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    The hidden cost of a shutdown: America’s battle with food insecurity

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    With 1 October 2023 looming, a US government shutdown appears imminent, and the farm bill is set to expire. Members of both the House and Senate have been drafting proposals for its renewal, which happens every five years. The bill is responsible for financing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that many Americans rely on to feed their families.Though hunger prevention advocates are calling for Congress to renew the bill before its expiration, the likelihood of a freshly revised iteration being near completion by the end of the day is low. Yet, food insecurity continues to rise in America.More than 34 million people, including nine million children, are struggling to put food on the table.In a recent household survey conducted by the US Census Bureau, more than 26 million Americans said they did not have enough to eat during the 12-day period of the study that concluded this month. That sample represents nearly a 50 percentage increase during a similar window from 2021. This upsurge is due to a number of factors, including the end of pandemic-era aid.Another study released this month by Feeding America reflected a similar finding, emphasizing the far-reaching consequences of hunger.That report underscored how the pandemic reshaped the landscape of food insecurity and its lingering effects, signaling one of America’s gravest growing crises. Approximately 80% of Americans experiencing hunger believe that inflation and rising food costs have worsened the issue of hunger nationwide and 93% of those surveyed expressed concern that the situation will deteriorate even more. They highlighted factors such as rising housing costs, job loss, unemployment, the presence of chronic health conditions or disabilities, and an abundance of low-paying jobs as significant contributors and interconnected root causes of their food vulnerability.“The pandemic not only put hunger in the spotlight, it also revealed just how many Americans were put in a situation that kept them from accessing the food they needed,” a spokesperson for Feeding America, a network of over 200 food banks nationwide, said. “And now, food prices and supply chain disruptions are affecting food banks, and households’ budgets for millions of families are tightening.”Another element of the rise in food insecurity, which saw almost 50 million Americans turning to food pantries and soup kitchens in 2022, is cuts to social assistance and fixed-income programs like food stamps, the child tax credit and pensions.“When someone is on a fixed income, it’s usually due to a disability, or that they are seniors,” said Marian Hutchins, executive director of the Father’s Heart Ministries. “Someone on disability is not allowed to work if they are receiving money for social security disability. So unless they can work and have it be off the books, they cannot get resources to match the rising cost of food.”Many who work on the front lines, like Hutchins, say the pandemic exacerbated this epidemic and exposed deep-seated vulnerabilities in our food systems and economic structures.At the non-profit Hutchins runs on the Lower East Side of New York, she said many keep returning because they tell her they simply can’t afford basic necessities, including food, on their own. And that number continues to be staggering, compounded by the end of the extra pandemic-era Snap – formerly the Food Stamp Program, which is still commonly referred to as just food stamps – benefits.Among their other food programs and services, the Father’s Heart Ministries, founded in 1997, hands out roughly 1,100 food pantry bags in a two-and-a-half hour window on Saturdays. Pre-pandemic, they averaged 560 guests in that same window. That’s a 96% increase. They’ve also seen a rise in new guest registration. Before the pandemic, they averaged 13 per Saturday – (during the pandemic, it was 43 per Saturday) – now, it’s closer to 20. That’s a 53% increase.Many reports and similar organizations echo this stark and steady increase, correlating it to the nearly 60% historic increase in poverty.“The Feeding America network of food banks distributed 5.3bn meals in fiscal year 2023,” the organization’s spokesperson said. “The latest Feeding America food bank pulse survey data shows that around 70% of responding food banks report seeing demand for food assistance increase or stay the same in July 2023 compared to June.”The CEO of City Harvest, New York City’s largest food rescue organization, Jilly Stephens, resonated those sentiments.“Average monthly visits to New York City food pantries and soup kitchens this year are up more than 60% compared to 2019,” she said. “City Harvest programs alone are seeing nearly 1m more visits each month than in 2019. In fact, the number of visits is nearly as high as at any point over the last three years. We know from previous crises that it can take years for food security levels to recover, and we expect the need to remain high for several years.”The pandemic has also particularly aggravated food insecurity among families with children and communities of color, who were already disproportionately affected by hunger before the outbreak. Many of these households don’t meet the eligibility criteria for federal nutrition programs, forcing them to turn to local food banks and other community food assistance programs for additional support. Research shows that there is a higher prevalence of hunger in African American, Latino and Native American communities that can be attributed to systemic racial injustices.Hutchins said food poverty is not as recognized of an issue as it once was because the glaring exigency of the pandemic has dwindled, so many Americans assume things are back to normal. But for many families struggling to feed their families, that’s far from the reality.