Thursday, September 24: Immigration policy takes a toll on senior care, gray wolf debate, hundreds of thousands lose SNAP benefits even as Congress continues to debate cuts
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“We have basically cut off or severely limited every pipeline that we have for bringing in, for welcoming foreign-born workers, many of whom end up working in our sector in aging services.”
– Katie Smith Sloan, LeadingAge CEO
A young caregiver conducts a quick health exam on her patient. The federal immigration crackdown is harming the senior healthcare workforce in Wisconsin, industry leaders say. (Getty Images creative)
Some home health agencies and nursing homes in Wisconsin have had to give up on plans started years ago to hire overseas workers after President Donald Trump’s administration suspended nearly all refugee programs. The administration also terminated Temporary Protected Status for people from 13 countries. Astrid Code of Wisconsin Watch reports on industry leaders’ concerns that the policies are weakening an already struggling workforce that helps care for older adults and disabled people.
Tom Tiffany, as a member of the Wisconsin Assembly, the state Senate and as a member of Congress, has been an especially vocal supporter of intense management of the state wolf population, and has attempted to delist wolves through congressional action. “But Tiffany’s own rhetoric, exaggerations and misleading comments have not been useful at attaining delisting,” writes wolf management expert Adrian Wydeven in a commentary.
New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows more than 330,000 Americans lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program between May and June, the latest numbers available. Those numbers come as advocates pressure Congress to reverse the SNAP cuts they say will exacerbate growing hunger across the country as grocery prices continue to soar. Kevin Hardy of Stateline reports.
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ICYMI
A sign noting the acceptance of electronic benefit transfer cards for food aid is displayed at a grocery store in California. New data shows millions of Americans have lost food stamps since the passage of a major law last year. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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