FGGAM MEDIA CENTER just received this report:
With states losing massive amounts of tax revenue while still having to support their residents during the coronavirus pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the States That Need the Most Financial Help Due to COVID-19, as well as accompanying videos.
To identify which states may need the most financial help due to the coronavirus crisis, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 18 key metrics. Our data set ranges from the state’s rainy-day funds and debt per capita to the share of the workforce in highly-affected industries. Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A.
| States That Need Most Financial Help | States That Need Least Financial Help |
| 1. Louisiana | 41. Minnesota |
| 2. Kentucky | 42. Arkansas |
| 3. Florida | 43. Oregon |
| 4. New Hampshire | 44. Utah |
| 5. New York | 45. Wisconsin |
| 6. Illinois | 46. Nebraska |
| 7. New Jersey | 47. Vermont |
| 8. Nevada | 48. South Dakota |
| 9. Michigan | 49. Wyoming |
| 10. South Carolina | 50. Iowa |
Key Stats
- Alaska has the most unfunded pension liabilities as share of GSP, 65.70 percent, which is 4.6 times more than in Nebraska, the state with the fewest at 14.26 percent.
- New York has the highest state and local debt per capita, $19,961, which is 5.3 times higher than in Idaho, the state with the lowest at $3,733.
- Texas has the lowest reserve ratio, 0.31, which is 19.4 times lower than in Oregon, the state with the highest at 6.00.
- California has the lowest small business loan amount approved in response to COVID-19 as a share of eligible payroll, 37.90 percent, which is 2.1 times lower than in Nebraska, the state with the highest at 80.70 percent.
- Georgia has the highest unemployment claims increase since the beginning of the pandemic, 4769.85 percent, which is 4.3 times higher than in Oregon, the state with the lowest at 1107.89 percent.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-that-need-most-financial-help-due-to-covid-19/74485/
Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to schedule a phone, Skype or in-studio interview with one of our analysts. Full data sets for specific states are also available upon request. In addition, feel free to embed this YouTube video summarizing the study on your website, and to use or edit these raw files as you see fit.
Best,
Diana Polk
WalletHub Communications Manager
(202) 684-6386
Q&A with WalletHub
How are state budgets affected by the coronavirus pandemic?
“Many states are experiencing budget deficits because they have spent an extraordinary amount of money fighting the COVID-19 pandemic while taking in far less tax revenue than normal due to business closings. States with deficits have been forced to cut funds from less urgent areas to fill their immediate needs,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “It is crucial for the federal government to take the predicament of state budget shortfalls seriously so that vital services like education do not receive sharp cuts and we can minimize the severity of the unintended consequences stemming from our response to the pandemic.”
Should the federal government provide additional aid to states?
“The federal government should provide additional aid to states during the coronavirus crisis, as the $765 billion given so far through the CARES Act and other programs only comes out to around $2,300 per U.S. resident. Though more proposals for federal aid are in the pipeline, it may be a long time before Congress agrees on anything,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “The federal government should consider providing additional support not just to states but to individual citizens as well, since 84 percent of Americans would like another stimulus check, according to a recent WalletHub survey, and extra money in the hands of consumers would add some more liquidity into local economies.”
Why does Louisiana need the most financial help during the pandemic?
“Louisiana needs the most financial help during the coronavirus pandemic in part because the state’s rainy-day fund can’t sustain government operations for more than a few weeks, which leaves it unprepared to weather a budget crisis,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Louisiana has seen the fifth-lowest rebound in tax revenues since the Great Recession, and it is one of only six states where tax revenue has never exceeded pre-recession levels. Since Louisiana doesn’t have an adequate rainy-day fund or extra tax revenue to fall back on, it needs more support from the federal government.”
Why does Iowa need the least financial help during the COVID-19 pandemic?
“One major reason why Iowa needs the least financial help during the COVID-19 crisis is that it is among the states most prepared for a severe recession. Iowa’s financial reserves would be able to make up for a higher percentage of the shock from a recession than the reserves of all but nine other states,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Industries that have been highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic – such as arts, entertainment, accommodation and food services – make up a very small portion of Iowa’s GDP, so the state has not been hit as hard by business closures as many other states, either.”
