Latest news with #DOE
New York Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
NYC's free summer meal program offers halal food, without listing kosher options
The city Department of Education's summer meal program for NYC youths boasts a variety of halal options at more than 25 locations citywide, but kosher food 'must be specially ordered,' officials told The Post. Free breakfasts and lunches will be served at hundreds of locations – schools, pools, libraries and parks – for anyone up to 18 years old, including all students from both public and private schools. 'You don't need to sign up, show any papers, or have an ID to get these meals,' the DOE says. 'Just head to one of our spots and enjoy a delicious breakfast and lunch.' Halal food – permissible for Muslims to eat under Islamic law – is available for the taking by anyone who shows up at the listed locations. Kosher food, for observant Jewish kids, is not mentioned on the DOE website. 4 DOE food worker Maria Gonzalez said she gave out 100 meals from a food truck in Haffen Park in the Bronx on the first day of the free summer meal program Friday. J.C. Rice Only when asked by The Post, the DOE said kosher meals 'must be specially ordered, and they are only available upon request. However we do not currently have any applications for kosher meals.' The glaring omission angered some Jewish advocates. 'The DOE's clear promotion of halal options alongside silence on kosher meals highlights a gap that needs urgent attention,'' said Karen Feldman, a DOE teacher and co-founder of the NYCPS Alliance, which fights antisemitism in the city public schools. 'Jewish families who keep kosher deserve the same outreach to feel fully included in this important program.' 4 A DOE food truck gave out free summer breakfasts and lunches to youths in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. J.C. Rice A similar controversy erupted in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when the City Council's Jewish Caucus demanded that Mayor De Blasio's DOE include kosher meals along with vegetarian and halal food for Muslims in its free meal program. The DOE does not track students by religion, but an estimated 10 percent of NYC public-school students, roughly 100,000, are Muslim. The number of Jewish kids in NYC public schools is unclear, but 105,776 K-12 students enrolled in private Jewish schools in 2024-2025, said Gabriel Aaronson, director of policy and research for the non-profit advocacy group Teach Coalition. Poverty and hunger plague many NYC Jews, among other groups. The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, which serves more than 325,000 clients, says it provides emergency food that meets the cultural and religious dietary needs of both kosher and halal-observant households. 4 Karen Feldman, a DOE teacher and co-founder of a group fighting antisemitism in public schools, faulted the city's free summer meal program's failure to list kosher meals for Jewish kids. Gregory P. Mango The DOE's summer menus offer a variety of halal options it says meet Islamic guidelines. For instance, a breakfast of egg and cheese on a buttermilk biscuit, home fries, and fresh fruit; and a lunch of chicken tenders with dipping sauce, garlic knot and corn. Other halal breakfasts include waffles, zucchini and banana bread, whole-grain bagels and buttermilk pancakes. Lunches feature pizza, mozzarella sticks, beef patties, falafel, chicken sandwiches, veggie burgers and empanadas. Kosher foods meet Jewish dietary laws, including restrictions on certain animals like pork and shellfish, separation of meat and dairy, and specific slaughtering and preparation methods. If ordered, the DOE said, a kosher breakfast would include a muffin, granola or cereal, plus yogurt, an apple, and milk. A lunch would consist of hummus, tuna or egg salad, whole wheat bread, grape tomatoes, apple and milk. 4 The DOE posted July summer meals with multiple halal options, but none for kosher food, angering some Jewish advocates. DOE Last week, the DOE would not detail its preparation or purchase of halal and kosher foods. 'We are thrilled that our summer meals program is returning this year, making sure that our youngest New Yorkers are fed and nourished,'said DOE spokeswoman Jenna Lyle. Funding for the summer meal program comes out of the DOE's yearly $600 million budget for all school food.
The Star
14 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
20% of forest plantation projects in operation
GUA MUSANG: Only about one-fifth of all forest plantation projects approved by the Department of Environment (DOE) since 2020 has begun operations, says the body's Kelantan director Wan Aminordin Wan Kamarudin. These projects have received approval for their Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), he said, adding that the remaining 80% have yet to begin operations. 'Any development activity carried out in Kelantan forest reserves exceeding 100ha must submit an EIA report,' he said, Bernama reported. An EIA involves studying the socio-economic impact of a project on the surrounding area and is a legal requirement before operations start, Wan Aminordin added. When it comes to forest plantations, the department is concerned about their impact on the Orang Asli community because they bear the direct brunt of these projects, he said. 'The EIA report is important to identify the affected areas, including the impact on water tables, the safety of residents, orchards and other community-related matters following development, whether it is forest plantations or mining,' he said. Wan Aminordin was speaking to reporters at the 4Xplore Explore Nature: Our Legacy on Earth with Environmental Friends programme in conjunction with the state-level World Environment Day 2025 celebration at Pos Pulat here. EIAs, he added, also involved getting comments and views from various agencies, including the Forestry Department, Land and Mines Office and the state Health Department. 'We set conditions that must be adhered to, including that developers must provide control measures such as sediment trap ponds and install infrastructure that can prevent erosion in the project area,' he said. Last year, the DOE issued a prohibition order on a mining company in Gua Musang and ordered it to cease operations immediately. On Dec 18 last year, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry issued a stop-work order to two companies suspected of polluting Sungai Kelaik, Pos Blau, based on DOE's investigation into the two companies' compliance with the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127). A news portal revealed how Sungai Kelaik's water had turned red after contamination from an upstream iron ore mine.
