United States

Mayor Ed Murray of Seattle, right, after the City Council approved a minimum wage that is more than double the federal minimum. The $15 rate is the highest among the nation’s big cities. Photo: Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Minimum wage: who makes it?

by Jared Bernstein New York Times June 9, 2014

Minimum-wage increases could appear on the ballot in as many as 34 states this year. President Obama has also proposed increasing the federal minimum wage to $10.10, from $7.25. Who makes the minimum wage, and who would be affected by any of the proposed increases?...

Poverty fell and health coverage improved in 2013, but economic recovery is slow to reach many

by Arloc Sherman, Danilo Trisi, and Matt Broaddus Center for Budget and Policy Priorities September 22, 2014

The poverty rate dropped significantly in 2013 for the first time since 2006 and only the second time since 2000, Census data released September 16 show. Incomes were unchanged for middle-income households, and income inequality remained at or near record levels by a number of measures....

US finally recoups the nearly 9 million jobs lost during the recession; unemployment holds steady at 6.3 percent

by Ylan Q Mui Washington Post June 6, 2014

America has finally recouped the nearly 9 million jobs lost during the recession, but the moment feels bittersweet.New government data released Friday showed the economy added 217,000 jobs in May, sending total employment to a new record high that eclipsed the previous peak reached just after the co...

New USAID nutrition strategy reviewed at Washington meeting

by Lane Vanderslice Hunger Notes September 19, 2014

Nutitiion experts and advocates offered observations on and support for the US Agency for International Development's new multisectoral nutrition strategy at a meeting held on Capital Hill in Washington, DC September 17. USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah gave a brief overview of the strategy, which...

Seattle approves $15 minimum wage, setting new standard for big cities

by Kirk Johnson New York Times June 2, 2014

SEATTLE — The City Council here went where no big-city lawmakers have gone before on Monday, raising the local minimum wage to $15 an hour, more than double the federal minimum, and pushing Seattle to the forefront of urban efforts to address income inequality....

Number of children living in poverty drops sharply, Census Bureau says

by Robert Pear New York Times September 16, 2014

WASHINGTON — The poverty rate declined last year for the first time since 2006, the Census Bureau reported on Tuesday. But at the same time, it said, there was no statistically significant change in the number of poor people or in income for the typical American household....

Why temporary assistance may not be enough for the neediest of families

by Jeff Guo Washington Post September 15, 2014

In 1997, the nation embarked on a new experiment in welfare. People would have to work or be looking for work in order to get benefits, and they could only receive 60 months (five years) of assistance before being cut off for life. The name for this latest incarnation of cash welfare was “Temporar...

House committee votes to allow schools to opt out of nutritional program

by Ron Nixon New York Times May 29, 2014

WASHINGTON — The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday passed an agriculture budget bill that included nearly $21 billion for child nutrition that would allow schools to opt out of White House nutritional guidelines passed in 2012. The vote was 31 to 18....

Patricia Brown walks down the sidewalk on her way home after getting off the bus from the offices of the Center for Workforce Innovation in Richmond. The CWI is a city effort designed to match people with jobs in the Richmond area. Her blue folder holds copies of her resume. Photo:Timothy C. Wright/Washington Post

The danger of being pushed off public assistance: For America’s poor, the security of public benefits can outweigh the risks of a low-paying, un...

by Tina Griego Washington Post September 14, 2014

The story is part of Richmond: The legacy of poverty, an ongoing Story line series on the city’s ambitious plan to combat poverty and confront its past. We’ve created a Facebook group to discuss unemployment, underemployment and poverty in America – and what cities can be doing to help. To sha...

Michigan joins move to increase hourly wage

by Monica Davey and Kirk Johnson New York Times May 28, 2014

For several years, Republicans in states such as Michigan have steered clear of raising the minimum wage. That shifted this week, as the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved a gradual increase in the state’s wage, to $9.25 an hour....

  • World Hunger Education
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    P.O. Box 29015
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  • For the past 50 years, since its founding in 1976, the mission of World Hunger Education Service is to undertake programs, including Hunger Notes, that
    • Educate the general public and target groups about the extent and causes of hunger and malnutrition in the United States and the world
    • Advance comprehension which integrates ethical, religious, social, economic, political, and scientific perspectives on the world food problem
    • Facilitate communication and networking among those who are working for solutions
    • Promote individual and collective commitments to sustainable hunger solutions.