As NewsBusters Associate Editor Nick Fondacaro diagnosed it on Monday’s podcast, ABC News this weekend decided to morph into the infamous Spider Man meme as it simultaneously continued to peddle the leftist spin that the economy’s healthy and roaring while also bemoaning the end of pandemic-era food stamps.
Our Kevin Tober had the latest example of the latter as, on Sunday’s This Week, the newscast aired footage of World News Tonight anchor David Muir’s interview with President Biden in which Muir lamented the lack of consumer confidence. But it also featured panelist Asma Khalid of NPR also befuddled.
In Rich Noyes’s massive, February 13 study on inflation, 88 minutes of inflation coverage from May 2022 to January 2023 touted President Biden’s supposed to fight inflation, so it’s more than a pattern of behavior.
But on Monday’s Good Morning America, it was a gloomy picture. With a chyron reading “Loss of Extra SNAP Benefits Will Affect 30 Million Americans,” senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott fretted “many Americans who rely on these programs tell us the reality is it'll be harder for them to put food on the table.”
Citing the “nearly 30 million Americans” who “will lose additional support...to help...buy groceries,” Scott conceded the boost in food stamps “was only meant to be temporary” and will “expire on March 1.”
“Just to put this into perspective, that means, for the average family that relies on these benefits, they will be losing $95 a month. Others could lose even more, up to $250,” Scott added.
Citing the 18 states who’ve already cut off said benefits, she said more visits to food pantries “will be the reality for nearly 30 million Americans...at a time when we are dealing with record-high inflation, the cost of groceries have gone up.”
Saturday’s World News Tonight had a similar tone. Anchor Whit Johnson bemoaned that “pandemic-era food benefits” are “set to expire this week, likely to have a huge impact on million of American families. Some experiencing a drop of hundreds of dollars per month, and it comes at a time of rising inflation and wages unable to keep up.”
Correspondent Alexis Christoforous had the story about how “nearly 30 million Americans across the country” are “now bracing for a significant cut in their monthly food stamp benefits”.
“For the average recipient, it means $95 a month in groceries. For others, much more,” she added.
Citing 18 states that “have already ended the temporary boost to SNAP benefits,” Christoforous painted a grim picture of the economy (click “expand”):
CHRISTOFOROUS: It comes as inflation continues to surge and wages fail to keep up with rising prices for gas, rent, and food, up more than 10 percent in the past year. A gallon of milk averaging $420, up from $3.67 a year ago. Food pantries trying to meet the rising demand. The Atlanta Community Food Bank seeing a 30 percent increase in visits since Georgia ended benefits in May.
ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK PRESIDENT & CEO KYLE WAIDE: Many of those folks are accessing our network for the first time in their lives.
(....)
CHRISTOFOROUS: That's a request many people are asking tonight, some appealing to states to close the gap in federal funding. So far, only New Jersey agreed to extend those extra SNAP benefits.
ABC’s laments about the end of extended food stamps in what’s supposed to be a roaring economy was brought to you by advertisers such as AARP Medicare Supplement Plans from United Health Care (on February 25) and FedEx (on February 27). Follow the links to see their contact information at the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant transcripts from February 25 and 27, click “expand.”
ABC’s World News Tonight with Whit Johnson
February 25, 2023
6:31 p.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Pandemic Benefit Set to Expire]
WHIT JOHNSON: Millions of struggling Americans are about to take a hit as peak benefits are set to expire. We'll meet a family that stands to lose more than $700 a month at a time food prices are skyrocketing.
(....)
6:44 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Pandemic Benefit Set to Expire]
JOHNSON: Turning now to the pandemic-era food benefit set to expire this week, likely to have a huge impact on million of American families. Some experiencing a drop of hundreds of dollars per month, and it comes at a time of rising inflation and wages unable to keep up. Here's ABC's Alexis Christoforous.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Developing Now; Pandemic Benefit Set to Expire; 30 Million Americans to Be Impacted by March First]
ALEXIS CHRISTOFOROUS: Tonight, nearly 30 million Americans across the country now bracing for a significant cut in their monthly food stamp benefits. In just days, the federal government ending pandemic-era payments for low income families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, the expiration date set for March 1st. For the average recipient, it means $95 a month in groceries. For others, much more, like the hardy family of four in Marshfield, Wisconsin, whose benefits will shrink from $950 to $200 a month.
DEANNA HARDAY: We're really going to struggle. We're going to have to go back to cheaper, you know, noodles, processed stuff. Because the meat, the dairy, fruits, veggies, it's expensive.
CHRISTOFOROUS: 18 states have already ended the temporary boost to SNAP benefits. It comes as inflation continues to surge and wages fail to keep up with rising prices for gas, rent, and food, up more than 10 percent in the past year. A gallon of milk averaging $420, up from $3.67 a year ago. Food pantries trying to meet the rising demand. The Atlanta Community Food Bank seeing a 30 percent increase in visits since Georgia ended benefits in May.
ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK PRESIDENT & CEO KYLE WAIDE: Many of those folks are accessing our network for the first time in their lives.
CHRISTOFOROUS: Deanna Hardy worries about the future.
HARDAY: If prices keep going the way they're going and we can't even make it work now, what is it going to be like six months from now?
CHRISTOFOROUS: That's a request many people are asking tonight, some appealing to states to close the gap in federal funding. So far, only New Jersey agreed to extend those extra SNAP benefits. Whit?
JOHNSON: Alexis Christoforous, our thanks to you tonight.
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ABC’s Good Morning America
February 27, 2023
7:13 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Washington Rundown; Pandemic Food Aid Ending Wednesday; Loss of Extra SNAP Benefits Will Affect 30 Million Americans]
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Now to our Washington rundown...[T]he expiration of pandemic SNAP benefits as of Wednesday, which will affect 30 million Americans. Rachel Scott is at the White House with the details. Good morning, Rachel.
RACHEL SCOTT: Hey, George, good morning. And many Americans who rely on these programs tell us the reality is it'll be harder for them to put food on the table. In just a few days, nearly 30 million Americans will lose additional support from the federal government to help them buy groceries. This was a program that was put in place during the pandemic, giving low-income Americans who rely on food stamps and additional help to buy groceries. It was only meant to be temporary. It's now set to expire on March 1. Just to put this into perspective, that means, for the average family that relies on these benefits, they will be losing $95 a month. Others could lose even more, up to $250. 18 states across the country have expired these benefits, including in states like Georgia where food pantries tell us they've seen the lines get longer. They've seen visits to their food pantries increase since these benefits have expired. At this point, though, this will be the reality for nearly 30 million Americans and of course, all of this comes at a time when we are dealing with record-high inflation, the cost of groceries have gone up. Just take the price of eggs for example, now costing Americans $4.82. That's more than double what it was a year ago, George.
