Dan Morgan  Washington Post  December 10, 2006   Harvesting cash: the milk lobby strikes back. Dairy industry crushed innovator who bested price-control system.  Dan Morgan, Sarah Cohen and Gilbert M. Gaul   See Hunger Notes special report Global issues: trade, hunger and poverty (Last updated December 22, 2006) Crop insurers piling up record profits. Why? Subsidies and no competition.    U.S. aid Is a bumper crop for farmers: double-dipping when disaster strikes  Gilbert M. Gaul, Dan Morgan and Sarah Cohen  Washington Post October 15 and 16, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.) Aid to ranchers was diverted for big profits  Gilbert M. Gaul, Sarah Cohen and Dan Morgan  Washington Post July 19, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)    Farm program pays $1.3 billion to people who don't farm  Dan Morgan, Gilbert M. Gaul and Sarah Cohen Washington Post July 2, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Letter from New York: profiles of (young African American) men who 'fit the description'   Michael Powell   Washington Post  December 14, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

School systems struggling to address student health. Lack of focus on mental and physical problems threatens achievement, especially in poorer schools.  Valerie Strauss  Washington Post  December 5, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

 Ethiopia and Starbucks talks fail  BBC News  November 30, 2006 (You will leave this site.)  Ethiopia tries to trademark the names of its most famous coffees/coffee regions but Starbucks resists, as it has already applied for the same names in the United States  Aaron Glantz OneWorld   December 2, 2006    Starbucks in Ethiopian coffee dispute. U.S. coffee chain Starbucks is denying Ethiopia earnings of $88 million a year, according to Oxfam. BBC News  October 26, 2006 (You will leave this site.)

Supreme Court hears global warming case brought against the Environmental Protection Agency by 12 states  Robert Barnes  Washington Post November 30, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Caught the flu, but no sick leave.  For the poorest earners, paid time off is a crucial missing benefit.  Amy Joyce  Washington Post  December 3, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Supreme Court hears global warming case brought against the Environmental Protection Agency by 12 states  Robert Barnes  Washington Post November 30, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Americans take up Darfur's cause  Richard Allen Greene  BBC News November 21, 2006 (You will leave this site.)

Genetically engineered rice wins USDA approval in spite of--or perhaps because of--tainting U.S. rice supply  Christopher Lee Washington Post November 25, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)  Biotech rice saga yields bushel of questions for feds  Rick Weiss Washington Post November 6, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

United States and Colombia sign trade deal  BBC News November 24, 2006 (You will leave this site.) Latin Americans wonder If Democrats are traders. anxiety high over stance of incoming Congress. Sibylla Brodzinsky and Peter S. Goodman Washington Post November 23, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

For Chris Dansby, the search for a job is about more than a paycheck David Finkel Washington Post November 19, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Some Americans lack food, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture won't call them hungry  Elizabeth Williamson  Washington Post November 16, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Minimum wage increase approved in six states. Democratic Congressional victory makes national increase in minimum wage much more likely. Hunger Notes November 9, 2006

Losing its young to an American dream: men depart, dollars return to transform a Brazilian city   Monte Reel  Washington Post November 14, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Despite billions spent, Iraq rebuilding incomplete. Bad security, poor planning plague effort.  Griff Witte  Washington Post November 12, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

In cities, healthful living through fresher shopping   Amy Goldstein  Washington Post October 15, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Wal-Mart workers win wage suit. Retailer forced overtime without pay, jury finds.  Amy Joyce Washington Post October 13, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Fence meets wall of skepticism. Critics doubt a 700-mile barrier would stem migrant tide.  John Pomfret  Washington Post October 10, 2006 Border security, job market leave firms short of workers Sonya Geis Washington Post October 4, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Workers suffer under NAFTA: three-country study details effects on economies and labor markets  Economic Policy Institute  September 28, 2006

Starving the people to feed the cars.  Is using cropland to produce fuel a good idea?  Lester R. Brown  Washington Post September 10, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Nine years of neglect: federal minimum wage remains unchanged for ninth straight year, falls to lowest level in more than half a century  Jared Bernstein and Isaac Shapiro   Economic Policy Institute and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities August 31, 2006

Poverty in the United States remains higher, median income for non-elderly lower than when recession hit bottom  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities  August 29, 2006

Pennsylvania city puts illegal immigrants on notice. "They must leave,"  Hazleton mayor says after signing tough new law.  Michael Powell and Michelle García  Washington Post August 22, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

