skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 13, 2025

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

EPA head says he'll roll back dozens of environmental regulations, including rules on climate change; Environmental groups sue over permit for West Virginia valley fills; Doubling down on care: Ohio's push for caregiver tax relief; Uncertain future of Y-12 complex under Trump administration threatens jobs, economy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate Democrats refuse to support GOP budget bill. The EU and Canada respond to steel and aluminum tariffs and some groups work to counter Christian Nationalism, which they call a threat to democracy.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

SNAP cuts could wreak havoc on West Virginia’s economy

play audio
Play

Wednesday, March 12, 2025   

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is on the chopping block in Congress.

A House budget resolution would cut $30 billion in SNAP funding over the next nine years, a 20% cut to the program.

Salam Bhatti, SNAP director for the Food Research and Action Center, said reducing the benefits would likely jeopardize rural local businesses and further strain the 278,000 West Virginians who rely on it to keep food on the table.

"In 2023, SNAP brought a monthly average of over $41 million to the state, which is an incredible economic boost," Bhatti pointed out.

Critics of SNAP said the program is bloated and is used to support major corporations selling highly processed products. According to the right-leaning CATO Institute, federal spending on SNAP jumped from $63 billion in 2019 to $145 billion in 2023, and its research indicated almost one-quarter of purchases by SNAP households are for junk food.

Supporters of SNAP said the program helps low-income populations more likely to face financial burdens as grocery prices climb. More than one in eight Latino adults have gone into debt to feed their families, according to the group UnidosUS.

Bhatti added many people may be surprised at the number of businesses counting on SNAP dollars to stay afloat.

"We know that over 2,100 retailers in West Virginia -- local businesses, convenience stores, grocery stores -- are benefiting from SNAP as well," Bhatti pointed out. "They redeemed over a total of $730 million in 2023."

Last year, West Virginia SNAP households of four received up to $1,248 dollars a month. Bhatti argued more people will go hungry, or skip needed medications and other expenses, if they no longer can rely on the program.

"Over 10,000 veterans are participating in SNAP, and 43% of SNAP households have children," Bhatti added.

In 2023, 69% of SNAP households in West Virginia included someone who is working, according to data from the Food Research and Action Center.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
"In Utah, we've been consistently told that transitioning away from coal would devastate our rural communities, but this report reveals a different reality," said Luis Miranda, Utah-based Campaign Organizer for the Sierra Club. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

The Sierra Club's Utah chapter said electric utility PacifiCorp's long-term plan to embrace renewable energy has changed and is now placing more relia…


Social Issues

play sound

New data show fewer than half of rural Gen Z'ers believe they can find a good job in their community, compared to nearly 70% of their urban peers…

Environment

play sound

As federal funding for climate initiatives faces steep cuts, nonprofits and philanthropic organizations are stepping into the breach, calling out the …


The U.S. solar industry employs more than 263,000 workers, with jobs in installation, manufacturing, and research continuing to grow. (rh2010/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan ranks 26th in the U.S. for total installed solar capacity, while global capacity rose 21% from 2023. However, there are industry concerns …

Social Issues

play sound

School employees are expressing outrage at the mass layoffs of half the U.S. Department of Education workforce. Secretary of Education Linda …

Social Issues

play sound

Republicans in Washington, D.C. remain focused on greatly reducing federal spending. However, a backlash is mounting in Congressional districts…

Social Issues

play sound

Maryland ranks second in the nation for charging children who have committed crimes as adults. But one expert says a more trauma-informed response in …

 

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