From FGGAM MEDIA CENTER TODAY:
THE UNRAVELING OF AMERICA!
“The fact that fewer than one out of five born-again adults hold a biblical worldview highlights the extensive decline of core Christian principles in America,” George Barna
President Trump had to go into the bunker at the White House because of all the violence last night in D.C.
I live in a country that does not think their is ramification for bad behaviors like killing, killing babies, killing each other, rape, etc.. ….. America is falling Lord, I pray the people wake up. Is it too late Lord? Many have their blinders on Lord, they think all this evil will just go away……We are a divided nation…..Republicans and Democrats hate each other….they do not provide leadership, just hate. They fight and fight as America sinks.
I live in a country where people hire people to do do violent acts!!!??? JAIL TIME! THROW THE KEY AWAY!
There has to be a radical shift in America to JESUS CHRIST! NOT POLITICS! Politics has led to this chaos. I always look for the fruit? Where is it?
America is burning with hate and violence. All hell has broken loose. America has no peacemaker….only division makers and hate mongers. We have no leadership in our country. We are in the depths of hell. I have warned about this for years. All this hate speech is finally taking its toll. Hate is like pouring gas on a fire and this is what has happened. The killing of Mr. Floyd is what ignited the final match. America was already in the midst of a hate war with the pandemic. People fighting over everything from masks to opening up states. We fight over everything. Unemployment is at the Great Depression Level. 40 million unemployed and climbing? Federal Deficit could fill all oceans with red ink, The people of been forgotten, the peoples business goes undone. WE HAVE ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN! Many in America do not know Jesus, many that do, speak too much hate, which in my book is not a Christian.
Many have thrown this command of Jesus into the trash……..A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.
–John 13:34-35
Last week a Christian lady attacked me because I said “America does not have a peacemaker” America does not, many do not know JESUS! America needs a peacemaker that will bring people together such as Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, people that will take a peaceful stand like Rosa Parks. Many Churches in America have failed to carry out the Great Commission.
Years ago a friend of mine from another country said, You Americans need missionaries to come to your country and share Jesus…”
The World is watching us burn……..
Fires light up Washington D.C. on third night of George Floyd protests
Sunday evening’s demonstrations began peacefully but deteriorated into firecrackers, tear gas and multiple fires
Read in The Guardian: https://apple.news/AqsZbHKM4Sf6ufu8j5Vx-Uw
Dr. Jim Denison:
Last night, cities across America saw a sixth evening of mass demonstrations following Mr. Floyd’s death. The entire Washington, DC, National Guard was called in to respond to protests outside the White House and elsewhere in the nation’s capital. A tanker truck drove through thousands of people who were marching on a Minneapolis highway, though none of the protesters was injured. At least forty cities have imposed curfews.
POLICE ARREST 150; DRIVER WHO BARRELED INTO CROWD HELD
RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII – STAR TRIBUNE
Gallery: Police arrested about 150 protesters Sunday night at Bobby and Steve’s gas station near Washington Avenue and Hwy. 35W.
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This is from my Dear Brother in Christ Pastor Alan Hawkins….
Alan Hawkins
A terrible evil was visited upon George Floyd we all saw it and were horrified and enraged. The entire nation was united that this form of police brutality was unthinkable and intolerable.
We did not know what caused it so we assumed the worst. We threw gas on the fire with accusations that had no direct immediate foundation.
Still we were united in condemnation of the act, of the actors, and of the images that it hearkend. Whether it was racially motivated or not we were united that our history validated an inward inventory and outward confession.
Then we applauded the act of public protest. We all said it was justified given our historical failures.
Underneath was not just our history but a growing tendency to condemn this sin whether it is proven or just suspected. Those embers of a million accusations were underbrush in a forest waiting for lightning to strike.
Civil protests became local riots and ironically even horribly we began to invoke words of Martin Luther King to justify our rage.
Now the situation is escalating and we have no leaders with the moral courage and commensurate authority to mitigate the inferno.
