Poverty Issues / Public News Service

In Spring 2023, Arkansas created the Office of Early Childhood within the Arkansas Department of Education, which unifies the Arkansas early-childhood system. (Monkey Business/Adobe Stock)

Friday, May 2, 2025

Report: AR pre-K suffers from funding gap

A report by the National Institute for Early Education Research shows Arkansas needs to improve its reach with pre-K students. The state fell from …

An American Heart Association program is helping Washington food pantries tailor their supplies by adopting nutritional guidelines for the food they distribute. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Thursday, May 1, 2025

WA food pantries implement new policies to provide healthy nutrition

Research shows people experiencing food insecurity often suffer from chronic health conditions due to a lack of proper nutrition. Now, a group of …

In 2023, nearly 18% of U.S. households with children faced food insecurity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Ohio lawmakers consider free meals for all K-12 students

By Lauren Cohen / Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State NewsLab-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. S.B. 109, a bill that …

Some 56,000 military members, veterans and their families in Virginia are dually enrolled in military health insurance and Medicaid. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Medicaid cuts could impact veterans in VA, report finds

As Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C., consider cuts to Medicaid, a new report has found thousands of veterans in Virginia could be affected…

Assembly Bill 55 would make it easier for birthing centers to accept Medi-Cal, which would expand options for new families. (Bosotochka/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Bills aim to strengthen CA health care as Congress considers cuts

Groups advocating for better access to health care have introduced what they call "Care4All California," a package of 13 bills designed to shore up th…

Healthy School Meals for All serves up more than 600,000 meals every school day in Colorado, regardless of a student's ability to pay. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Colorado voters could decide fate of Healthy School Meals for All

As Colorado lawmakers grapple with $1.2 billion in budget cuts, child nutrition advocates are turning to voters to protect funding for the state's …

According to a study by Harvard University, nearly 25 million Americans live in areas without enough dentists. Dental experts warned taking fluoride out of water in areas with few dentists could lead to more tooth decay. (JackF/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Some AR communities without fluoridated water also experience dentist shortage

By Brett Kelman for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Arkansas News Service reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service Co…

The United States has announced investments of more than $150 billion in electric vehicle manufacturing and charging infrastructure since 2021, contributing to a 40% increase in EV sales in 2022, according to the Department of Energy. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio's EV progress at risk as Congress considers emissions rollback

Congress is preparing to vote Wednesday on whether to roll back Ohio's authority to set tougher vehicle emissions standards. New research from …

Secure Rural Schools and Communities Act funding pays for job training programs like welding and carpentry, a post-high-school counselor and a therapist, among other things in Skamania County. (EFStock/Adobe Stock)

Rural WA counties face challenges without key federal funding

By Claire Carlson and Lane Wendell Fischer for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Isobel Charle for Washington News Service for the Public News Ser…

About 9% of Virginians receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (Adobe Stock)

VA students, local economies would suffer from possible SNAP cuts

As lawmakers on Capitol Hill discuss trillions in spending cuts, opponents warned students on SNAP and free school meal programs would suffer…

About 70% of households receiving energy assistance in Maryland include a person considered vulnerable, such as the elderly or those with a disability. (Adobe Stock)

Trump staff cuts threaten MD low-income utility assistance

The Trump administration is facing a backlash for firing all federal workers in a program helping thousands of Marylanders pay their heating and cooli…

About 500,000 children in the U.S. are exposed to lead, disproportionately on poor and Black and brown families. (Adobe Stock)

Experts say lead in Milwaukee schools is an environmental justice issue

As the city of Milwaukee continues to grapple with addressing unsafe levels of lead across public schools, experts are calling it an environmental …

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that between 2022-23, Detroit-area households spent $6,000 or 67% of their household budget on groceries and nearly $3,000 or 33% on eating out. (Adobe Stock)

MI residents can benefit from an upgraded spending plan

As Financial Literacy Awareness Month winds down, Michiganians who are worried about inflation, or watching their retirement account on the stock-…

Structures in Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, Illinois and Minnesota were battered by devastating straight line winds in 2020. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska housing market hobbled by insurance price spikes

Nebraska is among the states with the sharpest increases in housing prices between 2021 and 2024, according to a new report. The hike has been …

