A new survey says the city of Mobile ranks high among other U.S. cities when it comes to residents in need. The think-tank called Wallet Hub did a study on one hundred and fifty cities for the number of disadvantaged citizens. Mobile ranked high at one hundred and forty six. That’s just short of Detroit, which came in at one hundred and fifty. Wallet Hub spokesman Jill Gonzales says the group looked at factors like poverty or how many people lived without a full kitchen…
“Because a lot of this applies to people who don’t have a running refrigerator. Who can’t keep their food fresh or even edible. So, that effects how people are eating and if they have the ability to eat.”
Wallet Hub says more low income Americans are experiencing economic struggles and that’s changing the national picture of people in need.
Alabama preschoolers could soon benefit from a federal grant. APR’s Pat Duggins has more…
Alabama is one of eighteen states receiving federal grants to boost access to preschool programs. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced the grants today. Washington is awarding more than two hundred and twenty six million dollars nationally. Alabama will be given seventeen and a half million in development grants. The development grants are meant to help states with no or small preschool programs. Federal officials say they expect the grants to help states develop high-quality preschool programs in regionally diverse communities ranging from urban to suburban and rural.
The Alabama Department of health says the current vaccine isn’t designed to stop the flu strain known as A/Switzerland. State Health Officer Don Williamson says this type of flu was identified too late to be put into the vaccine which includes four other strains.
Williamson says the A/Switzerland strain will likely be the problem virus this year. A major concern of health officials is an increase in the number of health care workers who get sick. The center for Disease Control and Prevention found that over half of the samples that were tested in the US showed positive for the A/Switzerland strain.
Williamson still encourages people to get the vaccine to protect against other strains and to lessen the severity of an A/Switzerland infection.