U.S. rice supply contaminated with genetically altered variety  Rick Weiss  Washington Post August 22, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

The 10th anniversary of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program: results are more mixed than often understood  Sharon Parrot and Arloc Sherman  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities  August 17, 2006

Welfare changes a burden to states, threaten study, health programs for poor people  Amy Goldstein Washington Post August 7, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

United States to reassess GSP program which gives trade preferences to developing countries.  Advanced developing countries may lose benefits. BBC News August 7, 2006 (You will leave this site.) See Hunger Notes special report Global Issues: Trade, Hunger and Poverty  (Last updated August 25, 2006)

Much left undone in rebuilding Iraq, audit says  Andy Mosher and Griff White  Washington Post August 2, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Obituary: Brian Duke--researcher advanced the treatment of river blindness  Adam Bernstein  Washington Post June 30, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Warren Buffett donates $37 billion to the Gates Foundation, mainly to use in aiding global poor    BBC News  June 26, 2006 (You will leave this site.)  4 Ways To Spend $60 Billion Wisely William Easterly Washington Post July 2, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)   Bill Gates retires from Microsoft and will focus his vision, energy and money on global issues, including malaria and education  Yuki Noguchi   Washington Post June 21, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Congress raises its own wage, defeats an increase in the minimum wage  Hunger Notes  (June 22, 2006)

African American men: At the corner of progress and peril  Michael A. Fletcher Washington Post June 2, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Mexico hails Senate version of U.S. immigration bill  BBC News May 26, 2006 (You will leave this site.)  A tomato picker's story in pictures  BBC News   U.S. immigrants stage boycott day  BBC News  May 2, 2006

Mexican deportee's U.S. sojourn illuminates roots of current immigration crisis  Manuel Roig-Franzia  Washington Post April 17, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)  Town's-eye view of immigration debate: in Georgia, influx fills a gap in workforce   Peter Slevin Washington Post April 3, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.

The stamp that's never worn off: backers of 'Food Stamp' program name change say name has outlived its accuracy, nursed stigma  Jennifer Lenhart  Washington Post April 14, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.

U.S. plan to build Iraq clinics falters. Contractor will try to finish 20 of 142 sites.  Ellen Knickmeyer Washington Post April 3, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.

Tom DeLay, former Republican majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, to resign his seat in Congress. He still faces criminal charges.  DeLay ex-aide Tom C. Rudy pleaded guilty yesterday to charges that he conspired with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff to corrupt public officials and defraud his clients. Rudy will aid a federal probe into lobbying practices, which sources say is scrutinizing actions of half a dozen in Congress. Jonathan Weisman and Thomas B. Edsall  Washington Post April 1, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)  Rudy, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Representative Tom DeLay, Helped DeLay ascend to House majority leader.  Juliet Eilperin and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum  Washington Post April 1, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)  Although these stories are not about poverty they are included in Hunger Notes because they illustrate the power of money in determining the decisions of the United States government, in this case the legislative branch. United States democratic spending decisions benefit those with money, by and large, which explains why the United States government does so little to help poor people in the United States. The two above stories indicate that corrupt use of money has taken place.  Even more important is the uncorrupt use of money, where votes diminish in importance in legislators' minds beside the importance of obtaining campaign funding, which uses money--in a campaign strategy involving media that requires large amounts of money--to persuade voters and get elected. To what extent are we, U.S. citizens, a 'nation of sheep' led around by our elected officials who proclaim democracy 'of the people' while taking money from, and following the wishes of, those with money, principally corporations and their beneficiaries?

A contractor's purchase on power: Mitchell Wade's cultivation of 'Duke' Cunningham was just one part of his tactical assault for MZM  Charles R. Babcock and Renae Merle Washington Post March 20, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Food Stamp Sign-Ups Low in N.Y.  Michael Powell  Washington Post March 15, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Photo N.C. Aizenman - The Washington Pos

Emilia Vasquez, 37, who emigrated from Intipuca, El Salvador to the Washington area and is now a U.S. citizen, tries to motivate her hometown of Intipuca's minor league soccer team at halftime during a crucial match.

