Bad movies: they can happen to anyone and rarely show up with a warning. Continue »

Groupies got stories to tell. Continue »

We gotta hand it to GQ for painting quite the portrait of Kreayshawn in their March issue… Continue »

It’s the ROCK!!! Continue »

Interracial marriages in the U.S. have climbed to 4.8 million Continue »

Tsk tsk tsk…why don’t they just get a blinged out piggy bank? Continue »

Billboard breaks down the top 100 people making it rain in the music biz: Continue »

This is why you need to watch what you eat and stay active: Continue »

Hopefully one-time didn’t believe this guy: Continue »

It doesn’t even seem like it’s been that long, does it? Continue »

Would you let your overweight teenager get lap-band surgery??? Continue »

This guy right here truly ain’t isht: Continue »

Jay-Z, Kanye West Paid $6 Million To Perform At Sweet 16 (GO)

Cheetah The ‘Tarzan’ Chimp Dead at 80 (GO)

Kat Von D’s a Dude in Leather Shorts (GO)

Child Support Facts The Judge Didn’t Tell You (GO)

Bizarre of D12 Gets Nicki Minaj Tattoo (GO)

The Ghost Of Christmas Past: Khloe Kardashian Was A Hot Blonde! (GO)

‘Glee’ Michael Jackson Tribute Episode Song List Leaks (GO)

Lindsay Lohan Isn’t A Party Girl Anymore, You Guys (GO)

Kimora Lee Simmons Radiates on the Cover of Harper’s Bazaar Singapore (GO)

Cory Gunz ft. Meek Mill – “YMCMB MMG” (GO)

Justin Timberlake Manufactures New Music Groups (GO)

John Legend Kicks Off Inevitable Wave Of Holiday Engagements (GO)

Keri Hilson Says No Famous Guys Allowed (GO)

Apps for Kids Who Love to Read (GO)

Is Hip-Hop’s Masculinity Being Challenged, By White Girls? (GO)

According to new data, most of the U.S. population is living that struggle life:

Squeezed by rising living costs, a record number of Americans — nearly 1 in 2 — have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings that classify them as low income. The latest census data depict a middle class that’s shrinking as unemployment stays high and the government’s safety net frays. The new numbers follow years of stagnating wages for the middle class that have hurt millions of workers and families.

“Safety net programs such as food stamps and tax credits kept poverty from rising even higher in 2010, but for many low-income families with work-related and medical expenses, they are considered too `rich’ to qualify,” said Sheldon Danziger, a University of Michigan public policy professor who specializes in poverty.

“The reality is that prospects for the poor and the near poor are dismal,” he said. “If Congress and the states make further cuts, we can expect the number of poor and low-income families to rise for the next several years.” Robert Rector, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, questioned whether some people classified as poor or low-income actually suffer material hardship. He said that while safety-net programs have helped many Americans, they have gone too far, citing poor people who live in decent-size homes, drive cars and own wide-screen TVs.

“There’s no doubt the recession has thrown a lot of people out of work and incomes have fallen,” Rector said. “As we come out of recession, it will be important that these programs promote self-sufficiency rather than dependence and encourage people to look for work.”

Mayors in 29 cities say more than 1 in 4 people needing emergency food assistance did not receive it. Many middle-class Americans are dropping below the low-income threshold — roughly $45,000 for a family of four — because of pay cuts, a forced reduction of work hours or a spouse losing a job. Housing and child-care costs are consuming up to half of a family’s income.

States in the South and West had the highest shares of low-income families, including Arizona, New Mexico and South Carolina, which have scaled back or eliminated aid programs for the needy. By raw numbers, such families were most numerous in California and Texas, each with more than 1 million. About 97.3 million Americans fall into a low-income category, commonly defined as those earning between 100 and 199 percent of the poverty level, based on a new supplemental measure by the Census Bureau that is designed to provide a fuller picture of poverty. Together with the 49.1 million who fall below the poverty line and are counted as poor, they number 146.4 million, or 48 percent of the U.S. population. That’s up by 4 million from 2009, the earliest numbers for the newly developed poverty measure.

Among low-income families, about one-third were considered poor while the remainder — 6.9 million — earned income just above the poverty line. Many states phase out eligibility for food stamps, Medicaid, tax credit and other government aid programs for low-income Americans as they approach 200 percent of the poverty level.

Discuss.

Source

More On Bossip!

The Giving Season: More Ridiculously Expensive Gifts Celebrities Buy Their Boos

Congratulations??? Karrine Steffans Is Toting A Gut Full Of Dread Hubby From St. Thomas?!?!

Overcoming The Odds: The Most Famous Celebrities That Have Been Adopted

Afternoon Reality Cakes: Tough Love Miami’s Leilani Dowding Hits The Pool

For some reason, Forbes.com thought it was a good idea to post an article called “If I Were A Poor Black Kid.” Continue »