Hunger in the News: Cory Booker, Jo Ann Emerson, Mark Bittman

Looking for the latest news on hunger and poverty? Here's a roundup of links from around the Web.

"The Good Farmer: Howard G. Buffett's Crusade to Eliminate Hunger in America": Parade profiles Howard G. Buffett—farmer, philanthropist, and son of Warren—who is working to fight hunger, through his own philanthropic foundation and work with Feeding America. 

"Hunger in Plain Sight": New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman says that SNAP and food banks need more funding, not less—something that should be apparent to anyone who looks at hunger "from a moral perspective (love thy neighbor, remember?) or a practical one[.]"

 "What's Behind Cory Booker's Food Stamp Challenge?": Time takes a hard look at the Newark mayor's SNAP challenge, which kicked off yesterday. Coverage also includes an excellent companion piece, "The Problem With Food Stamp Challenges."

"For the Poor, Recovery Is A Mirage": USA Today visits Troy, Ohio, a rural community that has seen a sharp increase in poverty over the last four years. "As lawmakers in Washington grapple with the "fiscal cliff" and Americans do their holiday shopping, thousands of people in Miami County are managing on little or no income."

"Jo Ann Emerson to Retire from House": Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), an anti-hunger champion who introduced the Feeding America’s Families Act with Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), has announced that she will resign from Congress in February.