Eli Saslow is really doing a bang-up job reporting stories about how people are faring in the current economy (i.e. this story) and his feature yesterday following a food-stamp recruiter who visits low-income seniors to let them know that help is available and a man who needs assistance but doesn't want to be a "taker" is excellent

This New York Times Magazine feature on how Obama's early experience in the poverty-stricken neighborhood of Roseland in Chicago kindled his political ambitions for change, and made urban poverty a focus of his campaign is comprehensive and very interesting—mostly because urban poverty has virtually disappeared as a key issue for the president.

"As much as I wanted to tell this woman—whose skin was as white as mine—that you don’t need to be toting two kids or living in housing projects to find yourself in need of help with buying groceries, I said nothing to her."

Over at the Guardian, Suzanne Moore offers up a bite-sized analysis of the nexus between food choice, class, celebrity chefs, and rising inequality in Britain.

If you are eligible for food stamps, ain't no shame in applying for them.

When welfare moms become non-welfare moms because their payments stop, they have to do shitty stuff in order to get cash.

I'm hungry.

A commenter points out that using food stamps is a good thing.