Second Harvest Food Bank needs support amid federal funding cuts
37 loads of food expected to arrive at the food bank will not be coming because of cuts made to federal food programs.'That's over 600,000 pounds of food, which has a value to us of $1.1 million,' explained John Sillars, the chief strategy officer for Second Harvest Food Bank.
New Orleans City Council resolution criticizes federal spending cuts
Sillars says their food bank also relied on a program that allowed them to purchase fresh food from local farmers.'What we learned was, that program was being canceled nationwide, and so that is impacting us,' said Sillars. 'It's impacting the farmers who we were buying food from.' These cuts are happening as the amount of people experiencing food insecurity in south Louisiana increases to nearly 440,000.'Maybe it's a child who is, you know, it's Friday today, and they are leaving at the end of the day, and they're not sure when they're going to be eating over the weekend, if they're going to be eating over the weekend, because really, their main source of food is the food they get from school,' said Sillars.Sillars goes on to say they've budgeted $500,000 to purchase food in the next few months, and they're leaning on other sources as well.'We're investing in food sourcing, staff and partner infrastructure, and then we're also depending on advocacy,' said Sillars.Monetary donations are always welcome, and collection bins are located outside the facility on Edwards Avenue in Elmwood. People can also volunteer.'They can come help plate meals or pack boxes, and if they really want to help us out, they can call their federal and state representatives to express their support for food assistance in south Louisiana,' said Sillars.
The USDA has terminated nearly 80 contracts so far, totaling more than $130 million dollars. Their secretary has said these cuts were necessary to stop wasteful spending and optimize the department to better serve American agriculture.Meet 2025's Strawberry Fest Grand Marshal!
Meet this year's 'Strawberry Blossom' for Ponchatoula's Strawberry Fest
Second Harvest Food Bank needs support amid federal funding cuts
Bristol casino plans for first busy race weekend at permanent site
REPORT: Saints QB Derek Carr's status for 2025 season now in jeopardy
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
40 minutes ago
- USA Today
Justice Department to begin turning over Jeffrey Epstein probe files, House chairman says
The DOJ move comes about a month after the House Oversight committee voted to approve the subpoenas in a rare bipartisan effort. WASHINGTON – The Justice Department in four days will begin sending some of the so-called 'Epstein files' from its sex-trafficking investigation into the disgraced late financier to the House Oversight Committee, committee Chairman James Comer said Aug. 18. 'There are many records in DOJ's custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted,' Comer said in a statement posted on X, adding that the first files are expected to arrive Aug. 22. 'I appreciate the Trump Administration's commitment to transparency and efforts to provide the American people with information about this matter.' The Justice Department was not immediately available for comment on what records it might turn over. On Aug. 5, Comer issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for records related to Epstein, the longtime Trump friend who died by suicide in 2019 as he was awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Republicans on the House Committee have also issued deposition subpoenas to former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as former top federal law enforcement officials including James Comey, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Robert Mueller, William Barr, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzales. Those are scheduled to get underway this month. Those subpoenas seek testimony 'related to horrific crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein,' Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said when they were issued. The Oversight Committee voted July 23 to issue the subpoenas and to also seek the DOJ files, answering calls from lawmakers and voters alike for more information on Epstein and who else might have been involved in his underage sex-trafficking ring. While Trump supporters and MAGA influencers have said they want to see the names of prominent Democrats rumored to be in the files, Trump himself is likely in them, at least on flight logs from Epstein's private jet, according to already disclosed court records and other documents. The DOJ promise to hand over files follows weeks of intensifying drama and rare dispute between President Donald Trump, who had a long friendship with Epstein, and his MAGA base. Last month, the DOJ and FBI issued a joint statement saying they would not release Epstein investigative documents in their possession after months of promises by Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to make that information public. The subpoenas appear to cover when Epstein allegedly sexually assaulted young women with the help of associate Ghislaine Maxwell, which dates back more than two decades. More: Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell quietly moved out of Florida federal prison Maxwell was interviewed over two days last month about what she knows about the case by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, a former Trump personal defense lawyer. The interviews were held in Tallahassee, Florida, where the former British socialite is serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls. She has since been moved to a minimum-security federal prison 'camp' in Texas, prompting criticism from Democrats who charge that the Trump administration is giving her preferential treatment. It's unclear what exactly Maxwell told Blanche during the closed-door interviews, but her defense attorney, David Markus, said his client answered all of the government's questions, including those of about 100 different people. On July 23, a federal judge in Florida rejected a bid from the Justice Department to unseal grand jury testimony from 2005 and 2007 tied to a federal investigation into Epstein, who hanged himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, an autopsy concluded. Maxwell is seeking to overturn her conviction and has filed a petition with the Supreme Court, which the Justice Department has opposed. Markus said he believes Ghislaine deserves relief and has appealed online to Trump for consideration, but said no such offer has been made. When asked if he would consider pardoning Maxwell, Trump told reporters, 'It's something I haven't thought about."
