FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Poverty in the U.S. is even worse than we thought it was.

There are almost 50 million people living in poverty. That translates to 16% of all Americans.

The Census Bureau adjusted the official 2010 poverty figures up from 46.2 million, or about 15% of Americans. This new poverty rate takes into account higher costs of living.

Hispanic poverty is the highest of any group at more than 28%.

More than 25% of African-Americans are living in poverty, as well as nearly 17% of Asians and 11% of whites.

The biggest gap in poverty rates is between those who have private health insurance, and those who don't.

Meanwhile, a report by the Brookings Institution shows more than 20 million Americans - close to 7% of the population - are living in extreme poverty.

These people are living at less than half of the federal poverty line. In 2010, that meant an individual income of about $5,500 - or less.

This used to be a place where people came to escape poverty.

There's more.

According to the Wall Street Journal, almost 15% of Americans are getting food stamps - that's an 8% jump in just the last year. And this number could keep climbing as families struggle under high unemployment - still at 9%.

The hardest hit states include Mississippi, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee and Louisiana. In all these states, about one in five residents gets food stamps.

Here’s my question to you: Where is the U.S. headed if 16% of Americans are living in poverty?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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