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.

Advocates Sue LA County over Emergency Food-Assistance Delays

play audio
Play

Tuesday, November 23, 2021   

LOS ANGELES -- Anti-hunger advocates filed suit Monday to force Los Angeles County to speed up processing of applications for emergency food assistance.

Those applications by law must be processed within three days, but the county's own data showed between October 2020 and September 2021, more than a third of applications took longer, affecting 54,000 households.

Frank Tamborello, executive director of Hunger Action Los Angeles, said the CalFresh program is akin to emergency response.

"When someone is hungry, every hour, every minute matters," Tamborello argued. "It is unconscionable that in Los Angeles County, the most vulnerable families have to wait for weeks to get something as basic as food assistance."

The county did not respond to a request for comment by deadline, but has acknowledged a surge in demand combined with staffing issues is straining the system.

Lena Silver, associate director of litigation and policy advocacy for Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, said to qualify for emergency food assistance, you have to earn less than $150 per month and have less than $100 in cash, or be unable to pay your rent or mortgage.

"Emergency CalFresh is not a cushion," Silver asserted. "It gives people money for food who are at imminent risk of, or already experiencing, hunger."

Los Angeles County's 12-month average for applications processed past the deadline is at 36%, much higher than other large counties in Southern California. For example, San Bernardino County misses the mark more than 11% of the time. Orange County is at 7% and San Diego County is at 5%.


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