Texas House lawmakers passed a proposal for a private school voucher program. Two Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill. (zimmytws/Adobe Stock)

TX private school voucher opponents worry about effect on public schools

The Texas school voucher program is on its way back to the Senate, after it was approved by members of the House of Representatives in an 85 to 63 …

Nearly 15 states have some sort of program to allow the use of taxpayer money for private school tuition, or support homeschooling options. (Adobe Stock)

'School choice' funding debate reaches critical stage in ND

North Dakota's legislative session is scheduled to end in May, and the issue of using public funds for what's called school choice remains unresolved…

Iowa's individual income tax rate ranges from 4.40% to 5.70%, according to the Tax Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

Iowa rights activists plan to fight social service cuts

Groups working for human rights causes in Iowa warn proposed cuts being debated in Congress would trickle down to the people least able to sustain the…

As of October 2024, approximately 37 million children in the United States were enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This represents about 49% of all U.S. children.<br />(Rawpixel.com/Adobe Stock)

Michigan policy expert unpacks impact of proposed Medicaid cuts

According to state data, as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, face cuts, Michigan's most vulnerable stand to lose …

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed nine executive orders Tuesday which he said aim to improve the health in the state. (Indiana Governor's office)

Candy, soda out as Indiana reworks SNAP benefits

Gov. Mike Braun rolled out a sweeping health and government assistance initiative Tuesday, backed by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert …

The current Housing First program was instituted by President George W. Bush in 2004. (Aevan/Adobe Stock AI generated)

AR advocates concerned by cuts to programs for unhoused

It is estimated more than 2,600 people live on the streets across Arkansas. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has proposed a "treatment …

State-funded program needs boost to help more Oregonians save money

A state-funded matched savings program has helped low-income Oregonians for more than 25 years and backers said it needs more funding to continue…

This month, labor organizations and Hennepin County authorities announced a historic wage theft prosecution for Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Fair Contracting Foundation of Minnesota)

Wage theft enforcement could take a big leap in some MN counties

On the heels of courtroom victories, some Minnesota prosecutors say they'll try to replicate the success in going after more businesses suspected of …

Rates of hunger are rising in Oregon and across the country, with Black and Latino families experiencing food insecurity at nearly double the rate of white households. (Natalie Kiyah, Oregon Food Bank)

Food advocates: extend benefits to all OR children

Each legislative session, Oregon's Joint Ways & Means Committee holds a statewide roadshow to hear from residents about their priorities. At the …

The average cost of a 2-bedroom apartment in Indianapolis is almost $1,200 per month, according to Apartments.com Rental Market Trend data. (Adobe Stock)

IN tenants have options when facing eviction

Housing that's both affordable and ready to rent is out of reach for many Hoosiers. The 2025 Indiana Housing Profile says for every 100 low-income …

About 259,300 Iowans, or 8% of the state's population, rely on SNAP benefits. A large portion are children, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

SNAP benefit cuts would fall squarely on Iowa kids

Groups working to fight hunger in Iowa say proposed cuts to SNAP benefits would fall squarely on the state's kids, who rely on them for food and …

More than 40% of the 157,000 Nebraskans who receive SNAP benefits are children, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraska social justice group pushes back on SNAP changes

The State of Nebraska is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to change which items people are allowed to purchase using Supplemental Nutrition …

When a tariff is imposed, the importing business pays the tax to the U.S. Treasury Department. Importers then pass much of the added cost to consumers. (freshidea/Adobe Stock)

Texans brace for financial impact of trade wars

Texas is the number one exporting state in the nation - and although tariffs with Mexico and Canada have been delayed, Texans are still uneasy about …

Elon Musk claims Social Security can be cut by $500 billion without reducing people's benefits. (Adobe Stock)

Social Security cuts could impact one in six Coloradans

The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, plans to cut 7,000 jobs from the U.S. Social Security Administration as it works to reduce the size …

Nearly 75% of all jobs in Colorado, and 95% of top-earning jobs, require a credential or degree beyond high school. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado colleges tap NYC program to get homegrown talent into good jobs

Colorado educators are hoping that a successful accelerated degree program known as ASAP, grown at City University of New York, will take root in two …

