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School lunch programs brace for higher costs, supply issues, less, funding, staff shortages

August 20, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Back to school means back-to-school lunches, but this year they’re costing more with food prices increasing nationwide.

Pandemic relief funds that ensured free meals for all kids ran out in June and school nutritionists are blaming higher costs on inflation, supply chain problems and the lasting effects of the pandemic.

The national school lunch program serves 29.7 million children daily and, of those lunches, 20.2 million are free as of 2021, according to the Education Data Initiative”

“We know that families are struggling right now,” said Willow Kriegel, director of nutrition services for the West Des Moines Community Schools in Iowa. “Gas prices are high and food costs. We know that things are more expensive.”

Kriegel said that her school district had to raise prices by 25 cents per meal. While raising the costs helps somewhat, Kriegel said it’s still not enough to break even.

In Kriegel’s district alone, she said cafeterias are $109,000 in school meal debt.

To help counteract the growing debt, Kriegel said she applied for nine out of her 13 schools to get free and reduced lunches. Those requests were granted, but Kriegel said she knows many other schools aren’t as lucky.

Overall, the national public school lunch debt sits at $262 million a year. Still, a million-and-half students pay full price for lunches they can’t afford, according to the Education Data Initiative.

“I was really waiting for, you know, our legislators to come through and extend the free meals for all students, at least for one more year, while we’re all struggling.” said Kriegel who was president of the Iowa School Nutrition Association last year.

Congress increased federal reimbursements for lunches this school year with the Keep Kids Fed Act, which passed in June and provided 40 cents per lunch and 15 cents per breakfast.

But that extra funding is not enough to bring schools back to the Summer Food Service Program reimbursement rates as during the pandemic, said Diane Pratt-Heavner with the School Nutrition Association.

Alternative lunches, shaming over meal debt can have negative impacts on students’ psyches, experts say

“Even even with additional assistance from Congress, which we’re grateful for, schools will still see a slight drop in federal reimbursements,” said Pratt-Heavner.

Kriegel, in Iowa, said her school is facing staffing shortages and she and other managers are having to cook food themselves. Kriegel said her biggest concern is that she won’t be able to offer students the options and nutritious food that goes beyond state and national requirements.

“I treat them all like they’re my own little 5-year-old,” said Kriegel.

Kriegel’s daughter is starting school this fall and Kriegel says her daughter Olivia knows she’s not going to be a lunch-box kid.

But feeding kids can be a challenge when shipments are delayed.

“You know, when we make a menu change, it’s not as easy as just going to the store and buying a different chicken product,” said Kriegel.

“We spend hours a day extra hunting for products and getting outages and shortages and trying to adjust our menus and then that changes. It’s like a ripple effect.”

“School meal program budgets have very limited amount of funds to use for preparing and serving school meals,” said Pratt-Heavner.

She said taking on school lunch debt can limit nutritionists’ options and keep them from offering more choices to picky kids.

“We’re really trying to get out the word to families. Even if you don’t think you are eligible, go ahead and apply for free or reduced price meals,” said Pratt-Heavner.

Delaware has the highest average school lunch debt per student at $188.49. It also has one of the highest number of schools who belong to Community Lunch Programs, which makes meals free for entire schools.

Aimee Beam with the state’s School Nutrition Programs said Delaware is looking at various ways to reduce that debt. She said that school districts are using money from their school nutrition account to waive the cost of their reduced price breakfast and breakfast.

“The students that would normally have to pay up to 30 cents for breakfast won’t have to pay anything, so that can eliminate the potential for the debt in that area,” said Beam.

“Our biggest concern is the supply chain issues; to get the product that we need to serve the compliant meals,” said Beam.

Beam said the most important thing is to remind parents to fill out their meal eligibility form so that students won’t have to go into debt, and schools can afford to feed the children.

“No child should have to worry about whether mom and dad completed an application or put money on their lunch account,” said Pratt-Heavner.

Human foot discovered floating in hot spring at Yellowstone National Park

August 20, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Officials at Yellowstone National Park discovered what appeared to be part of a human foot in a shoe in one of the deepest hot springs in the park.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when a park employee discovered part of a foot in a shoe floating in the Abyss Pool which is located in the West Thumb Geyser Basin in the southern part of Yellowstone National Park.

“Evidence from the investigation thus far suggests that an incident involving one individual likely occurred on the morning of July 31, 2022, at Abyss Pool,” Yellowstone National Park said in a statement. “Currently, the park believes there was no foul play.”

It is not clear who the foot belonged to but the park suggested that there may have been a death linked to the spare body part that was found though this has not been confirmed by Yellowstone or any authorities.

The Abyss Pool has a depth of more than 50 feet and, according to Yellowstone National Park, is one of the deepest hot springs in the park with an average approximate temperature of 140 degrees.