We are reaping the wind.
Are there any peacemakers? Is there anyone to repent and say we don’t want this? How many babies must we throw to these new gods that we worship to assuage our anger and theirs.
In the absence of answers I to cry out.
We have sinned! We and our fathers have sinned and we have killed the prophets just like we killed your son. Now our children are in danger of being killed because our wrath is not satisfied. Forgive us LORD and take this terrible vile vengeance out of our hearts. We claim you are love but our hearts thirst for blood. Have mercy before we are destroyed.
“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” Ez 22:30.
FGGAM MEDIA CENTER received this message today……What Is Real Repentance?
Leaders for ‘The Return,’ a National Prayer Observance on Sept. 26 in Washington, D.C., Urge a 180-Degree Turn for America
NEW YORK—Believers and nonbelievers alike know that repentance is turning away from sin. But what does that truly mean?
Real repentance refers to a change of thinking, a renewing of the mind, which then produces a change of living.
The hope and prayer of a group of nationally known leaders, led by Jonathan Cahn. pictured above, and Kevin Jessip, is that a national and global movement called “The Return,” culminating with a major event on Sept. 26 in Washington, D.C., will spur people everywhere to call upon the Lord and repent.
“Repentance is a turnaround of a sinful, self-centered way within us,” said Cahn. “Repentance is a 180-degree turn in our heart and mind. A person is going one way, then realizes he is going the wrong direction and turns to the right direction. We are a tri-part creation of spirit, soul and body. We turn away from self-serving activities and turn to God, to walk in His ways.”
“The Return” focuses on these five elements of a journey that leads to God’s redemption of the human condition, knowing that it is only the Holy Spirit who can lead a person to return to God:
- Repentance
- Reconciliation
- Restoration
- Revival
- Reformation
“Repentance is not a one-time occurrence, but a way of life,” Jessip added. “When we turn from our sin to the Savior, it’s that repentant attitude that continues through our life’s journey. An unbeliever doesn’t have a repentant heart toward his sin. An unbeliever, or one who thinks he or she is right with God, yet has not repented of sin, is living in self-deceit. On the other hand, a true Christian, a follower of Christ, trembles at God’s Word consistently, and he believes His Word, therefore, walks in a reverent fear of the Lord.”
“The Return” is for all believers who love the Lord from all denominations and backgrounds. Believers and leaders already on board with “The Return” include everyone from Pat Robertson to James Dobson to Billy Graham’s daughter Anne Graham Lotz to Martin Luther King’s niece Alveda King—and many more.
Continued Cahn, “Genuine repentance will produce a change in the way we live our everyday lives. The Gospel writers record that man must ‘bear fruit in keeping with repentance’ (Matthew 3:8, Luke 3:8). What God requires of us is a humble admission of the sins we’ve committed, the will of God we have violated, and for us to offer Him a willingness to have a change of mind and heart, and to walk in the fruits of repentance brings, which is joy and freedom!”
Cahn has also recorded a special video for “The Return,” which already has over a million views. Watch here.
“The Return” is set for 40 days before the presidential election, and on the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, in the days of America’s founding and dedication to God. Surrounding the “The Day of Return” on Sept. 26 will be 10 days, known from ancient times as the Days of Awe, to be set as a special time of prayer and repentance from Sept. 18-28.
Coordinated events within “The Return” movement will also take place throughout America’s cities, towns, houses of worship and homes, as well as in multiple countries around the world, as many believe the nation has been given a critical window of opportunity to repent and return to God.
Visit “The Return” at www.TheReturn.org to register and learn more. Follow “The Return” on social media at Facebook: @ReturnEvent2020; Twitter: @2020_Return; and Instagram: @The_Return2020.
New George Barna Research: ‘Dangerously’ Low Percentage of Americans Have a Biblical WorldviewSocial Science Researcher Introduces Key Findings on American Pastors Network ‘Stand in the Gap Today’ Program—Although 7 out of 10 Americans Say They Are Christians, Just 6% Actually Possess a Biblical Worldview
PHILADELPHIA—Well-known social science researcher George Barna introduced brand-new research about Americans’ worldview on the American Pastors Network’s (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) popular, live, daily radio program “Stand in the Gap Today” last week.
