vhgibney.bsky.social
@vhgibney.bsky.social
Social policy researcher. All thoughts are my own.
antipoverty policy | children + families | equity
Florida woman in self-exile. Union gal.
antipoverty policy | children + families | equity
Florida woman in self-exile. Union gal.
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
New feature article from TNJ (nation's best student magazine): Inside Yale’s Quiet Reckoning with AI thenewjournalatyale.com/2025/10/insi...
November 16, 2025 at 4:43 PM
New feature article from TNJ (nation's best student magazine): Inside Yale’s Quiet Reckoning with AI thenewjournalatyale.com/2025/10/insi...
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
Food assistance for low-income veterans isn't only at risk because of the shutdown. The Republican megabill's SNAP cuts specifically targeted veterans by eliminating their previous exemption from SNAP's harsh three-month time limit.
This Veterans Day, 1.2 million U.S. veterans who count on SNAP to afford food have been harmed, as the Trump Admin has been withholding benefits during the shutdown and the harmful Republican megabill's deep cuts mean many people will lose SNAP altogether.
November 11, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Food assistance for low-income veterans isn't only at risk because of the shutdown. The Republican megabill's SNAP cuts specifically targeted veterans by eliminating their previous exemption from SNAP's harsh three-month time limit.
New working paper posted last week. This is one of my dissertation chapters, I estimate the effect of a major expansion of the federal EITC on measures of material hardship (it helps!). I’ll have a poster on this at #2025APPAM find me if you want to chat about it papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
<p>The Effect of Expansions to the Earned Income Tax Credit on the Material Hardship of Families with Children</p>
In 2022, nearly half of children in the United States (45 percent, or 32 million) had experienced material hardship, or difficulty meeting a basic need like foo
papers.ssrn.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:43 PM
New working paper posted last week. This is one of my dissertation chapters, I estimate the effect of a major expansion of the federal EITC on measures of material hardship (it helps!). I’ll have a poster on this at #2025APPAM find me if you want to chat about it papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.
Grocery prices have jumped up, and there's no relief in sight
Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.
n.pr
November 9, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Groceries saw their biggest jump in nearly three years last month, a worrisome sign for inflation-weary shoppers. Tariffs are contributing to higher prices for imported staples like bananas and coffee.
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
Update on SNAP payments in D.C.: City officials tell me that the $30 million in local funds being used to cover SNAP will be fully paid out by next week. If federal funds start flowing before that, they may be able to make a swap and save some of the local funds being used.
The federal shutdown has now lasted more than a month — approaching the record 35 days in 2018-2019.
Late last week, though, D.C. took a step to keep the situation from getting even worse for tens of thousands of local households.
Late last week, though, D.C. took a step to keep the situation from getting even worse for tens of thousands of local households.
D.C. will use its own money to pay for SNAP amid shutdown
The Trump administration has refused to use contingency funding to pay for food assistance.
51st.news
November 7, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Update on SNAP payments in D.C.: City officials tell me that the $30 million in local funds being used to cover SNAP will be fully paid out by next week. If federal funds start flowing before that, they may be able to make a swap and save some of the local funds being used.
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
Update: USDA revised their #SNAP contingency fund plan to provide households with a larger share of their November benefits. This is an important but inadequate step. Families need their full benefits to afford groceries & the Administration has the authority to provide them.
New data: CBPP analyzed USDA’s contingency fund spending plan & found it is only going to release 2/3 of the funding they committed to in court filings, cutting families’ SNAP benefits far more than necessary, violating USDA’s own regulations & shortchanging millions of families.
November 6, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Update: USDA revised their #SNAP contingency fund plan to provide households with a larger share of their November benefits. This is an important but inadequate step. Families need their full benefits to afford groceries & the Administration has the authority to provide them.
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
New data: CBPP analyzed USDA’s contingency fund spending plan & found it is only going to release 2/3 of the funding they committed to in court filings, cutting families’ SNAP benefits far more than necessary, violating USDA’s own regulations & shortchanging millions of families.
