Nutrition Assistance for Puerto Rico is a federal assistance
nutritional program provided by the US Department of Agriculture
(USDA) solely to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the
United States. It provides over $1.5 billion in supplemental economic
resources to help just over 1 million impoverished residents cope with
their nutritional needs. Since its inception in 1982, the program has
been providing low-income families living in Puerto Rico with cash
benefits used for food purchases. It is a collaborative effort between
the USDA and the island's government, where the former provides annual
federal appropriations for the Puerto Rico government to distribute
individually among eligible participants. Although the methods of
providing such benefits have changed over the years, the program's
basic objective of helping low-income families meet their nutritional
needs has remained constant. It has, however, been controversial
throughout its existence. Federal reviews and assessments have
revealed deficiencies in its operations and management, requiring the
implementation of various changes, including increased scrutiny. It
has also attracted both criticism and advocacy from Puerto Rico and
the United States over its effectiveness in helping poor families and
its impact on Puerto Rico's social classes and economy.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrition_Assistance_for_Puerto_Rico
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1279:
The Song Dynasty in Imperial China ended with a victory by the Yuan
Dynasty at the Battle of Yamen off the coast of Xinhui, Guangdong
Province.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_Dynasty)
1687:
The search for the mouth of the Mississippi River led by French
explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle ended with a mutiny
and his murder in present-day Texas.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Robert_Cavelier%2C_Sieur_de_La_Salle)
1915:
Pluto was photographed for the first time, 15 years before it was
eventually discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto)
1941:
The Tuskegee Airmen, the first all-African American unit of the
United States Army Air Corps, was activated.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen)
1978:
In response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the United Nations
called on Israel to immediately withdraw its forces from Lebanon, and
established the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_425)
1982:
Argentine forces led by Alfredo Astiz occupied South Georgia,
precipitating the Falklands War against the United Kingdom.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Georgia_and_the_South_Sandwich_Islands)
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Wiktionary's Word of the day:
vaunt: To speak boastfully.
(
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vaunt)
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Wikiquote of the day:
Do what thy manhood bids thee do, from none but self expect applause;
He noblest lives and noblest dies who makes and keeps his self-made
laws.
-- Sir Richard Francis Burton
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Francis_Burton)