skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Survey: Social Security a Critical Lifeline During Pandemic

play audio
Play

Tuesday, August 18, 2020   

LINCOLN, Neb. -- As Social Security celebrates its 85th anniversary this month, a new AARP survey finds an overwhelming majority of Americans support the program, and believe it's become even more critical during the coronavirus pandemic.

Todd Stubbendieck, state director at AARP Nebraska, said the need for the program is just as great today as when it was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935, during the depths of the Great Depression.

"Flash forward to today, we're again in an economic downturn and the effects of COVID has impacted so many people. Social Security continues to be an important lifeline for folks over the age of 65 to provide some guaranteed income in retirement," Stubbendieck said.

In a recent executive order, President Donald Trump temporarily suspended Social Security's funding mechanism, the payroll tax, and has promised to remove the mechanism permanently. AARP has responded by sending a letter asking the administration to explain its plan to replace Social Security funding.

AARP surveyed more than 1,400 Americans age 18 and over, and found overwhelming support for Social Security across political lines. Stubbendieck said workers who pay into Social Security with every paycheck understand it's a hard-earned benefit, and a promise that must be kept when they reach their golden years.

"More than 90% of Republicans, Democrats and independents indicated that they thought Social Security was an important government program," he said. "In these days of hyper partisanship, it's hard to find anything that has that much support."

More than 257,000 Nebraskans receive Social Security retirement benefits, and 55% rely on the program for at least half of their family income. The survey found that two-thirds of Americans think the current monthly benefit is too low, and 74% said they're worried Social Security will not be enough to get by in retirement.

Disclosure: AARP Nebraska contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021