HERE’S HOW OBAMA AND STATE OFFICIALS KEPT FOOD STAMP ROLLS JACKED UP: Unemployment benefits tend to follow the ups and downs of the economy, right? So why shouldn’t related welfare programs like Food Stamps? Traditionally, that was the case but not so after the Great Recession of 2008.

Brendan Kirby of LifeZette asked why not and found a bunch of signs pointing to Donald Trump’s predecessor in the Oval Office and like-minded folks in various state governments. Next question: Is this a sign of the presence of a permanent underclass in American society or just a temporary exception to a normal long-term trend?