POVERTY KEEPS GROWING

Despite the economic recovery, the number of Americans living below the poverty line last year climbed to its highest level since 1961, according to a study by the Census Bureau. There were 39.3 million people living in poverty in the U.S. -- 1.3 million more than the year before. It's part of a continuing trend toward increasing income inequality in the U.S., Census officials said. Furthermore, children constitute 40 percent of the poor (even though they are just a quarter of the total population). The study also found that one in three African Americans lives in poverty -- the highest rate of any racial or ethnic group. BTW: The poverty level is defined as income of $14,763 for a family of four.