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U.S. NEWS Thursday 1 augusT 2024
Families face food insecurity in Republican-led states that turned

down federal aid this summer

KATE PAYNE benefited from more than
Associated Press/Report for $258 million in aid this sum-
America mer if state officials hadn’t
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — turned it down. Nation-
Crystal Ripolio had tears in wide, roughly 21 million kids
her eyes as she walked the are being fed by the pro-
produce line at the Good gram this year.
News Outreach food bank Asked whether the state
in Tallahassee. It was the would participate next
bags of ripe peaches that summer, a spokesperson for
did her in. Gov. Ron DeSantis directed
“We don’t have anything in inquiries to the Florida De-
our fridge,” Ripolio said. partment of Children and
Ripolio and her 8-year-old Families, which did not re-
daughter, Isabella, walked spond. A spokesperson for
away with paper bags the DCF previously told the
filled with those peaches, Orlando Sentinel that the
other produce, bread and state’s current programs
canned goods grateful for are sufficient.
the help she said they des- “We anticipate that our
perately need. state’s full approach to
Millions of American chil- serving children will con-
dren are going without ex- tinue to be successful this
tra food this summer, after Stacks of donated goods line the shelves at the Good News Outreach food bank, Wednesday, year without any addition-
13 states declined to par- July 31, 2024, in Tallahassee, Fla. al federal programs that
ticipate in a federal pro- Associated Press inherently always come
gram that helps families in helping Isabella deal with meals at school, but who ers like me that don’t have with some federal strings
need buy groceries. some challenging medi- often go hungry during the transportation, that may attached,” spokesperson
Thirty-seven states, four U.S. cal issues lately and hasn’t summer. need the food but just Mallory McManus said.
territories and five Native been able to work. The ex- According to an analysis can’t get to it,” Santiago Ropolio, standing outside
American tribes are ben- tra money would have re- by the advocacy group said. the food bank just a short
efitting from the program, ally helped by allowing her Food Research and Action The states that declined to walk from the governor’s
according to the Depart- to buy more basics such Center, for every 100 chil- participate in the program mansion in Florida’s capital,
ment of Agriculture. Quali- as bread, milk and cereal, dren who received a free cited reasons such as prob- said she didn’t understand
fying families with children Ripolio said. or reduced-price meal dur- lems with aging state com- why the state passed up
who rely on school meals to “Are you kidding? I’ve ing the 2021-2022 school puter systems, philosophi- federal money that could
get enough to eat are get- been holding onto $17 for year, only 11 got a summer cal opposition to welfare have made a difference to
ting an extra $120 per child three months,” she said, lunch in July 2022. programs, and a belief that her family.
this summer to help feed referring to her dwindling Layla Santiago, a single existing free meal programs “If other states are able to
their kids. finances. mom from Jacksonville, are sufficient. All 13 are led do it, why can’t we?” she
Ripolio, who has two The federal program known said she’s been piling her by Republican governors. asked. “That doesn’t make
school-aged daughters, as Summer EBT or SUN Bucks five kids all between the Under the terms of the Sum- sense.”
could have received an ex- gives money to qualifying ages of 2 months and 10 mer EBT program, the fed- Service providers have
tra $240 deposited directly families who can then use years into an Uber to get eral government covers the applauded the work of a
onto an electronic benefits it to shop at grocery stores to local food pantries this cost of the benefits for fam- state-administered summer
transfer or EBT card, but and farmers markets. The summer, because she lacks ilies, but states must split the meal program that oper-
Republican-led Florida isn’t initiative is designed to help consistent access to trans- administrative costs 50/50. ates out of schools, public
taking part. feed children who receive portation. An estimated 2 million Flor- libraries and community
She said she has been free or reduced-priced “I know there’s other moth- ida children could have centers.q

Ransomware attack disables computers at blood center serving

250 hospitals in southeast U.S.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A tals to activate their critical to our systems as expedi-
not-for-profit blood center blood shortage protocols. tiously as possible,” Susan
serving much of the south- The blood center also was Forbes, OneBlood’s senior
eastern United States is fac- using manual processes to vice president of corporate
ing a ransomware attack, maintain basic operations, communications and pub-
officials said Wednesday. officials said. lic relations, said in a state-
OneBlood said the attack OneBlood is working with ment.
had disabled its informa- cybersecurity specialists as Blood centers across the
tion technology, forcing it well as federal, state and U.S. were sending ex-
to operate at a reduced local agencies to deter- tra blood and platelets
capacity in Florida, Geor- mine the scope of the at- to OneBlood, which said
gia and the Carolinas. To tack and how to respond, there’s a particular need
manage its blood supply, officials said. for O-positive and O-nega- A health care worker walks by the Big Red Bus from OneBlood
the blood center was ask- “We are working diligently tive blood.q outside at Cano Health in Hialeah, Fla., July 29, 2020.
ing more than 250 hospi- to restore full functionality Associated Press