Topics

Poverty

  • Black employment in crisis
    One in five African American men, aged 20 years and older, is unemployed, and black teens are jobless at an even higher rate. The National Urban League recently charged the Obama administration needs to do more for black communities than stimulus programs.Midmorning, March 29, 2010
  • Poorest of the poor would lose their last benefits
    Advocates for the homeless warn that thousands of the state's poorest residents could lose their only source of income under the new budget proposed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.February 17, 2010
  • Study: More poor living in U.S. suburbs than in cities
    According to a new study released Wednesday by the Brookings Institution, there are more poor people living in U.S. suburbs than there are in central cities.January 20, 2010
  • Design that can change lives
    In his book "Out of Poverty," Paul Polak argues that innovative design solutions can do more to help the world's poor than most mainstream poverty eradication programs. He is part of a growing movement focusing on designing and manufacturing low-cost products that can save lives, and help people earn a living, in the developing world.Midmorning, December 22, 2009
  • Beltrami County uses new approach to fight poverty
    A new program in Beltrami County combines personal coaching and weekly meetings to move people off of public assistance.November 23, 2009
  • HCMC approves big cuts in 2010 budget
    The Hennepin County Medical Center, the state's largest safety net hospital, will close at least two clinics, eliminate more than 150 positions and restrict access to its non-emergency services under a budget approved Wednesday.November 18, 2009
  • Minn. food shelves to get donation from farmers
    Gov. Tim Pawlenty and representatives of pork, soybean and milk groups will announce a donation to Minnesota food shelves on Friday.October 30, 2009
  • Counties can now take food assistance requests by phone
    In response to a dramatic increase in the number of Minnesotans seeking food assistance, counties will now be allowed to approve requests over the phone.October 21, 2009
  • Childhood poverty rates on the rise
    A new report on child welfare in Minnesota predicts the number of children in poverty will jump by a one-third over the course of the current recession. The report says the economic downturn will leave a long and troubling legacy.October 1, 2009
  • General Mills, aid agencies partner for Africa
    General Mills has launched a public-private partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.September 29, 2009
  • Poverty survey says Minnesotans cutting back
    Minnesotans have reduced spending on food, cut back on retirement savings, and taken in friends or relatives in response to the recession, according to a new survey.September 17, 2009
  • The measure of poverty
    The annual report from the Census Bureau shows the nation's poverty rate climbed in 2008. But many analysts argue the federal government's measurements for poverty are outdated, and give an inaccurate picture of what's going on.Midmorning, September 11, 2009
  • A young doctor serves in Africa
    One ER physician's desire to heal led him to a contested border town in Sudan, Africa. James Maskalyk treated people for starvation and fought a measles epidemic amid war.Midmorning, July 22, 2009
  • A story of hope amid despair
    A new novel by Mayo Clinic doctor and obesity researcher James Levine tells the story of a young Indian girl forced into a life of prostitution. Dr. Levine says the novel sprang from a visit to the slums of Mumbai and encounter there that haunts him to this day.Midmorning, July 21, 2009
  • Recession can be even tougher for low-income families
    For families already living on the financial edge before the recession hit, the economic blows can be even more punishing.June 26, 2009

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