November 5, 2025 at 4:40 PM
New data: CBPP analyzed USDA’s contingency fund spending plan & found it is only going to release 2/3 of the funding they committed to in court filings, cutting families’ SNAP benefits far more than necessary, violating USDA’s own regulations & shortchanging millions of families.
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
To comply with court order, Trump Regime to pay out enough money to fund SNAP benefits at 50% for November.
More at www.patreon.com/posts/142745...
More at www.patreon.com/posts/142745...
November 3, 2025 at 5:35 PM
To comply with court order, Trump Regime to pay out enough money to fund SNAP benefits at 50% for November.
More at www.patreon.com/posts/142745...
More at www.patreon.com/posts/142745...
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
If you think your kids aren't old enough to hear about what's happening in this country, remember that there are millions of kids their same age who don't have that choice.
"[Chicago mom] Andrea Soria... overheard her 6-year-old whisper to her dolls: 'We have to be good or ICE will get us.'"
apnews.com/article/chic...
apnews.com/article/chic...
Chicago's children are getting caught in the chaos of immigration crackdowns
In Chicago, children and families have been traumatized by an immigration enforcement action involving tear gas.
apnews.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:45 PM
If you think your kids aren't old enough to hear about what's happening in this country, remember that there are millions of kids their same age who don't have that choice.
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
Families cannot afford further delays. The Administration must immediately release the contingency reserves and use their legal authority to transfer additional funds so families can get the full benefits they need to buy food as quickly as possible.
October 31, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Families cannot afford further delays. The Administration must immediately release the contingency reserves and use their legal authority to transfer additional funds so families can get the full benefits they need to buy food as quickly as possible.
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
SNAP, the country's largest anti-hunger program, dates back to the Great Depression and has never been disrupted this way. Most recipients are seniors, families with kids, and those with disabilities. n.pr/48PNNIt
'Uncharted territory': Ongoing shutdown threatens food aid for 42 million people
SNAP, the country's largest anti-hunger program, dates back to the Great Depression and has never been disrupted this way. Most recipients are seniors, families with kids, and those with disabilities.
n.pr
October 24, 2025 at 12:49 PM
SNAP, the country's largest anti-hunger program, dates back to the Great Depression and has never been disrupted this way. Most recipients are seniors, families with kids, and those with disabilities. n.pr/48PNNIt
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
The Administration can and should take action immediately to ensure November #SNAP benefits go out on time. Nearly two-thirds of needed funds are available right now in the contingency fund. www.cbpp.org/blog/the-tru...
The Trump Administration Can and Should Take Available Steps to Ensure SNAP Participants Get November Food Benefits
Nearly two-thirds of the funds needed for a full month of benefits are available in SNAP’s contingency fund and must be used when regular funding for SNAP runs short. The Administration must release t...
www.cbpp.org
October 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The Administration can and should take action immediately to ensure November #SNAP benefits go out on time. Nearly two-thirds of needed funds are available right now in the contingency fund. www.cbpp.org/blog/the-tru...
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
Not the point of the post, but it's extremely illegal for the Trump admin to not use the $6 billion in the SNAP contingency fund on benefits for November. In addition, USDA has broad transfer authority - like they used to make WIC whole - to help plug the gap (you need about $8 bn for the month).
New shutdown problem: Miami is the U.S. capital for seniors on food stamps
www.miamiherald.com/news/local/a...
www.miamiherald.com/news/local/a...
New shutdown problem: Miami is the U.S. capital for seniors on food stamps
Florida is warning families not to expect their EBT cards to be reloaded next month, increasing pressure on Congress to end the government shutdown.
www.miamiherald.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Not the point of the post, but it's extremely illegal for the Trump admin to not use the $6 billion in the SNAP contingency fund on benefits for November. In addition, USDA has broad transfer authority - like they used to make WIC whole - to help plug the gap (you need about $8 bn for the month).