APN President and “Stand in the Gap Today” host Sam Rohrer said the program was aptly named “The True Deficit: Americans with a Biblical Worldview.”
“In recent days, many more than before have become deeply concerned about the country’s national debt, as the government is set to spend $2 trillion to provide needed aid to Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic,” Rohrer said. “Yet I would suggest that before budget deficits, before deep political infightings and before the moral crumblings of our culture, there is first a deficit in our relationship with God—a deficit of spiritual understanding and a deficit of how to view life and living from God’s perspective. This is the root of our national and cultural problems, the root of our pandering politicians and salivating citizens who only wish for more and bigger government, the root of our complacent churches and passive pulpits.”
Throughout the program, Rohrer and Barna discussed the key findings of “The American Worldview Inventory,” which Barna led in his role at the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University (ACU). The research is the first wave of what will be an annual survey. The assessment is based on 51 worldview questions, examining both beliefs and behavior, which were provided to a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults.
Barna has called the research the “most sophisticated nationwide survey of worldview conducted in the United States.” Results include the following:
- Although 7 out of 10 Americans consider themselves to be Christian, just 6% actually possess a biblical worldview.
- Just one-fifth of those attending evangelical Protestant churches (21%) have a biblical worldview, as compared to one-sixth of those attending charismatic or Pentecostal churches (16%). The study finds even smaller proportions in mainline Protestant (8%) or Catholic (1%) churches.
- The number of American adults holding a biblical worldview has declined by 50% over the past quarter century.
- Regarding the youngest adult generation, the numbers are even more startling. A mere 2% of those 18 to 29 years old possess a biblical worldview.
“The fact that fewer than one out of five born-again adults hold a biblical worldview highlights the extensive decline of core Christian principles in America,” Barna said.
Among the differentiating factors between the new study and previous research, he noted, is the more robust measurement of action.
“In the American Worldview Inventory, we measure not just beliefs, but also the application of those beliefs—our behavior—because people do what they believe,” Barna added. “If you truly believe something, you integrate into how you live, and your lifestyle reflects those beliefs. As a result, our research always balances examining both what we believe to be true with how we translate such beliefs into action.”
Going forward, Barna will be a regular monthly guest on “Stand in the Gap Today.” He has filled executive roles in politics, marketing, advertising, media development, research and ministry. He founded the Barna Research Group in 1984 (now The Barna Group) and helped it become a leading marketing research firm focused on the intersection of faith and culture before selling it in 2009. He has written more than 50 books and his work is frequently cited as an authoritative source by the media.
APN hopes thousands will join the ministry for its national prayer movement called “52 Tuesdays,” in which the faithful from around the country will come together to pray for the moral and spiritual renewal of our nation every Tuesday leading up to Election Day 2020.
This dedicated season of prayer not only addresses the important 2020 presidential election but also other topics close to Christians’ hearts. Prayer warriors nationwide can add their name to the growing “52 Tuesdays” list here.
Rohrer, along with Pennsylvania Pastors Network Executive Director Gary Dull and North Carolina Pastors Network President Dave Kistler, invites cultural experts to discuss a variety of pressing topics and headlines from a biblical and constitutional perspective to “Stand in the Gap Today.” Archived programs can be viewed here. Rohrer also hosts the daily short radio feature “Stand in the Gap Minute, and “best of” shows from the week are broadcast on “Stand in the Gap Weekend.”
Likewise, “Stand in the Gap TV” considers transcending complex and divisive cultural issues, seemingly difficult to navigate, from a biblical worldview perspective while bringing clarity to cultural confusion and making sense of the nonsense around us.
View the media page for APN here, which also details information about “Stand in the Gap” radio programming. For more information on APN, visit www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net, its Facebook page or follow APN’s Twitter feed, @AmericanPastors. For information about forming a state chapter of APN, contact amy@americanpastors.net.