GMA Network
21 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
DOE launches Nuclear 101 Training Series for stakeholders
The Nuclear Energy Program Inter-Agency Committee (NEP-IAC)'s Subcommittee 4 led by the Department of Energy (DOE) conducted the first round of its Nuclear 101 Training Series attended by local media practitioners from Palawan and Masbate from 23-26 June 2025. The training kicked off with a whole-day information sharing at Somerset Millennium in Makati City that included the history and basics of nuclear energy tackled by National Power Corporation Officer-in-Charge Vice President Atty. Manuel Luis Plofino; overview of the Nuclear Energy Program (NEP) explained in a video presentation by NEP-IAC Technical Secretariat Head DOE Director Patrick T. Aquino; an overview of the draft NEP communication plan by the DOE Public Affairs Office team; the key criteria and standards in siting a nuclear power plant by Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Associate Scientist Dr. Arturo S. Daag; and nuclear safety, security and safeguards by Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Senior Science Research Specialist Mary Gold Bulos. In her welcome remarks, DOE Nuclear Energy Division OIC Chief Shiela dela Cruz highlighted the need to inform, involve and engage with stakeholders whose concerns and feedback are crucial in the country's bid to embark on NEP, guided by the highest standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Meanwhile, Atty. Plofino cited the need to "know the facts and dispel the myths about nuclear energy to enable stakeholders to make an informed decision about the country's NEP" following extensive discussions on nuclear energy history and recent developments. Aside from asking the toughest questions, participants from the media were also given the opportunity to join an exposure visit to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant located in Morong, Bataan on 25 June 2025 to give them a clearer perspective on the processes and systems involved in tapping the energy source. NEP-IAC created six subcommittees to address the 19 infrastructure issues identified by the IAEA soon after it was constituted under Executive Order 116. Meanwhile, subcommittee 4 is particularly in charge of the issues of stakeholder involvement, human resource development, and industrial involvement. Last December, the IAEA sent a mission to the Philippines for a follow-up Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) to check on the country's progress in developing the necessary infrastructure to embark on a nuclear power program. In the 2018 INIR, the IAEA issued 14 recommendations and 13 suggestions that involved passing a comprehensive nuclear law, clarifying a national position, enhancing regulatory independence, among others. In December 2024 follow-up INIR, the IAEA confirmed that nine of the recommendations have been fully addressed and that five were still in progress. Recently, Congress ratified the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on Senate Bill No. 2899 and House Bill No. 9293 or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act, which establishes the Philippine Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority or PhilATOM, calling it a milestone toward the safe, secure, and peaceful development of nuclear energy in the country.
Malaysiakini
a day ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Kelantan DOE stresses EIA to safeguard local communities
The Kelantan Environment Department (DOE) director today expressed concern about the local community, especially the Orang Asli, as they are directly impacted by development. Wan Aminordin Wan Kamarudin said that any large development of the state's forest reserves must go through an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). 'Any development activity carried out in Kelantan forest reserves exceeding 100ha must...
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Only 20% of forest plantation projects operational in Kelantan
GUA MUSANG: Just 20 per cent of forest plantation projects approved by the Department of Environment (DOE) since 2020 are currently operational, while the remaining 80 per cent have not commenced operations. Kelantan DOE director Wan Aminordin Wan Kamarudin highlighted the importance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports in ensuring sustainable development. He explained that EIA reports include socio-economic studies of communities near project sites, requiring developers to submit these before starting work. 'Any development in Kelantan forest reserves over 100 hectares must submit an EIA report,' he said. Wan Aminordin expressed concern for local communities, particularly the Orang Asli, who are directly affected by such projects. 'The EIA report helps identify impacts on water sources, resident safety, and surrounding gardens,' he said during the Kelantan state-level World Environment Day 2025 event in Pos Pulat. The EIA process involves input from multiple agencies, including the Forestry Department and State Health Department. Developers must follow strict conditions, such as installing sediment traps and erosion control measures. Last year, the DOE issued a stop-work order to a mining company in Gua Musang for non-compliance. On December 18, two companies were also ordered to halt operations after allegedly polluting Sungai Kelaik, turning the river red with iron ore waste.