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
The Administration is legally required to use contingency reserves to fund November benefits for the 1 in 8 Americans who need #SNAP to afford groceries, despite USDA Sec. Rollins’ claim that the Administration is unable to do so. My statement: www.cbpp.org/press/statem...
Trump Administration Is Legally Required to Provide SNAP in Shutdown, Contrary to Its Claims
Secretary Rollins’ claim that the Trump Administration is unable to deliver November SNAP benefits during a shutdown is unequivocally false. The Administration is legally required to use contingency r...
www.cbpp.org
October 23, 2025 at 6:53 PM
The Administration is legally required to use contingency reserves to fund November benefits for the 1 in 8 Americans who need #SNAP to afford groceries, despite USDA Sec. Rollins’ claim that the Administration is unable to do so. My statement: www.cbpp.org/press/statem...
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
For DC, this combined with federal workers who are furloughed now needing to access the local food banks, will be devastating
I want more people to care that SNAP benefits are being cut off on November 1. 40% of SNAP beneficiaries are children. This is callous and vile.
October 22, 2025 at 2:44 AM
For DC, this combined with federal workers who are furloughed now needing to access the local food banks, will be devastating
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
Military members lined up at a food bank because Trump's shutdown means that people aren't getting paid.
This video from @scrippsnews.bsky.social is getting wide circulation on Instagram, which is where I downloaded it from Don Lemon's account.
This video from @scrippsnews.bsky.social is getting wide circulation on Instagram, which is where I downloaded it from Don Lemon's account.
October 11, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Military members lined up at a food bank because Trump's shutdown means that people aren't getting paid.
This video from @scrippsnews.bsky.social is getting wide circulation on Instagram, which is where I downloaded it from Don Lemon's account.
This video from @scrippsnews.bsky.social is getting wide circulation on Instagram, which is where I downloaded it from Don Lemon's account.
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
❗❗❗ You may have heard that USDA ended a long-running data collection on food insecurity and called it "redundant." Our friends @kcww.bsky.social and Isabel Pastoor at @ipums.bsky.social fact-checked that claim.
Read what they found:
blog.popdata.org/food-securit...
Read what they found:
blog.popdata.org/food-securit...
October 10, 2025 at 10:48 PM
❗❗❗ You may have heard that USDA ended a long-running data collection on food insecurity and called it "redundant." Our friends @kcww.bsky.social and Isabel Pastoor at @ipums.bsky.social fact-checked that claim.
Read what they found:
blog.popdata.org/food-securit...
Read what they found:
blog.popdata.org/food-securit...
On Friday, Michigan's legislature approved a budget that allocates $270 million ($20 million from TANF + $250 million from the state's Healthy Michigan fund) to scale up #RxKids, the GI pilot that started in Flint, MI.
www.freep.com/story/news/l...
www.freep.com/story/news/l...
Michigan cash aid program for moms and babies gets 'massive investment' in state budget
The additional funding will allow Rx Kids to expand to more low-income communities and reach about 100,000 babies over the next few years.
www.freep.com
October 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
On Friday, Michigan's legislature approved a budget that allocates $270 million ($20 million from TANF + $250 million from the state's Healthy Michigan fund) to scale up #RxKids, the GI pilot that started in Flint, MI.
www.freep.com/story/news/l...
www.freep.com/story/news/l...
