US Welfare Statistics by Race 2026 | Facts About US Welfare

US Welfare Statistics by Race 2026 | Facts About US Welfare

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Welfare by Race in America 2026

America’s social safety net is one of the most expansive in the developed world, touching the lives of tens of millions of families across every racial and ethnic group. When people ask about US welfare statistics by race, the picture that emerges is far more nuanced than most headlines suggest. White Americans make up the largest absolute number of recipients across most programs simply because they represent the largest share of the overall population — yet Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities participate at rates that are strikingly higher relative to their population sizes, a persistent pattern rooted in decades of economic inequality, wage gaps, and structural disadvantage. Understanding who receives welfare in America in 2026 is not just a statistical exercise; it is a window into the ongoing economic divides that define life chances across racial and ethnic lines in this country.

The data analyzed in this article are drawn exclusively from official U.S. government sources — the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Taken together, these figures cover the nation’s largest means-tested assistance programs: SNAP (food stamps), TANF (cash assistance), Medicaid, federal housing assistance, and poverty rates by race. The most recent data available as of June 2026 primarily reflect fiscal year 2023 and 2024 reporting cycles, with enrollment snapshots extending into early 2026.


Interesting Facts About US Welfare by Race 2026

Fact Data Point Source
Total SNAP recipients (FY 2024 monthly avg.) 41.7 million people USDA ERS
Share of US population on food stamps (2025) 12.3% USDA ERS
Largest racial group in SNAP by share White (35.4%) USDA FNS FY 2023
Black share of SNAP recipients 25.7% USDA FNS FY 2023
Hispanic share of SNAP recipients 15.6% USDA FNS FY 2023
Black poverty rate (2024) 18.4% US Census Bureau, Sept 2025
Non-Hispanic White poverty rate (2024) 7.7% US Census Bureau, Sept 2025
Hispanic poverty rate (2024) ~16.6% US Census Bureau, Sept 2025
Asian poverty rate (2024) 7.5% US Census Bureau, Sept 2025
AIAN poverty rate (2024) ~20.9% EPI analysis of Census CPS ASEC
Largest TANF group by ethnicity (FY 2023) Hispanic at 38.1% ACF/HHS
Black children in poverty (2024) 25.4% US Census Bureau, Sept 2025
Black children in poverty (2024 SPM) 22.7% US Census Bureau, Sept 2025
White children in poverty (2024) 8.2% US Census Bureau, Sept 2025
Share of HUD-assisted individuals who are Black ~44% HUD
Medicaid/CHIP enrollment (Feb 2026) 74.9 million CMS, Feb 2026
SNAP recipients born in US (FY 2023) 89.4% USDA FNS
SNAP total spending (FY 2024) $99.7 billion USDA
Average TANF cash assistance per family/month $650 ACF HHS FY 2023
Overall US poverty rate (2024) 10.6% US Census Bureau, Sept 2025

Data Sources: USDA Food and Nutrition Service FY 2023–2024; U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey 2025 ASEC; ACF/HHS FY 2023; CMS February 2026 Enrollment Highlights; HUD; Economic Policy Institute analysis of Census CPS ASEC data

The facts table above draws a sharp contrast between raw recipient counts and per-capita participation rates. White Americans dominate welfare rolls in absolute numbers because they are approximately 60% of the US population, yet on a per-capita basis, Black Americans are roughly 2.4 times more likely to live in poverty than non-Hispanic White Americans, which drives disproportionate participation across virtually every program. The $99.7 billion spent on SNAP alone in FY 2024 reflects not merely a generous program but the sheer scale of economic need in a country where 35.9 million people — roughly the population of California — remain below the official poverty line even in a period of strong overall economic growth. The $650 average monthly TANF benefit per family, meanwhile, underscores how modest this cash assistance actually is: spread across a household with children, it barely covers a fraction of basic living costs in most American cities.