“There was a lot of public awareness during the pandemic,” Hutchins said, “where media showed lines of people at soup kitchens and food pantries. People think it’s over now, but the same crazy food prices that we are all facing are being faced by those who have no alternatives but community food pantries. No one is talking about seniors or single-parent homes. Ignoring the problem could create more problems not only for our guests but for communities in general as people become desperate to survive.”That desperation to survive fueled by rising food costs is palpable. According to the Feeding America report, nearly 70% of Americans believe that the primary causes of hunger and food insecurity are inflation and increasing food prices.Food prices have been inflating in recent months due to factors such as supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index for food increased by 7.1% in July 2023 compared to the previous year.According to the recent food price outlook report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), it is expected that food prices will see a 5.9% increase this year.Specifically, prices for food at home – groceries from supermarkets – rose by 0.4% from June to July 2023 and were 3.6% higher compared to July 2022.The report also highlights expectations of continued price hikes across 10 food-at-home categories: beef and veal (4.2% increase), other meats (4.8%), poultry (3%), dairy products (4.1%), fats and oils (9.6%), processed fruits and vegetables (9.2%), sugar and sweets (9.3%), cereals and bakery products (9%), nonalcoholic beverages (7.6%) and other foods (7.4%).With no immediate end in sight, hunger prevention programs like the Father’s Heart Ministries have stepped in to fill the gap, turning to food organizations like City Harvest for ongoing support.Stephens said City Harvest supports grants and programs that provide funding and support for food access and justice solutions “led or informed by people with lived expertise, like the people that operate or participate in pantry services”.“Local food initiatives are critical to fighting food insecurity,” she continued, “because no one knows their neighborhood’s assets and challenges better than the people who live and work there.”Though many on the frontlines acknowledge there is no quick fix to food insecurity, they note that awareness is essential, and concerted efforts are needed to create lasting change and ensure that no one goes hungry. To address the widening gap of food deserts and overall insecurity in America, many advocates like Stephens and Hutchins are calling for increased Snap benefits, investing in workforce development and job training programs and initiatives, tackling the root causes of poverty and inequality through policy changes, and expanded access to food banks and other community-based food assistance programs.“One of the best ways to reduce food insecurity is a stronger farm bill,” Stephens said, “which is being reauthorized by Congress this year. The vast majority of the farm bill’s budget is devoted to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.”While emphasizing the importance of transformative policy, Hutchins added that food insecurity is also a community-level issue.“Contributing and volunteering at places that are already providing food is the best way to start,” Hutchins said. “We can talk about the problem, but showing up to help is what our volunteers do.” More

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      Biden takes aim at food insecurity with first hunger conference in 50 years – as it happened

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      Why is the White House convening a summit on food insecurity for the first time in half a century? As The Guardian’s Nina Lakhani reports, a combination of high inflation and the end of pandemic support programs has squeezed vulnerable households, prompting the Biden administration to step in with a pledge to end hunger by 2030. Here’s more from her report:When was the last food conference?The last food conference, hosted by Richard Nixon in 1969, was a pivotal moment in American food policy that led to the expansion of food stamps and gave rise to the Women, Infants and Children program that today provides parenting advice, breastfeeding support and food assistance to the mothers of half the babies born each year.How bad is hunger in the US now?One in 10 households struggled to feed their families in 2021 due to poverty – an extraordinary level of food insecurity in the richest country in the world. The rate has barely budged in the past two decades amid deepening economic inequalities and welfare cuts.Food insecurity remains stubbornly high in the US, with only a slight downward trend from 2021 – but significantly lower than 2020 when the Covid shutdown and widespread layoffs led to record numbers of Americans relying on food banks and food stamps to get by.The conference comes as the cost of food is soaring due to double-digit inflation, and amid fears of recession. The cost of groceries in July was up 13.1% compared with last year, with the price of cereal, bread and dairy products rising even higher, according to the Consumer Price Index.Households are under more pressure as states roll back pandemic-linked financial support such as free school meals for every child and child tax credits. Many states are stopping expanded food stamp benefits.Real-time data from the US Census survey “suggest that food hardship has been steadily rising in families with children this year”, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, director of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University, recently told the Guardian.Why is the White House having its first hunger conference in 50 years?Read moreJoe Biden rolled out his plan to fight hunger in the United States, with an eye towards ending it by 2030. Meanwhile, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida amid fears it could do grievous damage to its west coast.Here’s what else happened today:
      The supreme court is getting ready for its next term, and is expected to receive an update regarding the investigation into the leak of its draft decision overturning abortion rights.