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
📣 I am recruiting PhD student(s) in Public Affairs (Fall '26) at the Humphrey School, University of Minnesota! Come join me to work on Development/ Labor/ Education/ Gender/ ECD/ Inequality - in a top-ranked, fully-funded PhD program! Details: www.hhh.umn.edu/doctor-philo... #EconSky #PoliSky
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Affairs
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Affairs offers rigorous, advanced study that prepares researchers to enter academia or join highly respected institutions involved in cutting edge research in ...
www.hhh.umn.edu
October 1, 2025 at 8:59 PM
📣 I am recruiting PhD student(s) in Public Affairs (Fall '26) at the Humphrey School, University of Minnesota! Come join me to work on Development/ Labor/ Education/ Gender/ ECD/ Inequality - in a top-ranked, fully-funded PhD program! Details: www.hhh.umn.edu/doctor-philo... #EconSky #PoliSky
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
Premium tax credit enhancements help tipped workers, veterans, small business workers, farmers, and older people afford health coverage. Their premiums will soon spike and millions of them will lose coverage if the enhancements expire. (1/5)
October 1, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Premium tax credit enhancements help tipped workers, veterans, small business workers, farmers, and older people afford health coverage. Their premiums will soon spike and millions of them will lose coverage if the enhancements expire. (1/5)
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
The Trump Administration is defunding important surveys and undermining federal statistical agencies, suppressing data that would reveal the harmful effects of the Republican megabill’s deep cuts and leaving families’ struggles harder to track. www.cbpp.org/research/pov...
Federal Data Are Disappearing as Statistical Agencies Face Budget Cuts and Political Pressure | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Federal statistical agencies face increasingly overt politicization by the Trump Administration on top of chronic underinvestment, uncertainty, and recent and proposed budget cuts, all of which threat...
www.cbpp.org
September 29, 2025 at 2:51 PM
The Trump Administration is defunding important surveys and undermining federal statistical agencies, suppressing data that would reveal the harmful effects of the Republican megabill’s deep cuts and leaving families’ struggles harder to track. www.cbpp.org/research/pov...
Without sufficient funding and freedom from political interference, the federal statistical system as we know it — and our ability to make economic and policy decisions based in reality — are in jeopardy. www.cbpp.org/research/pov...
Federal Data Are Disappearing as Statistical Agencies Face Budget Cuts and Political Pressure | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Federal statistical agencies face increasingly overt politicization by the Trump Administration on top of chronic underinvestment, uncertainty, and recent and proposed budget cuts, all of which threat...
www.cbpp.org
September 29, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Without sufficient funding and freedom from political interference, the federal statistical system as we know it — and our ability to make economic and policy decisions based in reality — are in jeopardy. www.cbpp.org/research/pov...
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
Local officials charged with administering the country’s social safety net said changes in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will tax an already strained system.
County officials say they lack resources to handle Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill
Changes to social services are likely to increase administrative work, and counties will shoulder the burden in several states.
www.politico.com
September 27, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Local officials charged with administering the country’s social safety net said changes in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will tax an already strained system.
SNAP-Ed supports nutrition and physical activity programming and public health initiatives for SNAP-eligible kids and adults in all 50 states + DC. On Sept 30, SNAP-Ed will end because of #OBBB. @tampabaytimes.bsky.social recently highlighted SNAP-Ed in Florida: www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
As federal funding dries up, this UF nutrition program is shutting down
SNAP-Ed programs have taught families how to access and afford healthy food since the 1970s
www.tampabay.com
September 27, 2025 at 9:18 PM
SNAP-Ed supports nutrition and physical activity programming and public health initiatives for SNAP-eligible kids and adults in all 50 states + DC. On Sept 30, SNAP-Ed will end because of #OBBB. @tampabaytimes.bsky.social recently highlighted SNAP-Ed in Florida: www.tampabay.com/news/educati...
Reposted by vhgibney.bsky.social
President Trump’s sweeping domestic policy law fundamentally alters how food stamps are funded. Some states warn that the entire SNAP program is at risk of being eliminated if legislatures cannot come up with their share.
States Grapple With Fundamental Change in Food Stamps
Whether states can find the money in their budgets — billions of dollars in some cases — will have wide-ranging, and likely uneven, consequences for some 42 million recipients.
nyti.ms
September 20, 2025 at 8:20 PM
President Trump’s sweeping domestic policy law fundamentally alters how food stamps are funded. Some states warn that the entire SNAP program is at risk of being eliminated if legislatures cannot come up with their share.