Brandy Nichols, a single mother of four children age 8 and younger, speaks to members of the Mississippi House and Senate Democratic Caucuses, about the difficulty of obtaining Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds in Mississippi, Oct. 18, 2022, in Jackson. Funds from the program designed to help low-income families with children achieve economic self-sufficiency, were misspent and lawmakers are seeking to gain a better understanding of the welfare scandal.
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Welfare scandal highlights contrasts in long-poor Mississippi
In Mississippi, where elected officials have a long history of praising self-sufficiency and condemning federal anti-poverty programs, a welfare scandal has exposed how millions of dollars were diverted to the rich and powerful — including pro athletes — instead of helping some of the neediest people in the nation.
