
Chicago-area group Families Helping Families is one of many organizations nationwide that uses the power of community to help families in need. Local residents provide Joseph’s group with housing, support and other services when families need them, and Chicago is a microcosm of these organizations.

The teacher strike in Obama’s home city of Chicago is keeping almost 350,000 students out of school, putting parents who can’t afford to lose a day’s pay in a tough position. This clash over greater education spending comes on the heels of nearly $100 billion in federal stimulus spending for America’s schools — while it may have saved jobs, the results for students have been average, and even poor.

In New York, an atheist group has sued the private non-profit that operates the national memorial — just for including one iconic cross among the 1,000 artifacts on display for visitors during the commemoration.