      Donald Trump called for negotiating with Russia to end the war in Ukraine and mulled himself, of course, as leading the delegation. Meanwhile, a new book revealed further disquieting details of his presidency.
      Jury selection continued in the trial of five Oath Keepers accused of seditious conspiracy for their actions related to the January 6 insurrection.
      The White House denied a report that Treasury secretary Janet Yellen could depart the administration next year as it looks to reframe its fight against inflation.
      As she sometimes does, singer-songwriter and trained flautist Lizzo played a flute during her performance in Washington on Tuesday. But it wasn’t just any instrument. Lizzo played notes through a more than 200-year-old crystal flute made for President James Madison and on loan from the Library of Congress.The largest library in the world also has the largest collection of flutes in the world, and when its librarian Carla Hayden heard that Lizzo was coming to town, she asked if she was interested in playing Madison’s instrument at her show. The library has written an amusing blog about what happened next:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}When Library curator Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford walked the instrument onstage and handed it to Lizzo to a roar of applause, it was just the last, most visible step of our security package. This work by a team of backstage professionals enabled an enraptured audience to learn about the Library’s treasures in an exciting way.
      “As some of y’all may know I got invited to the Library of Congress,” Lizzo said, after placing her own flute (named Sasha Flute) down on its sparkling pedestal, which had emerged minutes earlier from the center of the stage. Following the aforementioned, highly popular Twitter exchange between Lizzo the Librarian of Congress, the crowd knew what was coming.
      “I want everybody to make some noise for James Madison’s crystal flute, y’all!” They made more noise than the instrument, having been at the Library for 81 years, has been exposed to in quite some time. Maybe ever.
      She took it gingerly from Ward-Bamford’s hands, walked over to the mic and admitted: “I’m scared.” She also urged the crowd to be patient. “It’s crystal, it’s like playing out of a wine glass!”NBC4 Washington has footage of the moment she played it at the show:Last April, at least nine people were bitten by a rabid red fox that stalked Capitol Hill, sparing neither lawmaker nor reporter alike.The animal was caught and euthanized by the DC health department, while those bitten were given many shots to stop rabies or any other infections. But the story, surprisingly, does not end there.The Wall Street Journal reports that one of those bit, Democratic representative Ami Bera of California, introduced legislation to cover the cost of rabies vaccines for the uninsured:The rabid fox that terrorized the Capitol grounds has led to legislation. Rep. Ami Bera (D., Calif.), one of the victims, introduced legislation to reduce the cost of the rabies vaccine for uninsured Americans— Natalie Andrews (@nataliewsj) September 28, 2022
      From Bera’s office: The Affordable Rabies Treatment for Uninsured Act would establish a program to reimburse health care providers for furnishing post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to uninsured individuals.— Natalie Andrews (@nataliewsj) September 28, 2022
      The CDC estimates that 60,000 Americans receive PEP each year after possible exposure to rabies. Although rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease, costs for patients can be high, with treatment ranging from $1,200 to $6,500.— Natalie Andrews (@nataliewsj) September 28, 2022
      Rabid red fox that bit nine on Capitol Hill caught and euthanizedRead moreA man whose actions likely changed the course of American history is petitioning for his freedom after decades behind bars, the Associated Press reports:Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy in 1968, is asking a judge to free him from prison by reversing a decision by the California governor to deny him parole.Sirhan shot Kennedy in 1968 at the Ambassador hotel in Los Angeles, moments after the US senator from New York claimed victory in California’s pivotal Democratic presidential primary. He wounded five others during the shooting.Gavin Newsom, the California governor, in January overruled two parole commissioners who had found that Sirhan no longer was a risk. The governor argued Sirhan remains a threat to the public and has not taken responsibility for a crime that changed American history.Sirhan Sirhan, man who assassinated Robert Kennedy, asks judge to free himRead moreOne of the biggest problems the Biden administration is facing is the state of the economy.It was supposed to be one of the bright spots. Unemployment has ticked down steadily since Joe Biden took office in January 2021 with Americans still reeling from the mass layoffs that occurred as Covid-19 broke out less than a year prior. But the rise in inflation that sent prices for gasoline, food and housing spiking throughout 2021 and into the next year did a number on his approval ratings, and there are signs in the administration that heads may roll, at least figuratively.Axios reported yesterday that the White House is preparing for the exit of Treasury secretary Janet Yellen, as well as Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council. Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Cecilia Rouse is also expected to return to teaching next year. There’s myriad reasons why inflation has climbed during the Biden era at rates not seen since the 1980s, including the actions of the Federal Reserve, the independent central bank where the Democratic president has appointed many of the top officials. However, a shake-up of the White House economic staff could give Biden the opportunity to reframe his approach to controlling price growth in the world’s largest economy. As the report notes, much of what happens will depend on the outcome of the midterms, particularly if Republicans take the Senate, which would confirm any new Treasury secretary or other cabinet-level position. It’s also worth noting that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre today denied that Yellen or Deese were going anywhere, the Associated Press reports:.@PressSec says neither Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen or NEC director Brian Deese are part of plans for turnover post midterm elections.— Fatima Hussein (@fatimathefatima) September 28, 2022
      Oregon is the site of a close race to replace Democratic governor Kate Brown, who has reached her term limits. As she prepares to exit the governor’s mansion, Amanda Waldroupe spoke to Brown about her surprising tactic for reforming the criminal justice system:Last October, Kate Brown, the governor of Oregon, signed an executive order granting clemency to 73 people who had committed crimes as juveniles, clearing a path for them to apply for parole.The move marked the high point in a remarkable arc: as Brown approaches the end of her second term in January, she has granted commutations or pardons to 1,147 people – more than all of Oregon’s governors from the last 50 years combined.The story of clemency in Oregon is one of major societal developments colliding: the pressure the Covid-19 pandemic put on the prison system and growing momentum for criminal justice reform.It’s also a story of a governor’s personal convictions and how she came to embrace clemency as a tool for criminal justice reform and as an act of grace, exercising the belief that compassionate mercy and ensuring public safety are not mutually exclusive.“If you are confident that you can keep people safe, you’ve given victims the opportunity to have their voices heard and made sure their concerns are addressed, and individuals have gone through an extensive amount of rehabilitation and shown accountability, what is the point of continuing to incarcerate someone, other than retribution?” Brown said in a June interview.The story of one US governor’s historic use of clemency: ‘We are a nation of second chances’Read moreWhite House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to questions on why Joe Biden referred to Indiana representative Jackie Walorski during his speech on hunger today, when the congresswoman died last month in a car accident.During today’s press briefing, Jean-Pierre said that Biden’s remarks were “not all that unusual” and that he was acknowledging Walorski’s previous work as co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus.Jean-Pierre added that the congresswoman was “top of mind”, as Biden meets with her family this week.Biden was “acknowledging her incredible work,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said when asked about the incident later, adding that Biden had already planned to welcome her family to the White House for a bill signing on Friday. “She was on top of mind,” she said.— Jarrett Renshaw (@JarrettRenshaw) September 28, 2022
      In other news, a California man who pleaded guilty to plotting to bomb the state’s Democratic party headquarters following the defeat of Donald Trump will be sentenced today, reported the Associated Press.Ian Benjamin Rogers, a Napa, California resident, pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to destroy the headquarters building and other properties in Sacramento by fire or explosives.Rogers also pleaded guilty to possessing an explosive device and possessing a machine gun as part of a plea agreement that could get him seven to nine years in federal prison.Rogers and Jarrod Copeland had been charged by prosecutors in San Francisco for planning to attack buildings they associated with Democrats following Trump’s defeat in the 2020 US presidential election.Rogers’ attorney, Colin Cooper, spoke about his client before today’s sentencing, emphasizing how remorseful Rogers is: “Mr Rogers feels awful for letting anybody down. He’s been in custody for a year and a half. He’s never been in trouble before. Every single day he expresses regret and remorse for any involvement he’s had in anything and all he’s asking for now is for people to give him a chance to prove that he has redemptive qualities.”Biden also warned oil and gas companies not to raise prices on the hundreds of thousands of Florida residents preparing for Hurricane Ian, reports the Associated Press.“Do not, let me repeat, do not use this as an excuse to raise gasoline prices or gouge the American people,” said Biden today while speaking about his plan to fight hunger in the US.Biden added that the natural disaster “provides no excuse for price increases at the pump” and that he will ask federal officials to determine if price gouging is going on.Hurricane Ian nears landfall in south-western Florida as officials warn of ‘catastrophic impact’ – live Read moreJoe Biden rolled out his plan to fight hunger in the United States, with an eye towards ending it by 2030. Meanwhile, Hurricane Ian is churning towards Florida and threatening to do the state grievous damage.Here’s what else has happened today so far:
      The supreme court is getting ready for its next term, and is expected to receive an update regarding the investigation into the leak of its draft decision overturning abortion rights.
