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Donald Trump defeats Kamala Harris to become the next U.S. president; UA Little Rock wins grant to expand cybersecurity education; Post-election analysis: Rural voter nuance is deeply entrenched.

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Harris concedes, but promises to 'fight on' in a speech at Howard University. Republicans celebrate a potential red sweep, though a House majority is still uncertain. And a statehood mandate gains support on Puerto Rico.

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Abortion care can be five minutes away in California or 11 hours for women in Texas, rural living proves a mixed blessing for veterans, an ancient technique could curtail climate-change wildfires, and escape divisive politics on World Kindness Day.

Food Bank: SNAP Cuts Causing More Hunger in AZ

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Tuesday, January 14, 2014   

PHOENIX - The federal government's cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP and still often called food stamps, are being felt in Arizona. A 5 percent cut in SNAP benefits took effect in November, amounting to about $36 per month for a family of four.

According to Jerry Brown, the director of public relations for St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, the reduction can mean many lost meals for those living on the edge of hunger.

"The amount of money that people receive in food stamps doesn't seem like a lot, but when it's all you have as far as a food budget for the month, any cuts at all are going to have an impact and we certainly saw that," he declared.

Brown said the food bank gets busier at the end of the month when people start to run low on SNAP benefits and rely more on emergency food boxes.

There could be even deeper cuts to the nutrition program, as Congress is considering trimming several billion dollars more from SNAP, shifting the responsibility of feeding the hungry onto nonprofit agencies that are already struggling.

Brown said America's children may suffer the most.

"One in four children in Arizona are part of families that are at the poverty level, which is basically $24,000 a year. The national average is one in five. Only New Mexico has a higher rate of child poverty in the United States than Arizona," Brown said.

Those further cuts to SNAP benefits are being debated as Congress tries to renew the federal Farm Bill, of which SNAP is a major component. The last five-year Farm Bill ended in September. The Senate approved $4 billion in SNAP cuts, while the House wants a $39 billion reduction over ten years. There are reports that Congress may be close to reaching a compromise at around $8 billion in cuts to the food benefits.




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