“Visitors are reminded to stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas and exercise extreme caution around thermal features,” the park said in a statement. “The ground in hydrothermal areas is fragile and thin, and there is scalding water just below the surface.”

After the discovery of the appendage, the West Thumb Geyser Basin and parking lot were closed to park visitors but has since been reopened.

An investigation by Yellowstone National Park law enforcement officers is currently ongoing.

Self-managed abortions may rise as access to care decreases, providers say

August 20, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — As it gets harder to access abortion care because of state laws and restrictions, self-managed abortions may become more common, abortion providers told ABC News.

Self-managed abortions are done by a pregnant person without the formal supervision of a healthcare professional, according to Guttmacher.

In a pre-Roe era, self-managed abortions were often risky — but today, managing an abortion at home can be much safer thanks of the advent of medication abortion pills.

Unwanted pregnancies can be exceedingly distressing. Health providers are raising concerns that some people in situations without access to safe, legal abortion could try any means possible to end a pregnancy, that may or may not be safe or effective, Dr. Deborah Bartz, a gynecologist at Brigham and Women’s in Boston, told ABC News in an interview.

“Now, because of the post-Dobbs situation, we are recognizing that there’s going to be much greater desire for patients to undertake self-managed abortion because they can’t legally access the services that they desperately want and need through the standard health care system,” Bartz said.

Medication abortion isn’t a new practice, first approved by the FDA in 2000, and now allows abortions to be done outside of a medical facility that is safe and effective, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Even prior to the overturn of Roe, the Guttmacher Institute estimated that roughly half of abortions in the U.S. were medication abortions.

While patients in the U.S. need a prescription to obtain misoprostol, one of the drugs used in the FDA-approved medication abortion regimen, the drug can be purchased without a prescription in other countries, including Mexico, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

While there is limited data on how common self-managed abortions are that do not involve a medical provider at all in the U.S., there are reports that it does happen and may be on the rise as states impose barriers to abortion access, according to Shah.

According to a 2014 national survey by the Guttmacher Institute, 1.3% of people obtaining clinical abortions reported having used misoprostol on their own to “bring back” their period or end a pregnancy.

In a 2017 survey of 7,022 women in U.S., 1.4% reported ever attempting to end a pregnancy on their own. The majority of these individuals reported using drugs or substances other than misoprostol, and only 28% successfully ended the pregnancy.

The spectrum of how people self-manage their abortions on their own ranges from effective to ineffective treatments, including herbal treatments, unsafe chemicals, incorrect medication or dangerous physical harm, according to Shah.

Research shows that medication abortions using the abortion pills, that are FDA-approved, mifepristone and misoprostol, are safe and effective. But there is little known about the safety or efficacy of these same medications when obtained and used by going around the regulatory steps in the United States.

Judge rejects Lindsey Graham’s efforts to delay testimony in Trump probe

August 20, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A federal judge in Georgia has denied Sen. Lindsey Graham’s effort to delay his testimony before the Fulton County grand jury in their investigation into former President Trump’s effort to overturn the election in the state.

“Under the circumstances, further delay of Senator Graham’s testimony would greatly compound the overall delay in carrying out the grand jury’s investigation. Further delay thus poses a significant risk of overall hindrance to the grand jury’s investigation, and the Court therefore finds that granting a stay would almost certainly result in material injury to the grand jury and its investigation. Accordingly, this factor weighs against Senator Graham and in favor of the grand jury,” Judge Leigh Martin May wrote on Friday.

Graham is currently scheduled to testify Tuesday but there is still another motion to stay. He had asked the judge to quash the subpoena demanding he appear.

Graham was subpoenaed last month as part of the Fulton County district attorney’s criminal probe into Trump’s efforts to overturn Georgia’s election results.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis officially launched the investigation in February 2021, sparked in part by the phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he pleaded with him to “find 11,780 votes,” the exact number Trump needed to win Georgia.

Olivia Rubin contributed to this report.

Muse announces UK tour dates with Royal Blood

August 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Muse will be rocking their home country next year with some help from Royal Blood.

The two British bands will unite for a U.K. stadium tour, taking place in May and June 2023. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Muse.mu.

The shows will support Muse’s new album, Will of the People, which arrives next Friday, August 26. The record includes the previously released songs “Won’t Stand Down,” “Compliance,” “Will of the People” and “Kill or Be Killed.”

Muse will be playing a run of U.S. shows behind Will of the People this October.

Third episode of ‘My Life as a Rolling Stone’ docuseries, focusing on Ronnie Wood, premieres Sunday

August 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The third episode of the new four-part Rolling Stones docuseries My Life as a Rolling Stone premieres on EPIX this Sunday, August 21, at 9 p.m. ET.

The new installment focuses specifically on Ronnie Wood. It features the longtime Stones guitarist discussing the high and low points of his long career, and his life as a member of the the iconic band.

