Editor’s note: The following piece was written by Makenna Whitworth, CHN’s Fall 2018 intern. Makenna is a senior majoring in political science at Brigham Young University. By Makenna Whitworth The 2018 election results are in and human needs advocates achieved progress on a number of issue fronts through ballot questions. We…
Archives: Voices
Tear-Gassed Children: More Shameful Acts by the Trump Administration
You have probably seen the pictures. U.S. border agents lobbed at least two dozen canisters of tear gas at a small subset of migrants trying to cross the border to San Ysidro, California. About 5,000 people who wish to enter the United States who have come to Tijuana are in…
Teen uses voice to push homelessness legislation
Editor’s note: in the school year 2017-18, student journalists at Summit Public Schools in California were given a project prompt: what does community mean to you? After discussing, the group of students consisting of Giselle Alejo, Michonni Hughes, Judy Ly, Jeana Rose Meneses, and Pauline Velazquez finalized the idea of focusing…
Youth writes about the ignored side of the homeless population
Editor’s note: in the school year 2017-18, student journalists at Summit Public Schools in California were given a project prompt: what does community mean to you? After discussing, the group of students consisting of Giselle Alejo, Michonni Hughes, Judy Ly, Jeana Rose Meneses, and Pauline Velazquez finalized the idea of focusing…
10 things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving
In these times, it sometimes feels like there are many more things to be unthankful for than thankful. The fires out west that have taken the lives of so many. The shootings…again…and again…and again. The undercurrents of racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism that accompanied our recent elections and are encouraged, or…
Before you go…
We know you’re about to break for Thanksgiving. We know you deserve the break. To quote the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun, “It feels like years since it’s been here.” But there’s something we’d like you to do before you go. The Trump Administration has proposed a cruel and unfair…
On Marian Wright Edelman’s New Role
On November 14, Marian Wright Edelman announced that after 45 years as the President of the Children’s Defense Fund she will be transitioning to the role of President Emerita in the Office of the Founder. She will continue to be the strong moral voice that this nation badly needs, insisting…
Generation Indigenous
November is Native American Heritage Month, and on Friday, the Center for American Youth at the Aspen Institute released a report that examined youth issues from a number of perspectives – health care, education, suicide, criminal justice reform and environmental concerns. The theme of the third annual State of Native…
Expected in 2019: Five more Medicaid expansion states. And more could follow.
More than 800,000 residents in five states could soon be covered by Medicaid expansion, due in part to last week’s election results and in part to decisions that were made prior to the elections. And more could follow. Let’s do the Medicaid expansion math. As it stands today, 31 states…
A guide for helping homeless persons
Editor’s note: Guest CHN blogger James Abro is the author of “Facing Homelessness.” He is also a grassroots anti-poverty activist in his community, as well as a national advocate for Homeless Citizens Rights. James helps others write about homelessness and poverty, providing editing and writing assistance. His articles have appeared in The…
CHN: Whose Interests Will Whitaker Protect?
Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director of the Coalition on Human Needs, issued the following statement Thursday in response to Wednesday’s interim appointment of Matt Whitaker as Acting U.S. Attorney General: “The Attorney General of the United States, whether interim or not, is not the President’s lawyer. He, or she, is the…
In a tough election season, human needs advocates mark progress
“When people were selling the politics of fear and division and destruction, we were talking about hope. We were talking about the politics of joy.” — U.S. Rep-Elect Ilhan Omar. Despite a backdrop of xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and racism, human needs advocates achieved progress on a number of issue fronts in this…