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
The merchandise was taken down, but ‘Deportation Depot' messaging works
It's ironic that Home Depot — a business so closely associated with middle-America and whose co-founder supports President Trump — has balked at the state of Florida using its logo to promote a new immigration detention facility. After the company raised concerns, the Florida Republican Party took down a line of 'Deportation Depot'-themed shirts, hats and tchotchkes from its website. The items mimicked the Home Depot logo, using its instantly recognizable orange box and stenciled font without approval, a company spokesperson told the Herald/Times Bureau. The removal of the merchandise might cost the Republican Party a few thousand dollars, though unofficial sites will probably continue to sell similar items under the radar. But the messaging war is what matters. The clever, yet cruel and distasteful names and nicknames that Florida officials have bestowed upon the state's immigration facilities — such as 'Alligator Alcatraz' — have caught on. Immigration enforcement has turned into the real-life version of an us-versus-them video game that you can participate in by buying bumper stickers and t-shirts and sharing memes online. There's shock value in seeing our government encouraging people to joke about alligators and snakes eating — actually, killing — undocumented migrants in the Everglades and giggle about holding human beings in a 'Deportation Depot.' The more Democrats and those who are horrified by these tactics complain, the stronger the message becomes. American politics now looks more like the 'Jerry Springer Show' and less like the 8 p.m. evening news. And the anything-goes show we're watching is on 24/7, through cable news and social media. With the public's attention span so limited, 'Deportation Depot' stands out. The North Florida facility that Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled last week used to be the Baker Correctional Institution, a defunct men's prison, and can be expanded to fit as many as 2,000 immigrants. Meanwhile, a Miami federal judge is expected to weigh in this week on whether Alligator Alcatraz, deep in the Everglades, should close. Trump and DeSantis didn't create today's political environment, but they have used it to their benefit and exacerbated it. Home Depot, it seems, did not want to be part of that strategy. And that's understandable. The company might have a conservative leadership, but its home improvement stores are a staple of communities large and small, red and blue. When it comes to business, it seems, there's no red or blue, only green. ICE has also conducted several immigration raids outside Home Depot stores, in particular in California, where migrant day laborers often gather, waiting to be picked up by prospective employers. Certainly, being closely associated with deportations is not part of Home Depot's business strategy. But the controversy over nicknames isn't about a company's logo and reputation. It's about harnessing outrage and cruelty for a marketing campaign. The 'Deportation Depot' merchandise may have been taken down, but the message has been successfully delivered.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Back in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy wears a blazer and Trump doesn't shout
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was only a few months ago that U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last met in the Oval Office, but Monday's face-to-face between the two leaders looked markedly different. For much of their February exchange, during which Trump and Vice President JD Vance blasted Zelenskyy as 'disrespectful' and warned about future American support for his country, Zelenskyy crossed his arms and looked askance at the U.S. leaders. The presidents often spoke over each other, also gesturing disagreement. A conservative reporter, Brian Glenn, even asked Zelenskyy why he wasn't wearing a suit. Monday's meeting was rounded out with more smiles and pleasantries between Trump and Zelenskyy, as well as agreement on some points regarding Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. Both men largely sat with their hands clasped in their laps, affably fielding questions from reporters. And Glenn, when called upon by the Republican U.S. president to speak, complimented Zelenskyy, saying, 'You look fabulous in that suit.'
