Page 44 - Poverty Issues News Today

This is National Nurses Month, and North Carolina lawmakers continue to debate lifting restrictions for advanced-practice registered nurses so they can provide care without physician oversight. More than two dozen states have passed laws similar to the SAVE Act, which stalled in the General Assembly last year. Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, dean of the school of nursing and vice chancellor for nursing affairs at Duke University, said many of the states health-care access problems existed before the p...

Despite a more challenging environment, rural hospitals still are finding ways to provide critical care. That includes stroke patients, and South Dakotas medical community says keeping these facilities open is necessary in seeing better outcomes. May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and a family physician with Avera Health in Parkston said treatment has really evolved for these patients. ...

With negotiations for Pennsylvanias budget under way, a new report unpacks the states investment in early-childhood education. Advocates hope it can sway lawmakers to boost funding in the budget. Gov. ...

One might think that food insecurity would improve as California recovers from the pandemic - but advocates say hunger remains a significant issue, especially in rural areas. Nonprofits like Save the Children say theyre getting ready for a repeat of last year - in fact, theyve served 700,000 meals in California, and 44 million meals nationwide - since the start of the pandemic. Cloe Chambers, California state director for Save the Children, said many low-income families work in the fields bu...

For Minnesota to make big gains in reducing poverty, its safety net needs to be more robust, according to a new report highlighting disparities residents around the state are experiencing while elevating themselves from hardship. Minnesotas official poverty rate is 8.7 %, which is below the national average. Angie Fertig, social policy research scientist at the University of Minnesota, said when you dig deeper, there are broad levels of unevenness. ...

Federal pandemic waivers took a bite out of child hunger, according to census data, and there are concerns those trends could be reversed when the waivers expire in June. The policies improved access to school meals through universal free lunch, additional emergency funds for EBT cards, and by giving districts the flexibility to feed kids through mobile delivery and backpack programs. Katherine Unger, a policy associate with the Childrens Defense Fund of Ohio, said more meals were provided to ...

Federal COVID relief funds that helped expand access to school meals for all kids regardless of their ability to pay are set to expire in June, and childrens advocates are urging Colorado lawmakers to make that investment permanent. Ashley Wheeland - director of public policy at Hunger Free Colorado - said in addition to reducing child hunger and food insecurity, a new bill making its way through the Legislature will give food producers across the state access to a reliable customer base, and ...

Prices for food, gas and housing are all higher in Texas this year than last. And for local food banks, that means the need for their services is also on the increase. At the Central Texas Food Bank in Austin, theyre already distributing 25% more food than before the pandemic. ...

By Katie Fleischer Broadcast version by Emily Scott Reporting for the Ms. Magazine -Arkansas News Service Collaboration Its no secret that extra cash can reduce stress and allow people to do things theyve been putting off-like buying a few treats, going to the doctor or paying off debts. But new evidence suggests that receiving monthly payments doesnt just impact the mental health of parents, but also the brains and futures of their children. ...

Voters of color in Texas will have to wait until this fall for the outcome of a discrimination lawsuit against the state. At issue are the voting-district maps for state legislative and congressional races. The current lawsuit will go to trial in September. ...