Q&A on the news

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Q: I read somewhere that the AARP was subsidized by the federal government. Is this true?
—Bill Nabers, Kennesaw
A: The AARP Foundation, the group's charitable arm, receives federal funds. The largest: $87 million for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) grant, which has been awarded for July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. The SCSEP has helped more than 500,000 seniors get back to work in the past 40 years, according to the AARP.

Q: In the nine months that President Obama has been in office, he does not seem to have spent much time in the White House. How many countries has he visited in his first six months, compared to other presidents?
—John Williams, Decatur
A: Obama has taken more trips than his five predecessors, according to research by Brendan J. Doherty, an assistant professor at the United States Naval Academy, on the first six months of presidential travel. Obama has traveled to Canada, England, France (twice), Germany (twice), the Czech Republic, Turkey, Iraq, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia, Egypt. President George H.W. Bush traveled to Canada, Japan, China, South Korea, Italy, Vatican City, Belgium, Germany and England, and President George W. Bush visited Mexico, Canada, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia. President Jimmy Carter made trips to England and Switzerland, and Reagan traveled to Canada, but he was also recovering from the 1981 shooting at the same time. President Clinton traveled to Canada.

Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).