      Donald Trump called for negotiating with Russia to end the war in Ukraine and mulled himself, of course, as leading the delegation. Meanwhile, a new book revealed further disquieting details of his presidency.
      Jury selection continued in the trial of five Oath Keepers accused of seditious conspiracy for their actions related to the January 6 insurrection.
      The White House has decried recent Iranian drone and missile strikes in Iraqi Kurdistan, as Tehran faces protests over the death of a Kurdish woman in the custody of its morality police.Here’s the statement from national security adviser Jake Sullivan:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The United States strongly condemns the drone and missile attack launched against Iraq’s Kurdistan region earlier today. We stand with Iraq’s leaders in the Kurdistan region and Baghdad in condemning these attacks as an assault on the sovereignty of Iraq and its people. Iranian leaders continue to demonstrate flagrant disregard not only for the lives of their own people, but also for their neighbors and the core principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the UN Charter. Iran cannot deflect blame from its internal problems and the legitimate grievances of its population with attacks across its borders. Its flagrant use of missiles and drones against its neighbors, as well as its providing of drones to Russia for its war of aggression in Ukraine and to proxies throughout the Middle East region, should be universally condemned. The United States will continue to pursue sanctions and other means to disrupt Iran’s destabilizing activities across the Middle East region. How the death of a Kurdish woman galvanised women all over IranRead moreEarlier today, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, written by politics gurus at the University of Virginia, moved their prediction for the Pennsylvania governor’s race from “leans Democratic” to “likely Democratic”. The news below was cited as one of the reasons why, because it shows that the Republican nominee in the race holds beliefs about abortion that appear to be beyond what the state’s voters will support. Here’s the latest from The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly:Asked in 2019 if he was saying women should be charged with murder for violating an abortion ban he proposed, Doug Mastriano, now the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, said: “Yes, I am.”Mastriano was talking to WITF, a radio station, about a bill he sponsored as a state senator.The bill would have barred most abortions when a fetal heartbeat could be detected, which is usually about six weeks into pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant.Mastriano was asked: “You can give me a yes or no on this. Would that woman who decided to have an abortion which would be considered an illegal abortion be charged with murder?”Mastriano said: “OK, let’s go back to the basic question there. Is [a fetus] a human being? Is that a little boy or girl? If it is, it deserves equal protection under the law.”He was asked: “So you’re saying yes?”Mastriano said: “Yes, I am. If it’s a human being, if it’s an American citizen there, a little baby, I don’t care what nationality it is, it deserves equal rights before the law.”NBC News reported the remark on Tuesday. Mastriano did not immediately comment.Top Republican urged murder charges for women who defied abortion banRead moreElsewhere in Washington, jury selection is ongoing in the trial of five Oath Keepers members on seditious conspiracy charges related to their role in the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, including founder Stewart Rhodes.It’s far from determinative of how the trial will go, but Politico has some details of the jurors that have been selected to serve thus far:UPDATE from the Oath Keepers trial:-Four of five prospective jurors questioned today have made the initial cut, bringing two day total to 14 potential jurors.-The four: A defense lobbyist, Northrop Grumman defense contractor, DOD civilian employee and patent office employee.— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 28, 2022
      The one juror stricken was a lawyer at a big firm who handles international dispute resolution. He had RTed or liked tweets calling Rs nihilists and comparing Trump supporters to fascists. He said he could be a fair juror and would set aside views but admitted it’d be a struggle.— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 28, 2022
