Kallos, Adams Want Healthier City Meals
Councilmember Ben Kallos (D-Upper East Side, Roosevelt Island, East Harlem) and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (D) announced legislation Wednesday mandating nutritional standards for free city-funded delivery and “grab and go meals,” the Gotham Gazette reported.
The bill came after reports emerged showing that many of these important meals lacked substance.
“Candy and potato chips and Bugles and things like that. That is a sometimes treat,” said Kallos. “That is not something that is part of a core diet and we need to make sure that for those who don’t have a choice in the matter or literally relying on the city for their food, that we are providing them with healthy options so that if they eat that diet, they will not only be healthy but lose weight.”
Maloney Proposes Federal Pandemic Insurance
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) introduced a bill that would insure businesses who lack coverage related to the pandemic, the Daily News reported Tuesday.
Modeled after the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, which passed following the 9/11 Attacks, Maloney’s Pandemic Risk Insurance Act would be much larger in scale.
“Millions of small businesses, nonprofits, mom-and-pop shops, retailers, and other businesses are being left out in cold and will never be able to financially recover from the coronavirus crisis because their businesses interruption insurance excludes pandemics,” said Maloney. “We cannot allow this to happen again.”
Stringer Offers Ideas to Re-open Beaches Safely
In a Thursday op-ed on Medium, Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) indicated disagreement with Mayor Bill De Blasio’s (D) decision to close city beaches for Memorial Day weekend.
Proposals included capacity limits, reservations accessed through blind lotteries in each Community District, separate entrance and exit locations, and reducing the use of changing rooms while increasing outdoor showers.
“We should work to make New York City’s beaches and pools a safe summer staple for all,” said Stringer. “Mounting evidence indicates that the transmission of coronavirus is much more difficult outdoors than indoors. The CDC has made clear that properly maintained and operated pools should kill the virus that causes COVID-19.ii Cities and states across the nation, guided by public health experts, are already working to open up their beaches this summer. Mayor de Blasio, however, has already declared that all City pools will be shuttered this summer, and has offered no plans for New York City beaches — citing the very real challenges posed by transit and overcrowding.”