In a preview clip from the episode, Wood and founding Stones guitarist Keith Richards recall how Richards once got into a fight with Wood over Wood’s use of crack cocaine during the group’s 1981 tour.

Richards remembers that he angrily knocked on the door to Wood’s hotel room, and when Wood opened it, Richards could smell the drugs and he proceeded to punch his bandmate, who fought back.

“We all fought into Ronnie’s room,” Richards recalls. “He tries to land one on me. The couch goes over. Ronnie’s about to fall out the window, so I grab him and then everything stops. And laughter. And that was that.”

Wood adds, “We laughed it off, and I went into the next room. There’s Mick [Jagger] and Charlie [Watts] …They’re playing some game on the floor, and I went, ‘Look at me, I’m covered in blood.’ And they just sort of went [to each other], like, “OK, right, it’s your move.”

As previously reported, the series, which was produced to coincide with the British rock legends’ 60th anniversary, is made up of four hourlong episodes, each focusing on a different band member. The first episode profiled Jagger, the second looked at Richards, while the final installment will focus on the late Watts.

In addition to new conversations with Jagger, Richards and Wood, My Life as a Rolling Stone features new interviews with many other noteworthy music artists.

8 students injured in accident involving school bus in South Carolina, officials say

August 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(CHESTERFIELD, S.C.) — Eight students were injured in a school bus accident in South Carolina Friday afternoon, school officials said.

The bus was carrying 24 students from a middle school and elementary school in the Chesterfield County School District when the accident occurred around 4 p.m. in the town of Jefferson, the district said.

Eight students on the bus were transported to the hospital with injuries, the district said.

“The district superintendent, transportation staff, and area principals are working the accident,” school officials said in a statement.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ISIS ‘Beatle’ given 8 life sentences as families call for Biden to help Americans held hostage

August 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(ALEXANDRIA, Va.) — A member of a group of British Islamic State terrorists dubbed “the Beatles” by their hostages was sentenced Friday in U.S. federal court to 8 concurrent life terms for kidnapping and murdering freelance journalist James Foley, as well as participating in the detention and murders of three other Americans.

The sentencing of El Shafee Elsheikh, 34, comes on the eighth anniversary of Foley’s murder which was broadcast across the world in a chilling beheading video by ISIS. Elsheikh was also convicted and sentenced for the kidnapping and murder of journalist Steven Sotloff, human rights activist Kayla Mueller and aid worker Peter Kassig.

Elsheikj, who was captured in Syria in 2018 alongside fellow “Beatle” Alexanda Kotey, was described by prosecutors at his sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia as the most notorious, highest-ranking member of ISIS to face trial in the U.S. The foursome had held hostage 26 Westerners and murdered four Americans and several British and Japanese nationals in Syria.

Kotey was sentenced to life in prison in April.

Judge T.S. Ellis on Friday described the crimes as horrendous, noting Elsheikh’s involvement in the sexual abuse of Mueller, his decision to provide false testimony to law enforcement and his role as a leader of the group.

Due to a prior agreement with the United Kingdom, neither Elsheikh nor Kotey faced the death penalty. Another member of the group, Mohammed Emwazi, was killed in a drone strike in Syria in 2016. A fourth member, Aine Lesley Davis, was arrested in Turkey and extradited earlier this year to the United Kingdom to face terrorism charges.

Following the sentencing, Elsheikh immediately filed an appeal with the court citing ineffective council. Ellis rebutted to the defense, “I think you have been diligent.”

Diane Foley, the mother of James Foley, addressed Elsheikh directly during her testimony Friday, saying, “Love is so much stronger than hatred. I pity you Elsheikh.”

She told reporters Friday that more than 67 U.S. nationals are currently detained and held hostage abroad.

Foley said in an appeal to President Joe Biden, “I urgently call on our President Biden to employ our shrewdest negotiation to quickly bring these innocent Americans home, lest they die in captivity as our sons and daughter did.”

After the death of her son, Foley founded the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which advocates for Americans that have been held hostage abroad and promotes the safety of journalists worldwide.

She added, “Let this sentencing make clear to all who dared to kidnap, torture or kill any American citizen abroad. That U.S. justice will find you wherever you are, and that our government will hold you accountable for your crimes against our citizens.”

Marsha and Carl Mueller, the parents of Kayla Mueller, told reporters Friday that they have not given up looking for their daughter’s remains. The couple is working with private entities to try to find Kayla and learn exactly what happened to their daughter. They told reporters they met with FBI Director Christopher Wray who told them, “we are not going to stop until we find Kayla.”

The 26-year-old was on a humanitarian mission in Turkey in August 2013 when ISIS kidnapped her after she crossed the Syrian border to visit a hospital. In February 2015, U.S. officials confirmed that she died while in ISIS custody.