      The defense objected to two of the jurors that Mehta ultimately qualified. One of them, the DOD employee, said he viewed Oath Keepers as anti-democracy and willing to overturn election by force but would be willing to have his views contradicted by evidence. Among the reasons…— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 28, 2022
      He said he’d served on a jury before and found a murder suspect not guilty, and he repeatedly said he would fairly assess evidence in the case, even if it contradicted views informed by media he consumes.— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 28, 2022
      Biden closes up with some remarks on the Covid pandemic, describing the grassroots efforts to get food to struggling families as “people doing God’s work”.Then he makes a claim that’s worth fact checking. Biden said that the high level of food insecurity caused by the pandemic has come down thanks to the American Rescue Plan and the economy rebounding. One in 10 families struggled to feed their families in 2021 – which is back around pre-pandemic levels, but the numbers are rising quickly this year since key economic policies like the child tax credit, expanded food stamps eligibility and universal free school meals were not renewed by Congress.Biden knows, and the new strategy suggests, that tackling economic and racial inequalities through things like a living wage, closing the Medicaid coverage gap, and affordable childcare and housing are the only ways to really eradicate food poverty.That’s why the $8bn pledged by private corporations, universities, foundations and nonprofits may help a bit, but will not tackle the structural and systemic issues that cause poverty and racial inequalities, which is what’s needed in order to end hunger and cut the burden of diet-related diseases in the richest country in the world.Still, Biden ended with a rallying call: “In America, no child should go to bed hungry. No parent should die of a preventable disease… this is the United States of America, nothing is beyond our capacity.”More than $8bn pledged to Joe Biden’s goal of ending hungerRead moreWith universal free lunches a long long way off, one of the new food strategy’s more interesting commitments is about supporting schools in making meals from scratch and buying produce from local farmers.“This will lead to healthier meals and strengthen rural economies,” said Biden. This is a welcome nod to the urgent need to redesign our globalised food system, which is dominated by a handful of transnational monopolies like Tyson Foods. Today, Tyson pledged to give more free chicken to schools – rather ironic, some might argue, given the company’s track record on worker conditions, unhealthy processed foods and animal welfare.Biden also rightly emphasises the “we are what we eat” mantra, given that diets high in processed fatty, sugary, salty foods have led to at least 35% of adults being obese in 19 states, and one in 10 Americans having diabetes.“Science changes things. People are realising that certain diseases are affected by what they eat. The more we can spread the word and educate people, the more we’ll see changes,” Biden said.Not quite so sure about him suggesting that the link between our diets and disease is new information – the evidence has been overwhelming for decades now, but powerful business interests like the sugar, fast food and meat packing industries have often stymied government regulations to improve food labelling and reduce the toxicity of processed foods. Still, a commitment to piloting food prescriptions for people on Medicaid and Medicare is a definite thumbs up.Biden made an unfortunate gaffe in his remarks, referencing someone named Jackie and asking if she was in attendance. He may have been referring to Jackie Walorski, a Republican representative from Indiana who died in an August car accident.Walorski was co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus dedicated to fighting food insecurity in the United States. The chair of the caucus, Democrat Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, was in attendance at the event. Here’s video of Biden’s comment: President Biden seems to forget that Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) died in a car crash in August, seeking her out in the audience:”Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? She must not be here.” pic.twitter.com/inzKDHrPK7— The Recount (@therecount) September 28, 2022
      Indiana congresswoman Jackie Walorski dies in car crashRead more More

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      in US Politics

      Why is the White House having its first hunger conference in 50 years?

