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$972,000 Payday for Recession-beaten Couple

Countless bloggers, reporters and plain old curiosity-seekers have crisscrossed the country in the last year to get a bead on just how the recession is playing out for the real people. We’ve covered the filmmakers behind “The Recess Ends,” run a piece by the Man in a Van project and noted the many film and TV projects focused on reflecting the recession. TheAtlantic.com‘s intrepid reporter Christina Davidson has actually compelled authorities to action with her road-trip coverage of an elderly Sacramento couple in ill health who lost their home and landed on the street. The story got the attention of the Committee for Veterans Affairs, and days later, the couple received a check for $972,000 – the amount of 18 years of military pension back pay owed them.

Davidson still has about 40 more days to go as she travels the 48 states in a rented Prius. You can follow her Recession Road Trip reports here.

Tags: blogs, health, homeless, recession, road trip