SNAP (Food Stamps) Recipients by Race in the US 2026

SNAP RECIPIENTS BY RACE — FY 2023 (USDA FNS DATA)
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White (Non-Hispanic) ██████████████████████████████████░░ 35.4%
Black/African Am.    ████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░ 25.7%
Hispanic (any race)  ███████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 15.6%
Asian                ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  3.9%
Native American      █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  1.3%
Multiracial          █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  1.0%
Race Unknown         █████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 17.0%
=====================================================================
Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, FY 2023
Race/Ethnicity Share of SNAP Recipients (FY 2023) Share of US Population
White (Non-Hispanic) 35.4% ~60%
Black/African American 25.7% ~12%
Hispanic (any race) 15.6% ~19%
Asian 3.9% ~6%
American Indian/Alaska Native 1.3% ~1.3%
Multiracial 1.0% ~2.7%
Race Unknown 17.0%
Total Monthly Avg. Recipients (FY 2024) 41.7 million

Data Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Characteristics of SNAP Households FY 2023; USDA Economic Research Service FY 2024

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — commonly known as food stamps — served an average of 41.7 million Americans per month during fiscal year 2024, representing 12.3% of the entire US resident population. That is nearly one in every eight people in the country depending on federal food assistance in any given month. White Americans hold the largest share at 35.4%, but the population-to-participation ratio tells a far more revealing story. Black Americans make up only about 12% of the US population yet account for 25.7% of all SNAP recipients — more than double their demographic weight. Hispanic Americans, who represent roughly 19–20% of the population, account for 15.6% of recipients, which is actually slightly below their population share, though child recipients skew heavily Hispanic: 40.7% of all child SNAP recipients are Hispanic, reflecting the younger age structure of Hispanic communities and the concentrated economic pressures facing Hispanic families with children.

The $99.7 billion spent on SNAP in FY 2024 represents a near-doubling from the $52 billion spent at the time of the Great Recession in 2008, even after adjusting for inflation. Average per-recipient annual spending rose from $1,847 in 2008 to $2,393 in 2024, a 30% real-dollar increase, driven by expanded benefit levels and higher food prices. It is also worth noting that a full 89.4% of SNAP recipients were US-born citizens, debunking persistent myths about the program primarily benefiting non-citizens. The 17% “race unknown” in the FNS data represents a data gap from states that do not uniformly collect or report race, which means real Black and Hispanic participation rates may be somewhat higher than reported figures suggest.


US Poverty Rate by Race 2024 | Welfare Statistics in the US 2026

US POVERTY RATE BY RACE (2024) — US CENSUS BUREAU
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American Indian/AK  ████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ~20.9%
Black/African Am.   ██████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  18.4%
Hispanic (any race) ████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ~16.6%
Two or More Races   █████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ~13.1%
National Average    ██████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  10.6%
White (Non-Hisp.)   ███████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   7.7%
Asian               ███████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   7.5%
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Poverty in the United States: 2024 (Sept 9, 2025)
Race/Ethnicity Official Poverty Rate (2024) Change from 2023
American Indian/Alaska Native ~20.9% Approx. unchanged
Black/African American 18.4% ↑ from 17.9% in 2023
Hispanic (any race) ~16.6% ↓ from ~17.8% in 2023
Two or More Races ~13.1% Approx. unchanged
Overall US Poverty Rate 10.6% ↓ from 11.1% in 2023
White (Non-Hispanic) 7.7% ↓ from ~8.2% in 2023
Asian 7.5% ↓ from ~9.1% in 2023

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2025 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC); Poverty in the United States: 2024, published September 9, 2025

Poverty is the foundational driver behind welfare participation, and the 2024 US Census Bureau data released in September 2025 laid bare the persistent racial fault lines that shape who falls below the poverty line. The overall US poverty rate of 10.6% in 2024 was a slight improvement over the 11.1% recorded in 2023, with 35.9 million Americans still officially living in poverty. But within that national headline figure, the experience of Black Americans stands apart: their poverty rate increased from 17.9% in 2023 to 18.4% in 2024, the only major racial or ethnic group to see a statistically significant increase. This means Black Americans are currently experiencing poverty at 2.4 times the rate of non-Hispanic White Americans (7.7%), a gap that has proven stubbornly resistant to improvement despite decades of policy effort. Asian Americans recorded the lowest poverty rate at 7.5%, a notable 1.6 percentage point drop, though analysts caution that aggregated Asian data masks extreme variation between communities. The American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population, often overlooked in national welfare discussions, experiences poverty at approximately 20.9% — roughly twice the national average — reflecting the concentrated economic disadvantage in reservation communities and the chronic underfunding of tribal services.


