skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

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

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Emergency Aid for Hunger Relief Drying Up in MN

play audio
Play

Wednesday, November 25, 2020   

DULUTH, Minn. - The lack of a new federal pandemic relief bill has local governments and nonprofits worried about how people will be able to survive the economic crisis. In Minnesota, one hunger-fighting group says programs could see their expanding reach during COVID-19 cut off.

Aid that was part of the federal CARES Act is set to expire at year's end. Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, said they just distributed the last of that money - $12 million - to food shelves and assistance programs across the state.

And more people face unemployment again, with COVID-19 restrictions back in place.

"The programs themselves, they're not sustainable without resources," said Moriarty. "And those resources are in tremendous need, and they're coming from all over the state of Minnesota."

She said local programs have used relief money to do things like add transportation, so they can safely deliver food during the crisis.

Gov. Tim Walz and Republican leaders are proposing competing relief packages from the state, but they focus more on helping small businesses. Moriarty noted most food assistance comes the federal government, and said Congress needs to act soon.

In Duluth, the American Indian Community Housing Organization converted some of its space for food distribution, and used the latest emergency funds to install refrigerators and shelving. The group's Economic Development Director, LeAnn Littlewolf, said when they began providing food boxes this year, they saw immediate demand - and it could worsen if funds dry up.

"We have a lot of people who have, they work in the service industry," said Littlewolf. "And in our local economy, that's a large part of the workforce. And in our community, our Native community, people have lost employment, have lost jobs. Some people don't have access to unemployment."

Littlewolf said the extra help from the federal government also allowed them to transport meals. She said that's significant, since many Native Americans are more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, making it harder for them to travel.

But in Washington, the House and Senate remain at odds over the size of a new stimulus bill. Both chambers are on break until after Thanksgiving.

Disclosure: Hunger Solutions Minnesota contributes to our fund for reporting on Hunger/Food/Nutrition, Livable Wages/Working Families. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

A 2023 report by Oceana and Turtle Island Restoration Network found that more than half of the animals caught in gillnets are thrown overboard as waste. (Oceana and Blancpain)

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

Environment

play sound

Rising demands for clean energy efficiency are producing a wealth of work opportunities in Illinois. These in-demand jobs are also promoting a …

 

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