For Salvadoran Town's U.S. Patrons, The Return Is More Than Financial  N.C. Aizenman  Washington Post March 14, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Bush calls for more muscle In Darfur. U.S. policy shifts as talks stagnate. Jim VandeHei and Colum Lynch Washington Post February 18, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Inner suburbs fall through the cracks. Study says cities, exurbs get the help. D'Vera Cohn  Washington Post February 15, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.) The full report from the Brookings Institution. One-Fifth of the Nation: America's First Suburbs Robert Puentes and David Warren

Her 'Cinderella Story:' Finding work at Delphi changed her life, but that job Is now at risk.  Amy Joyce Washington Post February 14, 2006  You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

In Pile of Waste, Md. Scientists Dig Up a Response to Bird Flu William Wan Washington Post February 19, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

With new leader, foreign aid program is taking off. Millennium Challenge Account will give more grants to well-governed nations.  Michael A. Fletcher and Paul Blustein  Washington Post January 31, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Remember the date: World Food Day is October 16, 2006. Mark it on your calendars! For more information on how you can make a difference, see: A Focus for Year-Round Action: World Food Day USA

U.S. voting rights act, designed to protect the rights of minorities in  U.S. voting, may have been subverted by Bush administration officials to accomplish Republican goals  Dan Eggen Washington Post January 23, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register once] with the Post.)

Lobbying and the cost of elections. Why aren't poor people in the United States and abroad able to receive more attention from the United States government? The following articles indicate that, due to election financing and other issues, U.S. government attention is being paid to the concerns of corporations and the rich, who contribute substantially to elections, bringing legislation addressing the concerns of corporations and the rich..

Clients' rewards keep K Street lobbyists thriving. Jeffrey H. Birnbaum Washington Post  February 14, 2006, (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

One example: 60 corporations spent $1.6 million in lobbying expenses to gain a one-year tax advantage  worth $100 billion to corporations. In financial terms: corporations gained 62,550 times what they spent to lobby--a staggering rate of return.

Lobbyists' power with the Senate and House grows as "special interest" earmarks triple in 10 years  Jonathan Weisman and Charles R. Babcock Washington Post January 27, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.) Congressional Research Service graph of yearly earmark spending January 27, 2006
   "Rep John T. Doolittle (R-Calif.) told The Washington Post that he helped steer defense funding, totaling $37 million, to a California company, whose officials and lobbyists helped raise at least $85,000 for Doolittle and his leadership political action committee from 2002 to 2005" [from the Washington Post story above].

Question: How much taxpayer money has Congressman  Doolittle spent to get each dollar of Republican campaign funding?  Answer. $435.29. Members of Congress typically describe campaign contributions as providing 'access.'  In other words, lobbyists, for their campaign contributions, get to talk to the Congressperson.  Legislative earmarks--which become part of the law of the United States-- are a far cry from talk.  You as a voter should have access to your Congressperson.  Think of something important you want to talk about--such as increasing U.S. assistance to reducing poor people in the world or the United States--and try to schedule a meeting. Will you have 'access' to your Congressperson?  Let Hunger Notes know!

The Capitol's Culture of Capital. If you think lawmakers are about to crack down on lobbyists, think again. Jeffrey H. Birnbaum  Washington Post January 23, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

"If Congress doesn't reform fundraising, lobbying reform will be meaningless," said James J. Blanchard, a former Democratic congressman from Michigan and now a sometime lobbyist. When he served in the House in the 1970s and 1980s, he devoted 10 percent of his time to raising money. Now his successors use up 50 percent, and the people they shake down for the dough most often are -- you guessed it -- lobbyists."

Abramoff scandal brings possible end to long term Republican effort to pressure lobby firms to hire Republicans  .  Jeffrey H. Birnbaum  Washington Post January 23, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.

Getting the story on Jack Abramoff   Deborah Howell  January 15, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Lobbyists serve as treasurers of 79 lawmakers' campaign committees and political action committees (PACs), playing central role in legislators' fundraising efforts  Thomas B. Edsall  Washington Post January 12, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

U.S. funds enter fray in Palestinian elections. Bush Administration uses USAID as conduit. Scott Wilson and Glenn Kessler. Washington Post January 21, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

U.S. State Department to shift more diplomats to developing countries and countries in conflict; restructures administration of foreign aid  Glenn Kessler and Bradley Graham    Washington Post January 19, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Portraits of Faith: Photographer Documents the Churches Rising Up in Blighted Urban Centers  Rachel Zoll  Washington Post  January 7, 2006. (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Inflation hit five-year high of 3.4% last year. Wages didn't keep up, Labor Department says.  Nell Henderson   Washington Post January 19, 2006 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

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