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Obama Picks 'Promise Zones' To Fight Poverty

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President Obama will announce the designation of five "promise zones" today, including one in Philadelphia. (coia.nac/Flickr)
President Obama will announce the designation of five "promise zones" today, including one in Philadelphia. (coia.nac/Flickr)

The Obama administration has designated five regions around the country as "promise zones" — areas where the administration will focus on closing the gap between rich and poor by creating jobs and strengthening existing poverty-cutting programs.

This comes 50 years after President Lyndon Johnson declared an "unconditional war on poverty."

Derek Thompson, business editor for The Atlantic, joins Here & Now's Robin Young to explain how "promise zones" work.

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This segment aired on January 9, 2014.

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