TANF Cash Assistance by Race in the US 2026

TANF ADULT RECIPIENTS BY RACE/ETHNICITY — FY 2023 (ACF/HHS)
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Hispanic (any race)  ██████████████████████████████████████ 38.1%
Black/African Am.    ████████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░ 27.8%
White (Non-Hispanic) █████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 25.2%
Asian                ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  2.1%
Am. Indian/AK Native █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  1.3%
Multiracial          ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  2.0%
=====================================================================
Source: ACF/HHS, Characteristics and Financial Circumstances of TANF Recipients FY 2023
Race/Ethnicity Share of Adult TANF Recipients (FY 2023) Approx. Population Share
Hispanic (any race) 38.1% ~19–20%
Black/African American 27.8% ~12%
White (Non-Hispanic) 25.2% ~59–60%
Asian 2.1% ~6%
American Indian/Alaska Native 1.3% ~1.3%
Multiracial 2.0% ~2.7%
Total Adults Receiving TANF (monthly avg.) ~497,500
Total Children Receiving TANF (monthly avg.) ~1.5 million
Average monthly cash benefit per family $650

Data Source: Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Characteristics and Financial Circumstances of TANF Recipients, Fiscal Year 2023

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) — the program most people associate with the word “welfare” in its most direct sense — tells a particularly striking story about racial composition. In an average month during fiscal year 2023, approximately 497,500 adults and 1.5 million children received TANF cash assistance, with Hispanic recipients forming the largest single group at 38.1% of adult caseloads — nearly double their share of the US population. Black Americans at 27.8% are the second-largest group, representing more than twice their population share, while non-Hispanic White Americans at 25.2% are dramatically underrepresented relative to being roughly 60% of the US population. This inversion — where the largest demographic group has the smallest welfare share — is unique to TANF among major programs and reflects the geographic concentration of TANF caseloads in urban centers with large minority populations, as well as the deeper economic precarity faced by Black and Hispanic households. Notably, about 46.6% of TANF families were child-only cases — households where no adult received cash assistance — suggesting that many families cycle in and out of work while their children remain on assistance. Research from Chapin Hall’s longitudinal TANF data analysis (2024) found that 30% of Black families returned to TANF within two years of leaving, compared to 25% of White families and 22% of Hispanic families, indicating that exit from the program often does not translate to stable, lasting economic independence.


Federal Housing Assistance (HUD/Section 8) by Race in the US 2026

HUD-ASSISTED HOUSING RESIDENTS BY RACE — LATEST HUD DATA
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Black/African Am.   ██████████████████████████████████████████ 44%
White               ██████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 27%
Hispanic/Latino     ████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 12%
Other/Unknown       ████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 17%
=====================================================================
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Race/Ethnicity Share of HUD-Assisted Individuals Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
Black/African American (incl. Black Hispanic) ~44% ~45% of voucher recipients
White (Non-Hispanic) ~27% ~35% of voucher recipients
Hispanic/Latino ~12% ~16% of voucher recipients
Other/Unknown ~17% ~3% other races
Total HUD households assisted ~5.2 million ~2.3 million HCV households
Avg. annual HUD household income ~$16,019
Share of HUD households with income under $20K 84%
Avg. Section 8 household rent payment $421/month

Data Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) official program data; HUD 2023 report; iPropertyManagement analysis of HUD data

Federal housing assistance — encompassing the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program, public housing, and other HUD-assisted programs — serves roughly 5.2 million households across the United States and reveals the starkest racial concentration of any major welfare program. Black Americans account for approximately 44% of all HUD-assisted individuals, despite being only about 12% of the general population. In public housing specifically, Black households represent 45% of residents, while in the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program, Black households hold 45% of vouchers, White households 35%, and Hispanic households 16%. A separate 2023 HUD report based on 2021 data confirmed that nationwide Section 8 recipients were approximately 27% Black and 24% White, with 11% Latino — though aggregate HUD administrative data shows the higher 44% Black figure across all assisted housing when combined with public housing. The average annual income of a HUD-assisted household is approximately $16,019, and a remarkable 84% of families in HUD housing earn less than $20,000 per year, underscoring the extreme depth of poverty among those receiving housing assistance.

