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The article discusses the similarities between the current political climate in the United States and the decline of the Roman Empire. It highlights the use of distractions, violence, and regressive policies by the MAGA movement and other extremists, who promote culture wars and extremist policies under the banner of Christian nationalism. The article also introduces Project 2025, a plan to maximize presidential power and implement regressive policies such as military expansion, social welfare cuts, and restrictions on reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights. The article emphasizes the negative impact of these policies on marginalized communities and calls for a focus on jobs, homes, and peace instead. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the case of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which focuses on whether unhoused individuals can be punished for simply living outdoors without shelter. The city of Grants Pass, Oregon, outlawed resting or sleeping on public property, even with a blanket, effectively forcing unhoused residents to leave the city or face punishment. The Supreme Court is considering whether this law violates the Eighth Amendment's restrictions against cruel and unusual punishment. The article also highlights the broader housing crisis in the United States, with millions of people facing housing insecurity and the lack of affordable housing options. The authors argue for a compassionate response to the crisis, prioritizing housing over punishment. [Extracted from the article]

Meanwhile other pandemic support programs - including expansions of unemployment insurance, the Earned Income Tax Credit, SNAP, and Medicaid, as well as economic stimulus checks and eviction protections - have also come to an end. JULY 28, 2023 This summer marked a milestone anniversary in the history of American anti-poverty programs: two years ago, the first monthly payments of the expanded Child Tax Credit went out to millions of households. As a result, food and housing insecurity rates are climbing, millions of people are preparing to lose their health care as Medicaid "winds down", and child poverty rates are back up to pre-pandemic levels. [Extracted from the article]

The Census Bureau recently released new poverty data revealing a significant increase in economic insecurity in the United States. The Supplemental Poverty Measure showed a record jump, with child poverty doubling. The number of poor and low-income individuals in the country rose to over 135 million, which accounts for more than 40 percent of the population. These figures highlight the widespread nature of poverty and the need for effective measures to address it. The report also emphasizes the racial disparities in poverty rates, with Latinos, Black non-Latinos, and American Indian or Alaskan Natives experiencing higher rates of hardship. Poverty can have life-threatening consequences, and it was the fourth leading cause of death in 2019. Government programs like Social Security and stimulus payments have helped reduce poverty, but as these programs expired in 2021, the number of poor and low-income individuals increased by 20 percent to 135 million. This return to pre-pandemic conditions underscores the ongoing challenges faced by millions of people in terms of eviction, hunger, low wages, and health crises. This information serves as a reminder that the nation's return to "normal" comes at the expense of the lives and well-being of poor and low-income individuals. Policymakers should take this as a wake-up call and implement effective strategies to address poverty. [Extracted from the article]

Our bilingual voter drive engaged nearly 1,000 volunteers, who together contacted 1 in every 43 eligible voters. The midterm elections confirmed that in many ways, we are a nation divided. [Extracted from the article]

The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that poverty dropped notably in 2021. The expanded CTC expired in December 2021, and there has been no further discussion of reviving stimulus payments -- even with the federal minimum wage at its lowest value in 66 years and the cost of living continuing to rise. After Social Security, refundable tax credits like the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) and stimulus payments were the biggest contributors to reducing poverty. [Extracted from the article]

JULY 16, 2021 For the past few months, a debate has been unfolding over what it will take to address the country's infrastructure needs. Earlier this year, President Biden released the American Jobs Plan, a blueprint for physical infrastructure like transportation, water, broadband, and buildings, including childcare facilities and public housing. Together, they accounted for both the physical infrastructure and the human infrastructure we need to repair this country. [Extracted from the article]