California

"It was unclear, for example, how a potential Romney administration would set the level of premium support for Medicare and how much that defined amount would increase as medical costs continue to skyrocket. Though Romney said wealthier seniors would be asked to pay more than low-income seniors, he did not explain how those differentiations would be made."

"As demonstrations against the unequal concentration of wealth in the United States ratchet up, research provides a statistical look at that distribution: The number of people living in poverty has increased; where the poor live is changing; and the faces of those struggling to make ends meet are becoming more Latino, elderly and working-class."

"At Rosa Parks Elementary, for example, low-income and black students are reading better, apparently because of a laser-like focus on the subject.Teachers ensure that every child has books that not only fit their interests but their skill, which is often far below grade level. After-school programs and volunteers also help students read, said Principal Paul Jacobse"

"Moreno, the daughter of an illiterate Mexican bracero worker who worked the fields herself but graduated from high school, also blamed schools for failing to help the children of illegal immigrants graduate."

"The Oakland school district has no shortage of challenges to contend with, but its leaders lately have spent much of their time, energy and political capital on one contentious project: shrinking the school district down to a more manageable size."

"U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the competitive grant program in May along with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The funding is intended to increase the access of low-income and disadvantaged children to quality early childhood education programs."