The racial skew in housing assistance is not merely a reflection of poverty rates — it also reflects historical patterns of residential segregation, redlining, and the geographic placement of public housing developments in racially concentrated areas of poverty. Research published in Social Science & Medicine (2024) found that Black adults receiving HUD rental assistance experience significantly higher levels of neighborhood disadvantage than comparably low-income White adults receiving the same assistance, meaning the program serves similarly poor families but cannot fully compensate for the unequal neighborhoods they can access with those vouchers.


Medicaid Enrollment by Race in the US 2026

MEDICAID POPULATION SHARE VS. ENROLLMENT CONTEXT
=====================================================================
Total Enrolled (Feb 2026): 74.9 million Americans
Child Enrollment: 35.7 million (47.6% of total enrollment)

KEY RACIAL CONTEXT (Medicaid participation by poverty rate, 2024):
Black Am.       ████████████████████████████████████████ ~18.4% poverty rate
Hispanic        ████████████████████████████████░░░░░░░░ ~16.6% poverty rate
AIAN            █████████████████████████████████████░░░ ~20.9% poverty rate
White (NH)      ████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ~7.7% poverty rate
Asian           ████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ~7.5% poverty rate
=====================================================================
Source: CMS February 2026 Medicaid & CHIP Enrollment Data Highlights
Metric Data (2025–2026)
Total Medicaid & CHIP enrollment (Feb 2026) 74,877,742
Child enrollment in Medicaid/CHIP (Feb 2026) 35,673,778 (47.6% of total)
Black non-Hispanic share of Medicaid ~20% (est. from KFF/CMS data)
Hispanic share of Medicaid ~30% (est. from KFF/CMS data)
White non-Hispanic share of Medicaid ~40% (est. from KFF/CMS data)
Medicaid as share of those in poverty Majority of individuals below 138% FPL in expansion states
Black poverty rate driving Medicaid eligibility (2024) 18.4%
Hispanic poverty rate driving Medicaid eligibility (2024) ~16.6%

Data Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), February 2026 Medicaid & CHIP Enrollment Data Highlights; CMS Stratified Reporting; KFF analysis of CMS T-MSIS data

Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for low-income Americans, is by far the largest means-tested program in the United States by enrollment, covering 74.9 million people as of February 2026 — roughly 22% of the entire US population. Unlike SNAP or TANF, CMS does not yet publish a single uniform national racial breakdown of Medicaid enrollment because race and ethnicity data collection has historically been inconsistent across states, a gap that the National Health Law Program and others have flagged as a critical policy failure. However, analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation drawing on CMS T-MSIS administrative data consistently shows that Black non-Hispanic individuals account for roughly 20% of Medicaid enrollees, Hispanic individuals approximately 30%, and White non-Hispanic individuals approximately 40% — meaning that Black and Hispanic Americans are significantly overrepresented relative to their population shares. Children make up the largest enrollment category, with 35.7 million children enrolled as of February 2026, representing 47.6% of total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment — a figure that directly reflects the high rates of child poverty among Black and Hispanic families.

The connection between poverty rates and Medicaid eligibility is direct and mathematical: in Medicaid expansion states, households with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level qualify. With the Black poverty rate at 18.4% and Hispanic poverty rate at approximately 16.6% in 2024 — versus 7.7% for White non-Hispanic Americans — the racial composition of Medicaid rolls is a near-perfect mirror of poverty statistics. Black children experience this most acutely: the 25.4% child poverty rate for Black Americans in 2024 means roughly one in four Black children is growing up in a household likely eligible for Medicaid — a rate more than three times higher than the 8.2% white child poverty rate recorded in the same year.


Child Poverty and Welfare by Race in the US 2026

CHILD POVERTY RATES BY RACE (2024) — US CENSUS BUREAU
=====================================================================
Black Children      ██████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░ 25.4%
Hispanic Children   ████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ~21.0%
AIAN Children       ████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ~24.0%
Nat'l Child Avg.    ██████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 14.3%
White Children      ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  8.2%
Asian Children      ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ~8.0%
=====================================================================
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, CPS ASEC 2025; Poverty in the United States: 2024
Race/Ethnicity Child Poverty Rate (2024) Change from 2023
Black/African American Children 25.4% ↑ from 25.0% in 2023
Hispanic Children ~21.0% Approx. unchanged
American Indian/Alaska Native Children ~24.0% Approx. unchanged
National Child Poverty Average 14.3% ↓ from 15.3% in 2023
White (Non-Hispanic) Children 8.2% ↓ from 8.7% in 2023
Asian Children ~8.0% Approx. unchanged
Black children (Supplemental Poverty Measure) 22.7% ↑ from 20.3% in 2023

