Pam Fessler

But Carson says that "how a person thinks" is only one component that contributes to being poor. He spoke to NPR about the comment and how his agency hopes to "break these cycles" of poverty.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson talks to NPR about his plans for the department. He also clarified his earlier remarks about poverty being a "state of mind."

People with the "right mind set" can pull themselves up, Carson said. Many conservatives and the Trump administration say cuts to government benefits could incentivize people to find work.

The administration's motive is to get as many people back into the workforce as possible in an effort to spur economic growth, said OMB Director Mick Mulvaney.

Food banks face limited supplies. A food bank in Roanoke, Va., is working with local community members, health care providers and other nonprofits to explore new ways to address hunger.

Pantries in southwest Virginia — where poverty is rampant and coal jobs are vanishing — will take whatever they can get to stock bare shelves. Some also offer help with health care and job training.

President Trump said he would create the commission after claiming, without evidence, that 3 million to 5 million people voted illegally in 2016.

The Trump administration says there's no evidence the program works, but supporters say that thinking is misguided. Some even call it a "godsend."

President Trump's budget would eliminate all funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, after-school programs for 1.8 million mostly poor children.

After unrest in Baltimore two years ago brought national attention and some help to the city's problems, activists say young people in the city's poorest neighborhoods still need more help.

The city of Baltimore erupted in violence after the death of Freddie Gray, two years ago. The riots brought national attention to many of the city's problems, including a lack of opportunity for its young people. Money poured in to help fix that, but people say Baltimore's youth still need a great deal of help.

The federal government's new focus on election security has state and local officials concerned that they'll be told how to run their elections in the name of security.

The federal government has declared elections to be part of the country's critical infrastructure. That has election officials, who are very protective of how they do things now, extremely nervous.

Groups that help low-income families get food aid report a big drop in the number of immigrants seeking help. Some are canceling government benefits for fear it will affect their immigration status.

The outline released Thursday by the White House reduces funding for public housing, Meals on Wheels, community grants and more. Trump's lead budget official says such programs aren't proven to work.

It's hard to find anyone involved in voting issues who's been approached to be on the vice president's task force — or at least to admit it.

Bills to tighten voter ID rules have already been introduced in about half the states this year, where Republican lawmakers say the changes are needed to protect the integrity of the vote.

State legislatures are busy considering bills to tighten restrictions on voters, including new voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements.

The Trump Justice Department asked a federal court to dismiss the Obama DOJ's earlier claim that the ID law was enacted with the intention of discriminating against minority voters.

President Trump says Vice President Mike Pence will lead an investigation on voter fraud, though it's not clear when that will happen. Meanwhile, a House committee has voted to eliminate an agency that works to improve how elections are run.