Elsheikh declined to speak at Friday’s sentencing. Marsha Mueller told reporters, “I was hoping he would be but I wasn’t shocked that he is going to appeal.”

Carl Mueller said of Elsheikh, “He’s obviously cold with no remorse throughout the whole trial and I still think he believes he was doing the right thing.”

Both families said they met with Kotey. Marsha Mueller told reporters Kotey” did articulate some remorse” and that she was grateful for that.

Foley stressed the need for the government to act swiftly in cases in cases where Americans are held, to avoid making the process of bringing them home more complicated.

Carl Mueller had tough words for the Obama administration who he said had “every opportunity to bring [Kayla] home” during the 18 months she was reportedly held captive.

“They definitely have learned their lesson and our children was the cost of that and hopefully, in the future, our government will do like so many others did, and get their people home. Not leave them in there for 18 months.”

Kobe Bryant’s wife gives emotional testimony about helicopter crash photos

August 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — An emotional Vanessa Bryant took the stand Friday in her invasion of privacy trial over photos taken at the scene of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, basketball star Kobe Bryant, and their 13-year-old daughter.

Bryant filed a lawsuit several months after the 2020 crash against Los Angeles County, alleging that first responders took graphic photos of human remains at the scene as “souvenirs” and shared them with others. She is claiming she suffered emotional distress and is suing for an undisclosed amount of damages for negligence and invasion of privacy.

Bryant, the final plaintiffs’ witness, was overcome with emotion in the Los Angeles federal courtroom on Friday as she shared her fear and anxiety over the photos.

“I never had a panic attack before this,” she told the jury.

Bryant said she learned from a Los Angeles Times report that deputies had taken photos of the crash site. She said she lives in fear every day that they could be leaked and wants “justice for my husband and my daughter.”

Kobe Bryant and their daughter, Gianna, were headed to a basketball game at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks along with others connected to the basketball program on Jan. 26, 2020, when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed in Calabasas. All nine people on board, including the pilot, were killed.

Orange County financial adviser Chris Chester is also suing the county over photos taken of his wife and daughter, who were killed in the same crash. In July, U.S. District Judge John Walter decided to consolidate Bryant’s and Chester’s cases into one trial.

Chester took the witness stand on Thursday, telling the jury he was in “disbelief” after hearing reports that deputies and firefighters took and shared photos of his wife, Sarah, and their 13-year-old daughter, Payton.

“It was grief on top of grief,” he said, calling for “justice and accountability.”

LA County maintains that first responders did not share any photos publicly from the scene of the crash. It also attests that an investigation by the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that all of the photos were destroyed.

During the trial, which began Aug. 10, the defense has also maintained that the photos have not surfaced online since the tragedy. Multiple county fire and sheriff’s personnel have also testified that they deleted whatever crash-site pictures they had on their cellphones.

Both Bryant’s and Chester’s lawsuits argue that the photos were shared before being deleted by first responders.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who ordered deputies to delete the photos, is also expected to testify on Friday as the first witness for the defense.

ABC News’ Kyla Guilfoil contributed to this report.

Music notes: Silk Sonic, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Sia, BTS and Jessie J

August 19, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Silk Sonic‘s debut album, An Evening With Silk Sonic, is officially RIAA-certified Platinum. The duo released the album last November, which swept the 64th annual Grammy Awards. The album is led by their twice Platinum single, “Leave The Door Open.”

Adele is celebrating her latest milestone — the music video for “Hello” has surpassed 3 billion views! “Hello from the other side, you must’ve watched THREE BILLION times,” her team celebrated on Instagram, sharing several behind-the-scenes snaps of the video.

Ed Sheeran often speaks of his Irish roots and now he’ll embrace them as the official headliner of the Spirit of Ireland Gala in New York City. The gala, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, is put on by NYC’s Irish Arts Center. The event will be held October 20 at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers.

The Lullaby Renditions of Sia album comes out September 2, which features the powerhouse Australian singer singing lullaby versions of her songs. Among the 12 tracks are “Cheap Thrills,” “Chandelier,” “Elastic Heart” and “Titanium.” She released the music video for “Cheap Thrills” so you can get a taste of the upcoming lullaby album as part of the global brand Rockabye Baby.

BTS’ RM is coming out with a photography book, titled Me, Myself, and RM: Entirety. BTS announced the new project on Twitter and teased samples of some of the pages. A release date is forthcoming.

It’s been nine months since Jessie J suffered a miscarriage, and the singer is letting fans know how she’s coping. The “Bang Bang” singer revealed she’s wanted to be a mom since she was 16 and said, “Wanting my life in that way to look completely different to what it looks like right now just overwhelms me.” She adds it’s both “healthy and normal” to grieve and encouraged fans to be kinder to themselves.

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