Half in Ten partner and Executive Director at the Center for Human Needs, Deborah Weinstein, participated in a recent event hosted by The New School, where poverty experts squared off, debating the merits of President Obama’s efforts.

In an interview with economist Rebecca Blank from the Brookings Institution, Sally Steenland from campaign partner, the Center for American Progress, probes the role that faith has in making sound economic policy and defending the interests of those less fortunate.

As the economic recession deepens and more people are laid off of work, welfare assistance for families is failing to pick up the slack.

The current, severe economic crisis has made addressing poverty much more urgent. Job losses are mounting across the country and the unemployment rate has spiked to 7.2 percent.

With hard times facing so many, what do Americans think about taking action to fight poverty? In a Gerstein/Agne poll for Half in Ten conducted shortly after the election, more than three quarters of respondents said that cutting poverty in half in the next ten years should be a national goal.

Melody Barnes, President-elect Obama’s choice for director of the Domestic Policy Council, delivered a keynote address at LCCR’s recent national board meeting that affirmed the new administration’s commitment to cut poverty in half.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its annual report on food security in America yesterday, which showed that one in eight Americans—over 36 million people—struggled to feed themselves during 2007. And that was even before the economic downturn.

On Wednesday, October 29, the House Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing on Economic Recovery, Job Creation and Investment In America. Robert Greenstein, executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, was among the distinguished witnesses who testified at the hearing.

Civilrights.org is one of more than 11,000 blogs and websites participating in Blog Action Day 2008, an annual event in which bloggers around the world post about the same issue on the same day to raise awareness and spark a global discussion. This year’s topic is poverty.

On October 3, 2008 its final day in session, Congress passed and the President signed into law a major improvement in the Child Tax Credit that will help 13 million low-income children. The provision makes families with earnings of $8,500 or more eligible for a partial Child Tax Credit.