ABC News Report on the Increase in Poor and Near Poor in America

Walmart Sales Spike Last Day of the Month When Benefits Checks Come In

Take a trip to one of those 24-hour Walmarts on the last day of every month, and you'll get a glimpse into the lives of low-income families trying to get by. At one location in Fredericksburg, Va., at around 11 p.m., families start to load up on necessities like diapers and groceries.

People like Tracy and Martin Young live nearby, and for the pair in their early 30s, it's a chance to shop quietly without their five children, two of whom are teenagers. Each is pushing a shopping cart overflowing with food. There's mac and cheese, bags of cereal and cans of evaporated milk. Most of this has to last for the whole month.

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130272928

Homeless Men Sent to Prison While Ring Leader Evades the Law

Staying at a Grand Rapids homeless shelter, Guy Robert Clawson was offered a cash "job" that covered his beer or liquor for the day.

For years, he worked odd jobs for cash. This seemed no different.

The offer came from a guy named Malik. Clawson and other homeless people could earn $15 to $20 a day buying cold tablets that contained pseudoephedrine, a restricted product that was used to make methamphetamine, authorities said.

Malik drove to stores throughout West Michigan, and supplied cash for the pills. The buyers got $2.50 a box.

www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/10/homeless_men_sent_to_prison_wh.html