The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
November 20, 2020

Food Pantries Report Long Lines as Unemployment Claims Rise to 743,000 in One Week
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Labor Department reports 743,000 U.S. workers filed for new
unemployment claims last week - a rise of about 30,000 from the previous
week, as coronavirus infections hit record highs from coast to coast.
This comes as a new study by the Century Foundation found that unless
Republican senators follow House Democrats by passing a COVID relief
bill, 12 million U.S. workers will lose federal unemployment benefits by
December 26.

Here in New York, food banks report they've had to turn away some needy
families amid unprecedented demand. On Monday a Harlem food bank handed
out 500 turkeys to residents, including Ruth Crawford.

Ruth Crawford: "You have to try to relax and think of the better things,
because it wasn't always like this. But this, it's getting to people and
it's just sad. I mean, you work all the time and then, you can't go to
work or, you can't work from home. So it's not easy."

The hunger relief group Feeding America warns some 54 million U.S.
residents currently face food insecurity.


.