Food Insecuity

Guest Commentary written by Hannah Mudgett Hannah Mudgett is a student at University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a master’s in public health Every day more than 5 million Californians rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known here as CalFresh, to keep food on the table. It is our state’s largest anti-hunger program.  Yet […]

More than five million low-income Californians are expected to lose their CalFresh food assistance benefits starting Saturday. States are suing the Trump administration to reinstate aid.

The helpers need help. As federal funding for anti-hunger programs face major cuts, California faces its own $56 million chop in money it sends to food banks.

The federal government is clawing huge amounts of unused pandemic benefits for hungry kids in California. The new summer EBT program aims to overcome past failures, but cards have a shorter shelf life.

The state is considering zeroing out funds for CalWORKS family stabilization and job subsidy programs to help balance the budget.

A popular program that doubles CalFresh benefits at farmers markets is on the chopping block as California leaders try to close a yawning budget deficit. In a moment when so many Californians are food insecure, slashing the program would be devastating.

The California food banks association warns of rising food insecurity, but its pleas for more state aid face a tough slog next year due to the projected budget deficit.

After Congress did not extend a pandemic-era tax credit, California's poverty rate for children rose from 7.5% to nearly 17% in one year. The false narratives that describe people in poverty often don't reflect research or reality, and further harm them by stalling policy solutions.

Weighing technology and safety in a closely-watched decision, the California Public Utilities Commission agreed Thursday to allow more Waymo and Cruise self-driving cars to roam San Francisco’s streets.  After six-and-a-half hours of public comment, the commission voted 3-1 to permit the two companies to expand their driverless car operations, enabling them to charge passengers for […]

Last year California began providing free school lunches to all TK-12 students, regardless of family income. Now, with an influx of state and federal money, school districts are revamping kitchens and training staff so they can provide freshly made, healthy meals.