To the Point
Food Prices and Hunger in the United States
Thirteen million American families go hungry for part of the year, at the same time that food prices are rising while donations to food banks are on the decline. the Bush EPA blocks California bid to limit car emissions, and the new, Democratic Congress has ended its first year.
By Warren Olney • • 1h 0m ListenThirteen million American families go hungry for part of the year, at the same time that food prices are rising while donations to food banks are on the decline. Will increases to federal programs bridge the gap? What's the impact of new subsidies for corn-based ethanol? Has the era of cheap food come to an end? Also, the Bush EPA blocks California bid to limit car emissions, and the Democrats were full of promises when they took over Congress this year. Which ones were kept? Which ones were broken?
Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesEPA Blocks California Bid to Limit Emissions from Cars
Yesterday, President Bush signed the energy bill , saying it would help deal with climate change. Hours later, his Environmental Protection Agency refused to allow 17 states to set their own vehicle emission standards to help curb global warming.
Read the story6 minRising Food Prices: Has Ethanol Backfired?
For 30 years, food prices have been declining worldwide, so much that, in western countries, obesity has become a major problem. But it appears that the era of cheap food has come to an end. As prices are rising all over the world, many Americans don’t have enough to eat.
Read the story34 minDemocrats in Congress End Year with a Whimper
The first Democratic congress in a dozen years has just gone home after ending the first year of a two-year session, with polls showing a historic low in public esteem. What about all those promises during the 2006 campaign?
Read the story9 min