State lawmakers and advocates estimated up to 600,000 Ohio drivers had suspensions related to unpaid fines and fees. (Graphic by Celina Fang/The Marshall Project)

New law clears path for Ohio drivers with unpaid fines

By Rachel Dissell and The Marshall Project for Signal Cleveland.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Signal O…

Uptown Community Health Center aims to continue the ministry of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, which opened its first clinic to take care of the poor and vulnerable regardless of their ability to pay in the 19th century. (Photo by: Eric Galatas)

Denver's Uptown Community Health Center to continue historic service

Colorado now has 21 health providers treating patients regardless of their ability to pay, after Denver's Uptown Community Health Center won …

Critics of cuts to the Social Security Administration predict they will further strain an already struggling system, possibly depriving some people of being able to access benefits. (Adobe Stock)

You won't be able to apply by phone for SSA starting next week

In less than a week, many Wisconsinites will be unable to apply for Social Security benefits over the phone, which could lead to potential …

Participants in Multnomah County's Nurse-Family Partnership program experience a 56% reduction in ER visits for accidents and poisonings. (KAMPUS/Adobe Stock)

Nurses Union: Stop Multnomah County public health cuts

Multnomah County plans major public health cuts to address a $21 million budget gap and the Oregon Nurses Association said the cuts put programs for f…

The loss of consistency in federal shipments has created major challenges for food banks' planning and distribution efforts across Indiana. (Adobe stock)

Indiana food banks struggle as USDA pulls back funding

Indiana food banks are bracing for a major disruption as the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspends $500 million in food deliveries nationwide…

The proliferation of Airbnbs, luxury condos and barriers to homeownership contribute to the homeless crisis in the Black community, said Chama St. Louis of the National Black Worker Center. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Black residents in IL 8 times more likely to be homeless

Black residents in Illinois are almost eight times more likely to be homeless than white people, with lack of livable wages and affordable housing …

In 2023, the USDA gave Oregon just over $2 million for the federal Farm to School reimbursement grant. Those funds have now been cancelled. (Robert Kneschke/Adobe Stock)

OR hunger-fighting advocates: USDA cuts 'cruel'

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting two federal programs that provide over $1 billion annually to support schools and food banks in …

The current minimum hourly wage in Nebraska is $13.50. The Legislature is considering a bill to upend a voter approved measure in 2022 that would raise the wage $1.50 an hour until it reaches $15 in 2026. (Adobe Stock)

Minimum wage repeal advances in Nebraska Legislature

The Nebraska Legislature is considering a bill to roll back a 2022 voter approved initiative that would raise the minimum wage in the state. …

The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas says it hopes to work with local farmers again in some capacity in the future. (Daniel Vincek/Adobe Stock)

Food-insecure AR families could suffer because of federal cuts

Arkansas families who are food insecure could be hurt by federal cuts to programs and services. Those fighting the war on hunger across the Natural …

School vouchers, a program that would allow students to use public money to pay for private school tuition, has become a hot-button issue in Texas, pitting Republicans against one another. (KatMoy/Adobe Stock)

Debate over school vouchers in TX now moves to House floor

After several weeks of public comment, bills addressing school finance in Texas will be presented to the House of Representatives. House Bill 2 is …

A worker who relocates to a rural area is 13% less likely to have a workplace retirement plan. (Adobe Stock)

Rural Virginians less likely to have work-based retirement plans

Virginians who work at low-wage jobs often don't have a workplace retirement plan so they can save money through payroll deductions. A new study …

More than 42 million people relied on SNAP benefits to purchase food, as of March 15 2025, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Proposed changes to SNAP funding structure could hurt Kentuckians

As federal funding cuts for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program loom, Kentucky experts said proposed changes to shift funding onto states …

More than 95% of all voters in the United States use paper ballots in elections. (Adobe Stock)

CO lawmakers work to protect voter rights after Trump elections order

Some Colorado lawmakers are scrambling to protect voter rights after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to require proof of citizenship …

The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization has become as much as a landmark to the community as the Little Village Arch and was awarded the national Food Sovereignty Prize in 2024. (City of Chicago 2021)

Chicago nonprofit transforms former toxic site to feed community

By Angela Burke for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Judith Ruiz-Branch for Illinois News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pub…

More than 57% of Black women of reproductive age live in states with abortion bans or impending bans, according to polling by In Our Own Voice. (Adobe Stock)

Reproductive justice takes more than passing laws in Ohio, U.S.