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      ExplainerWhy is the White House having its first hunger conference in 50 years?The Biden administration is hosting a conference to coincide with a new hunger and nutrition plan – what can it achieve? What’s happening?The Biden administration is hosting a one-day conference on Wednesday on hunger, nutrition and health, bringing together advocates, researchers and activists and leaders in business and philanthropy, faith groups and communities around the US.Just before the conference, the administration launched its strategy aimed at ending hunger in the US by 2030 with plans to expand benefits and access to healthy food. The conference will be streamed live from 9am ET on the White House Youtube channel, with Joe Biden expected to make remarks in the early afternoon. The strategy and conference are aimed at making “America truly a stronger, healthier nation”, he says.But it all comes at a difficult time for many households as pandemic support measures fall away, record inflation and rising food prices (linked to climate breakdown, Russia’s war in Ukraine and Covid supply issues) squeeze budgets, and just before November’s midterm elections.When was the last food conference?The last food conference, hosted by Richard Nixon in 1969, was a pivotal moment in American food policy that led to the expansion of food stamps and gave rise to the Women, Infants and Children program that today provides parenting advice, breastfeeding support and food assistance to the mothers of half the babies born each year.How bad is hunger in the US now?One in 10 households struggled to feed their families in 2021 due to poverty – an extraordinary level of food insecurity in the richest country in the world. The rate has barely budged in the past two decades amid deepening economic inequalities and welfare cuts.Food insecurity remains stubbornly high in the US, with only a slight downward trend from 2021 – but significantly lower than 2020 when the Covid shutdown and widespread layoffs led to record numbers of Americans relying on food banks and food stamps to get by.The conference comes as the cost of food is soaring due to double-digit inflation, and amid fears of recession. The cost of groceries in July was up 13.1% compared with last year, with the price of cereal, bread and dairy products rising even higher, according to the Consumer Price Index.Households are under more pressure as states roll back pandemic-linked financial support such as free school meals for every child and child tax credits. Many states are stopping expanded food stamp benefits.Real-time data from the US Census survey “suggest that food hardship has been steadily rising in families with children this year”, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, director of the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University, recently told the Guardian.What are the main parts of the administration’s strategy?It includes multiple ambitious goals but few concrete measures, as the plans depend on securing support from a polarised Congress, which so far this year has refused to extend the child tax credit and universal free school meals – both of which led to historic improvements in food security in the wake of the pandemic.‘The kids are just happier’: could California’s universal school meal program start a trend?Read moreThe plan states that the administration is committed to “pushing for Congress to permanently extend the expanded, fully refunded child tax credit and expanded Earned Income Tax Credit … to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour; close the Medicaid coverage gap; invest in affordable, high-quality child care; and expand the Housing Choice Voucher”.The strategy also aims to cut diet-related diseases by increasing access to healthy food and exercise as new data shows that more than 35% of people in 19 states and two territories are obese – more the double the number of states in 2018 – while one in 10 Americans have diabetes.It includes proposals to reform food packaging, voluntary salt and sugar reduction targets for the food industry, and working to expand Medicaid and Medicare access to obesity counselling and nutrition.According to Andy Fisher, researcher and author of Big Hunger, the strategy includes lots of great ideas but lets the food industry off the hook and fails to adequately address the impact of racism, misogyny or the climate crisis on food inequality.“What they don’t realize or say is that hunger and health disparities are baked into our political and economic system, and require much more than these technocratic policy reforms.”TopicsBiden administrationHungerInequalityUS politicsJoe BidenexplainersReuse this content More

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      in US Politics

      'The numbers floored me': hunger in Pennsylvania hits highest level since pandemic's start

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      [embedded content]
      Charles Bennicoff hasn’t worked since last winter. He’s an experienced landscape gardener but the mom-and-pop business he worked for in Allentown, Pennsylvania, cut its staff after losing most of their contracts during the pandemic.
      Bennicoff, 50, now relies on a food pantry for a few bags of groceries every couple of weeks to supplement the food stamps and social security his mentally ill wife receives. He still picks up the occasional odd job but doesn’t qualify for unemployment benefits because the landscaping job was cash in hand.
      It’s the first time the couple have needed food aid since recovering from drug addiction and homelessness about 20 years ago, and Bennicoff is struggling to stay positive.
      “Covid has taken a toll, emotionally and financially. There’s a thousand people dying every day because of the president’s lies, and I can’t just shrug that off. I have tears in my eyes every night,” said Bennicoff.
      Hunger is rising in Pennsylvania, with the demand for food aid at its highest level since the start of the pandemic, according to new figures obtained by the Guardian. More