skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Analysis: Stimulus Package Could Ease Need for Spending Cuts

play audio
Play

Tuesday, December 16, 2008   

Des Moines, IA – The economic downturn likely means more Iowans losing jobs and needing social services at a time when the state budget is expected to be millions of dollars in the red. However, an economic stimulus initiative that is expected to be the first order of business for the incoming Obama administration, might help the state erase the need for massive cuts to programs affecting families and children. That's the view of Charles Bruner, director of the Child and Family Policy Center.

"Our estimates are that the state could receive potentially $200 million or even more from the federal government, if they really put in a strong package around Medicaid in the economic recovery plan."

While most of the bailout headlines have focused on bankers and automakers, Bruner believes investing in children is an equally important part of a sound economic strategy.

"A lot of it is geared toward bailing out businesses, but we're really looking at what happens to children and families - and we think the economic recovery package ought to have some 'bottom-up' support."

Bruner feels investments should come in the areas of children's health, early care and education, prevention programs and youth development, as well as economic support for vulnerable families. At a time when the size of the federal budget deficit could set new records, however, some are convinced that additional spending for social services will be difficult to achieve.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …


Organizations fighting wage theft said it harms affected workers and surrounding communities because the money withheld is not being circulated through the local economy. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021