FPL Daily News Reel: July 13, 2012
The FPL News Reel is a daily round-up of the top faith and politics stories in the news. You can sign up for the email version of the News Reel here, subscribe to the RSS feed here, and follow it on twitter at @FPLNewsreel.
‘I Expect Better of the Congress:’ Rep. McGovern on SNAP Cuts
By James McGovern — Sojourners, God’s Politics
SNAP isn’t a culture of dependency; it’s a last resort for people who have no place to turn. To call it a “culture of dependency” implies that people are poor by choice and that they enjoy needing this help.
Republicans may delay House bill to cut food stamps
By Charles Abbott — Reuters
Republicans in the House of Representatives may set aside a bill providing for the biggest reduction in food stamps for the poor since 1996, averting a fight over cuts that critics assail as immoral during hard times, House leaders said on Thursday.
Massive Coalition Fights Congress Over Looming Domestic Cuts
By Brian Beutler — Talking Points Memo
3,000 organizations that benefit from non-defense discretionary spending…have aligned to push Congress to sort out not just the tax and defense issues, but across the board cuts that threaten medical research, border security and everything in between.
A Thousand Cuts: Austerity Measures Devastate Communities Around The World
By Jason Cherkis — Huffington Post
In early 2011, Elizabeth Miller, a bus driver for the Port Authority in Pittsburgh, received notice that she would be laid off in 60 days, the victim of austerity measures imposed by the government.
Nikki Haley Slashes Support for Violence Victims Just When They Need It Most
By Bryce Covert — The Nation
Beyond eliminating the state’s arts commission, [Haley] also managed to cut $453,680 in funding for the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA). If her veto isn’t overridden, “rape crisis centers will lose 37% of their current state funding, which will drastically reduce their ability to respond to victims and provide prevention education”…
The wrong debate
By Steve Thorngate — Christian Century, Opinion
The main point is promoting dignity and fairness—by whatever means available. The fundamental issue isn’t public versus private; it’s about getting behind any and all approaches that effectively broaden opportunity and alleviate suffering. The means is never the end.
“Free stuff”? The message from Romney’s NAACP speech
By Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite — Washington Post, On Faith
“Affordable health care isn’t “free stuff” or a handout to the undeserving, it is a “moral responsibility” we have a society to one another, as Rev. Jennifer Butler said. Faith leaders from many religious perspectives worked hard for passage of the Affordable Care Act, and its constitutionality was called “a blessing” and “in line with our biblical and theological witness.”
Migrants applying for Obama program may face later risks
By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services
Arizonans who apply for the president’s deferred prosecution program for younger illegal immigrants could have the information they provide used to deport them later, some attorneys warned Thursday.
NAACP urges black churches to address AIDS epidemic
By Adelle M. Banks — Religion News Service
The NAACP recommends partnering with health organizations on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. The group compares the church’s need to address HIV to Jesus’ ministry healing the sick and advocating for the oppressed.
