Poverty

New Numbers Show Iowa Income on the Rise; Poverty Dropping; Low Number of Uninsured

August 28, 2007 -- (Des Moines) Below is a statement from Iowa Governor Chet Culver on new census estimates released today showing Iowa household income increasing to $48,075 in 2005 – 2006, from $47,170 in 2004 – 2005.    » read more »

Children Participating in ‘Badges for Baseball’ Program; Virginia First State to Implement Program; Brings Together Law Enforcement and At-Risk Youth

Aug. 21, 2007 -- Richmond - Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell, clipboard in hand, stood in the parking lot of the Metro Richmond Boys & Girls Clubs today, calling out the names of Clubs from across Virginia and saying goodbye to the children heading to the Cal Ripken Academy in Aberdeen, Maryland as part of the “Badges for Baseball” program.    » read more »

20 August 2007 -- The recent recall in the United States of toys made in China containing lead paint calls attention to the greater danger of children's exposure to lead in their everyday lives. While many countries ban lead as an ingredient, children growing up in poverty are still exposed to it everyday.

Imagine a map of the world, and think of places where children live in poverty. It is possible that many of those children are exposed to lead.

How do we recognize it? Doctors say you will not -- until the level of lead is so high the child is physically ill.    » read more »

21 August 2007 -- Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Monday formally launched her government’s poverty reduction strategy with a call for more international support. President Sirleaf said the program is not a social welfare or a reinforced broadened safety road for the poor.

Lawrence Bropleh is Liberia’s minister of information. From the Liberian capital, Monrovia, he told VOA that the new poverty reduction strategy would serve as the government’s road map in meeting the needs of the Liberian people.    » read more »

16 August 2007 -- Malnutrition continues to be one of the most serious problems in the developing world. A new report from the Washington-based Population Reference Bureau says malnutrition plays a role in the deaths of almost six million children each year, most of them in developing nations.

Each day some 16,000 children, or almost six million each year, die from nutrition-related causes.

Richard Skolnik of the Population Reference Bureau, a policy research group, says when children are underweight it weakens their immune systems.    » read more »

August 15, 2007 – WASHINGTON, D.C. — The increase in world agriculture prices caused by the global boom in biofuels could benefit many of the world’s rural poor, according to the Worldwatch Institute. This is one conclusion of a landmark new 450-page book, Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Energy and Agriculture, authored by Worldwatch and published by Earthscan.    » read more »

14 August 2007 -- New York City is starting a new anti-poverty program that will reward good behavior with cash. Supporters of the so-called "Opportunity NYC" program say it will help lift people out of poverty. Detractors say giving cash for basic responsibilities does not address the root causes of poverty. Victoria Cavaliere reports from VOA's New York bureau that similar programs have also been instituted in Mexico and Brazil.    » read more »

07 August 2007 -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says climate change may hurt food production in tropical areas.

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf told an audience in India Tuesday that crop yields will probably fall in the seasonally dry tropics as global average temperatures rise. He said agriculture dependent on rain in semi-arid regions is particularly at risk.

He also said India might lose nearly one-fifth of its rain-fed cereal production.    » read more »

Child Care Tax Credit Will Assist Low-income Families with the Cost of Child Care

August 2, 2007 -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Eliot Spitzer today announced that the Governor has signed into law a local Child Care Tax Credit-a key recommendation of the Mayor's Poverty Commission. The tax credit is designed to assist low-income and underemployed families with the cost of child care for children under the age of four, and it is estimated that up to 49,000 New York City families will qualify for this benefit.    » read more »

Jul 16, 2007 -- Canton, Mississippi – On the first day of Senator John Edwards' three-day "Road to One America" tour, Edwards unveiled new initiatives to respect and reward low-wage workers. The initiatives include protecting workers from routine abuses of minimum wage, overtime, and safety laws through a new taskforce and guaranteeing sick leave so workers who are sick or need to take their child to the emergency room will not lose their job.    » read more »

July 16, 2007 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today announced that the TANF caseload is down to its lowest level since 1967. TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, is the state and federal assistance program commonly known as welfare.

“Fewer people on welfare is good for the state, it’s good for the taxpayer and, most importantly, it’s good for the families that are getting and keeping good jobs,” said Governor Gregoire.    » read more »

State to infuse program with $45 million

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 17, 2007) – Governor Ernie Fletcher and officials from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) today announced an infusion of $45 million to the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to make child care more affordable and simplify the process for providers.    » read more »

Jul 9, 2007 -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, the John Edwards for President campaign announced its plan to take a break from its normal campaign schedule of events and take the campaign on the road for three days, through eight states and 12 towns and cities, in order to bring attention to the 37 million Americans living in poverty.    » read more »

$90 million Credit for Service Delivery, Improved Management

WASHINGTON, July 5, 2007 – The Executive Board of the World Bank today approved a Poverty Reduction Support Credit* (PRSC-7) in the amount of US$90 million to Burkina Faso. The credit will have a significant positive impact on poverty reduction and accelerate economic growth.    » read more »

26 June 2007 -- A new book entitled Poisoned Wells: The Dirty Politics Of African Oil claims Africa's oil has contributed to poverty, corruption and conflict on the continent.

West African nations, including Nigeria, Angola, Gabon and Guinea, produce about 5 million barrels of oil per day, or 15 percent of the oil on the world market. The resource has pumped billions of dollars into the hands of West African governments and multi-national oil companies.    » read more »