...In 2021, (click here) 1,205 women died of maternal causes in the United States compared with 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019. The maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with a rate of 23.8 in 2020 and 20.1 in 2019 (Table)....
March 15, 2023By Ron Fonger
Flint - The pediatrician (click here) whose research helped end the Flint water crisis has a prescription for fixing the city’s sky-high childhood poverty rate -- cash allowances for every expectant mother and every child during their first year of life.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is pushing to create a first-of-its-kind citywide pilot program called Rx Kids, a demonstration project for the nation that would provide all expectant mothers a one-time prenatal allowance of $1,500 and all families with infants a $500 monthly payment.
“We would like to give every pregnant mom and every infant in Flint ... an allowance -- an unconditional cash allowance -- that they can spend to help raise their family because it is hard to raise a family,” Hanna-Attisha told the Flint City Council during its meeting on Monday, March 13....
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is pushing to create a first-of-its-kind citywide pilot program called Rx Kids, a demonstration project for the nation that would provide all expectant mothers a one-time prenatal allowance of $1,500 and all families with infants a $500 monthly payment.
“We would like to give every pregnant mom and every infant in Flint ... an allowance -- an unconditional cash allowance -- that they can spend to help raise their family because it is hard to raise a family,” Hanna-Attisha told the Flint City Council during its meeting on Monday, March 13....
With a continuing increase in the maternal death rate, why won't anti-abortion advocates also in favor of a continuing monthly check for parents?
March 14, 2023
It’s been less than two months (click here) since tax season started. And Jaqueline Marcelos, who leads the free tax clinic at the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in San Francisco, has already heard the same concern from dozens of families: Why has my tax refund changed so much?
"Many clients are coming here thinking that this year they're going to get the same refund as last year," Marcelos said. One client, she says, qualified to receive thousands of dollars in her return when filing in 2022 — but this year she’ll actually end up owing money to Uncle Sam.
What changed? Among other things, the extended child tax credit from 2022 has ended, and many parents and caregivers are seeing a major drop in their tax refund....
The Child Tax Credit lifts children out of poverty. There is still a strong disparity in the earning ability of women compared to me and more so by ethnic delineation.
The women's-to-men's earnings ratio (click here) varied by race and Hispanic ethnicity. White women earned 82.2 percent as much as their male counterparts, compared with 94.1 percent for Black women, 78.5 percent for Asian women, and 87.6 percent for Hispanic women.
On average women are earning only 85 cents to every $1.00 men are earning. The ethnic/racial disparity is a national disgrace.
March 9, 2023
Juliana Kaplan and Ayelet Sheffey
Juliana Kaplan and Ayelet Sheffey
A view of the White House decorated in Halloween theme after U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greeted trick-or-treaters during a Halloween event on the South Lawn of the White House October 31, 2022 in Washington, DC.
President Joe Biden's funding wish list is out (click here) — and it has some good news for parents.
On Thursday, Biden unveiled his budget proposal for fiscal year 2024, which outlines his investment priorities in every federal agency for the upcoming year. It aims to cut the deficit by nearly $3 trillion over ten years, and it includes a revival of his previous tax proposals, like a minimum billionaires tax and higher corporate tax — as well as the restoration of the expanded Child Tax Credit.
Biden's American Rescue Plan gave $3,000 per child to families with children over the age of six, and $3,600 per child to families with children under the age of six. The ARP also paid out the tax credit in monthly checks, rather than as part of an annual tax refund.
However, the expansion of that credit expired in December 2021 due to Republican opposition and pushback from conservative Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin. Now the president wants to restore the program fully....
President Joe Biden's funding wish list is out (click here) — and it has some good news for parents.
On Thursday, Biden unveiled his budget proposal for fiscal year 2024, which outlines his investment priorities in every federal agency for the upcoming year. It aims to cut the deficit by nearly $3 trillion over ten years, and it includes a revival of his previous tax proposals, like a minimum billionaires tax and higher corporate tax — as well as the restoration of the expanded Child Tax Credit.
Biden's American Rescue Plan gave $3,000 per child to families with children over the age of six, and $3,600 per child to families with children under the age of six. The ARP also paid out the tax credit in monthly checks, rather than as part of an annual tax refund.
However, the expansion of that credit expired in December 2021 due to Republican opposition and pushback from conservative Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin. Now the president wants to restore the program fully....
