Poverty

• Why China Is Suddenly Obsessed With American Poverty - State media, embracing the gaming phrase “kill line,” is asserting China’s political superiority over the United States, deflecting focus on China’s own economic challenges.
• Health Dept. to Freeze $10 Billion in Funding to 5 Democratic States - The funding pause could jeopardize child care and other programs that serve hundreds of thousands of households in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York.
• The Venezuela I Know - Many are celebrating the ouster of a brutal dictator, but the Maduro regime may survive the loss of Maduro.
• Can We Really Afford to Let Health Care Get Any Worse? - With Trump’s health care cuts, I traveled to Ohio, Mississippi and Alabama — and encountered devastated families bracing for even more difficult challenges.
• Pope Leo Surprises St. Peter’s Crowd Before Christmas Eve Mass - Pope Leo XIV greeted the soggy faithful in St. Peter’s Square in both English and Italian and apologized that there wasn’t enough room in the basilica for them all.
• Heating Costs Expected to Rise 9.2% This Winter - Colder weather and rising electricity and fuel costs will lead to a big jump in costs for individuals, according to estimates from a group representing state energy officials.