By Jade Prévost-Manuel for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Yes! Media-Public News …

Experts say student loan debt has created a ticking time bomb in the United States, in part because of legal challenges to the Biden administration's efforts to cancel student debt for some borrowers. Now, many are in limbo as services are cut by the Trump administration. (Adobe Stock)

Giving Minnesotans tools to sound off, navigate student loan fallout

Minnesota officials have launched a new portal, asking parents, students and others to share how they are affected by the Trump administration's …

Rising foreign costs and the chance of supply-chain disruptions have some manufacturing companies considering reshoring operations back to the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Report: AR labor costs attract companies hoping to reshore operations

More jobs could be coming to Arkansas as companies interested in bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. consider the Natural State, according …

Medicaid is jointly funded by the federal government and individual states, with each state managing its own program within federal guidelines. (Oleksandre/Adobe Stock)

Nonprofits warn proposed Medicaid cuts could devastate millions of Missourians

About 1.3 million Missourians are currently enrolled in Medicaid and nonprofits around the state have warned proposed federal cuts would be devastatin…

Thousands of datasets from federal agency websites have been scrubbed since the new administration took office. (Adobe Stock)

Nonprofit races to save science, environmental-justice website data

As U.S. government website purges continue, one nonprofit is racing to track and save as much data as possible. The Open Environmental Data Project …

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - May 2, 2025

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Poverty Issues

Report: AR pre-K suffers from funding gap

WA food pantries implement new policies to provide healthy nutrition

Ohio lawmakers consider free meals for all K-12 students

Medicaid cuts could impact veterans in VA, report finds

Bills aim to strengthen CA health care as Congress considers cuts

Colorado voters could decide fate of Healthy School Meals for All

Some AR communities without fluoridated water also experience dentist shortage

Ohio's EV progress at risk as Congress considers emissions rollback

Rural WA counties face challenges without key federal funding

VA students, local economies would suffer from possible SNAP cuts

Trump staff cuts threaten MD low-income utility assistance

Experts say lead in Milwaukee schools is an environmental justice issue

MI residents can benefit from an upgraded spending plan

Nebraska housing market hobbled by insurance price spikes

TX private school voucher opponents worry about effect on public schools

'School choice' funding debate reaches critical stage in ND

Iowa rights activists plan to fight social service cuts

Michigan policy expert unpacks impact of proposed Medicaid cuts

Candy, soda out as Indiana reworks SNAP benefits

AR advocates concerned by cuts to programs for unhoused

State-funded program needs boost to help more Oregonians save money

Wage theft enforcement could take a big leap in some MN counties

Food advocates: extend benefits to all OR children

IN tenants have options when facing eviction

SNAP benefit cuts would fall squarely on Iowa kids

Nebraska social justice group pushes back on SNAP changes

Texans brace for financial impact of trade wars

Social Security cuts could impact one in six Coloradans

Colorado colleges tap NYC program to get homegrown talent into good jobs

New law clears path for Ohio drivers with unpaid fines

Denver's Uptown Community Health Center to continue historic service

You won't be able to apply by phone for SSA starting next week

Nurses Union: Stop Multnomah County public health cuts

Indiana food banks struggle as USDA pulls back funding

Black residents in IL 8 times more likely to be homeless

OR hunger-fighting advocates: USDA cuts 'cruel'

Minimum wage repeal advances in Nebraska Legislature

Food-insecure AR families could suffer because of federal cuts

Debate over school vouchers in TX now moves to House floor

Rural Virginians less likely to have work-based retirement plans

Proposed changes to SNAP funding structure could hurt Kentuckians

CO lawmakers work to protect voter rights after Trump elections order

Chicago nonprofit transforms former toxic site to feed community

Reproductive justice takes more than passing laws in Ohio, U.S.

Giving Minnesotans tools to sound off, navigate student loan fallout

Report: AR labor costs attract companies hoping to reshore operations

Nonprofits warn proposed Medicaid cuts could devastate millions of Missourians

Nonprofit races to save science, environmental-justice website data