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SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

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The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

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Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

SNAP Changes: Latest Threat in Fight to End Hunger

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Wednesday, September 11, 2019   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio already has a high rate of food insecurity, and during this Hunger Action Month, there are concerns it could become an even bigger problem if eligibility changes for SNAP benefits.

An estimated 61,000 Ohioans could lose their food assistance if what is known as "categorical eligibility" is eliminated as proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal officials have said it will prevent program abuse and save money, but Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, countered that the rule helps streamline eligibility and provides states with flexibility.

"This broad-based categorical eligibility is the law; it is not a loophole as it has been portrayed," she said, "and this rule has been rejected in the last two farm bills on a bipartisan basis."

Categorical eligibility means families that qualify for one anti-poverty program also are eligible for SNAP benefits. As part of Hunger Action Month in September, Hamler-Fugitt encouraged Ohioans to weigh in on the proposed change. The USDA is accepting comments until Sept. 23.

About 13% of Ohioans struggle with food insecurity, more than the national rate of 11%. Hamler-Fugitt said people can get involved in the fight to end hunger by urging elected leaders to support nutrition programs, volunteering at a local food bank and collecting non-perishable foods for donation.

"Despite some signs of recovery in the economy, far too many of our hungry friends and neighbors are struggling," she said, "and we need to maintain a solid nutritional safety net to ensure that hunger does not continue to increase in our great state."

Thursday is Hunger Action Day, and Ohioans can wear the color orange or change their social-media profile to orange to show their support for hunger relief.

The USDA proposal is online at federalregister.gov.

Disclosure: Ohio Association of Foodbanks contributes to our fund for reporting on Hunger/Food/Nutrition, Livable Wages/Working Families, Poverty Issues, Welfare Reform. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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