Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Florida Turns Down $259 Million in Federal Funds to Feed Hungry Children | Diane Ravitch’s blog

The Orlando Sentinel reported that Florida has rejected $259 million in federal funds to feed hungry children. The reasons of the DeSantis administration: we don’t need the money, and besides, it would cost $22 million to administer the program.

TALLAHASSEE– State officials said they passed up millions of dollars in new federal food assistance money because they have more than enough programs to feed Florida’s hungry children this summer.

But advocates for the hungry say the numbers tell a different story. 

Source: Florida Turns Down $259 Million in Federal Funds to Feed Hungry Children | Diane Ravitch’s blog

Biden pledges air defences for Ukraine as Nato summit begins

Reuters US President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the NATO 75th Anniversary ceremony

In brief but strongly delivered remarks at the opening of the summit, the president declared the military alliance “more powerful than ever” as it faced a “pivotal moment” in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Mr Biden said the US would partner with Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Romania to donate Patriot missile batteries and other systems to aid Ukraine, amid growing civilian casualties in the conflict.

 

Source: Biden pledges air defences for Ukraine as Nato summit begins

Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential – The Lancet

Armed conflicts have indirect health implications beyond the direct harm from violence. Even if the conflict ends immediately, there will continue to be many indirect deaths in the coming months and years from causes such as reproductive, communicable, and non-communicable diseases. The total death toll is expected to be large given the intensity of this conflict; destroyed health-care infrastructure; severe shortages of food, water, and shelter; the population’s inability to flee to safe places; and the loss of funding to UNRWA, one of the very few humanitarian organisations still active in the Gaza Strip.

In recent conflicts, such indirect deaths range from three to 15 times the number of direct deaths. Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death to the 37 396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.

Source: Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential – The Lancet