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2025 Annual Social and Economic Supplement; Poverty in the United States: 2024 (September 9, 2025); CLASP analysis

Among the most sobering statistics in the 2026 US welfare landscape is the condition of American children living in poverty. The overall child poverty rate fell modestly from 15.3% in 2023 to 14.3% in 2024, representing approximately 10.4 million children under age 18 still living below the poverty line. But that national average conceals deeply unequal experiences across racial lines. 25.4% of Black children — more than one in four — lived in official poverty in 2024, a figure that actually increased from the prior year’s 25.0%, even as White child poverty was declining. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), which accounts for government benefits, taxes, and regional cost-of-living differences, showed Black child poverty at 22.7% in 2024, up from 20.3% in 2023 — meaning that even after the social safety net is factored in, nearly a quarter of Black children remain in poverty. By contrast, only 8.2% of White non-Hispanic children were poor in 2024, making the Black-White child poverty gap roughly 3:1.

Child poverty has direct consequences for welfare participation across programs: children below the poverty line account for approximately 39% of all SNAP participants, represent the majority of Medicaid child enrollees, and make up the 1.5 million children receiving TANF cash assistance each month. The concentration of child poverty among Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities explains why these groups are consistently overrepresented in every welfare program when measured as a percentage of their respective populations. For SNAP specifically, nearly one-third of child recipients are Black (32.3%) and over 40% are Hispanic (40.7%), while only 24.8% are White — figures that mirror child poverty rates closely and reflect the safety net doing precisely what it is designed to do: reaching the children most in need.


US Welfare Spending and Total Population on Assistance 2026

MAJOR WELFARE PROGRAM SIZES (FY 2024 / 2025–2026)
=====================================================================
Medicaid/CHIP   ████████████████████████████████████████ 74.9M enrolled (Feb 2026)
SNAP            ████████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░ 41.7M recipients (FY 2024)
SSI             ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  ~7.5M recipients
Housing Asst.   ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  ~5.2M households
TANF Adults     █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  ~0.5M adults
TANF Children   █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  ~1.5M children

SNAP Spending: $99.7 billion (FY 2024)
=====================================================================
Sources: CMS, USDA, ACF/HHS, HUD
Program Total Recipients / Enrollment Annual Federal Spending (approx.)
Medicaid & CHIP 74.9 million (Feb 2026) >$800 billion (federal + state)
SNAP (Food Stamps) 41.7 million/month avg. (FY 2024) $99.7 billion (FY 2024)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) ~7.5 million ~$65 billion
HUD Housing Assistance ~5.2 million households ~$50 billion
TANF ~497,500 adults; ~1.5M children (FY 2023) ~$16–17 billion
Share of US residents on SNAP (2025) 12.3%
SNAP spending per recipient (2024) $2,393/year

Data Source: USDA Economic Research Service; CMS February 2026 Medicaid & CHIP Enrollment Data Highlights; ACF/HHS FY 2023 TANF data; HUD; Social Security Administration

The sheer scale of America’s welfare infrastructure is often underappreciated in public debate. Taken together, the programs covered in this article — SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, and HUD housing — serve well over 100 million Americans in any given month, with significant overlap across programs. Medicaid alone at 74.9 million enrollees represents nearly a quarter of the US population. SNAP’s $99.7 billion annual spend in FY 2024 represents not an anomaly but the trajectory of a program that has more than doubled in inflation-adjusted spending since 2008, driven by expanded eligibility, higher food costs, and rising per-recipient benefit levels. What is notable across all programs is the consistency of the racial pattern: Black, Hispanic, and Native American Americans are overrepresented in every single major means-tested program relative to their population share, while White Americans, despite being the largest absolute group of recipients in programs like SNAP, are underrepresented relative to their ~60% population share. This is not a function of program design — eligibility rules are race-neutral — but rather a downstream consequence of the poverty gap by race, which in 2024 ranged from 7.5% for Asian Americans to 20.9% for American Indian/Alaska Native Americans, a spread of 13.4 percentage points that traces directly back to structural inequalities in education, employment, health, housing, and historical wealth accumulation across generations

Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.

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