the usda says how much nutrition needs to be in the launch.hat types of foods need to be there and the nutrients provided. beyond that, it is absolutely a local decision. host: the government reimburses only to a certain amount. after that, you have to pay for it on your own? guest: the have to be with children's family and come and how ever many qualify, that is how the school gets reimbursed. this year, as a medium dated nutrition standards, they get a little bit more money. they get 6 cents more to help compensate for additional costs. host: because healthier food costs more? guest: potentially, yes. there may be a little bit higher costs and thus more money associated. host: look at the requirements. increases in whole grain-rich foods, limiting calories. reductions of saturated fat, trans-fat, and sodium. how are these changes going over? guest: in general, it has been positive. they are seeing similar things, to what have seen in past years. it may have gone from standard to all grain, using different cheeses come other things to tweak t

so the usda which has been setting guidelines for subsidized school lunch force the past, oh, i don't know, 70 years, has, i'm trying to curb what everybody agree says childhood obesity problem changed the last year's school lunch men fru cheese pizza, canned pie nap app-- ian apple, tater tots into whole wheat cheez pizzar, applesauce and low fat milk. oooh. why is this news? >> new guidelines thanks to michelle obama, michelle obama school lunch calorie limits. >> michelle obama nutritional school lunches. >> jon: oh, man, oh, right, that's right. because this isn't really about food or kids. it's about big government uber thanny michelle obama who if she said we feed clean air half the country would demand gills because freedom! listen the complaint. >> the usda shouldn't be deciding how many calories we take or how many calories we expend during the day. at some point it personal responsibility, i'm talking about. >> jon: this is america, jack. just because uncle sam is buying me lunch doesn't mean he request tell me what to eat-- he can tell me what to eat. by the way, how do you

they live in areas designated by the usda as food deserts. that's a place where the poverty rate is at least 20% and no grocery store is nearby. i'm standing in one of these food deserts. as you might imagine it is hard for people who live here to find any fresh produce or fruits or vegetables. we did a little investigating and found behind this church a truck like this one, a fresh mobile farmer's market. they give away produce for free and also do something else here. mimi chester manages this program called the fulton county mobile farmer's market. >> i try to explain it like this. if you are a mother having to take the bus to the grocery store and you have two children, how many bags of vegetables can you carry or how many bags can you carry? because you have to hold the children's hands. >> as a result people just don't buy it? >> well, it is easier to go buy fast food. >> just having the truck isn't enough for people who aren't used to eating fresh vegetables. so twice a week all summer long she gives cooking lessons to area residents be

and working, and dealing with the determination they are facing, and so you're on the other end of the usdaeeing exactly how the discriminatory policies, what they are on the ground, seeing farmers having land foreclosed upon and knowing that there was a mean spiritedness the way they foreclosed on their land. tell us a little bit about that. >> you know, one of the things i had to do, and i was determined, and i was determined that everyone who worked with me did that. we -- i made sure we learned those regulations better than the folks working in those offices so you would know when they were doing something or saying something wrong. you could know when you were -- anyone who ever had to deal with discrimination know when that happens, but to know exactly what that person is doing to you that's wrong is what i wanted us to -- and i needed to be able to do that to challenge them. i could remember a farmer called me -- he had been -- he received a letter to come into the local office, which was about 60 miles away. he asked if i would come to go to the office with him, and with his wife, a

this is what the usda give schools for each school lunch served. if it's a free lunch the federal gorman treen versus $2.86. reduced price lunches the federal government, $2.46 and the federal government reimburses the school 27 cents. does the school dictate what is served for lunch or is it the federal government? >> it depends on what it serves for once that happens at the local level. the usda says how much nutrition needs to be in that lunch. they take in nutrients that need to be provided. this is only a certain amount. after that we have to play for it on their own. estimate it has to do with children's families in come qualifying and however many qualify for the free and reduced lunch that is how many will get reimbursed and they meet the updated mission standards and get a little more money than the amount to mention a get six additional sense to help compensate for additional costs of the higher standard meals because the whole food costs more as they bring in more fruits and vegetables than maybe a little bit higher cost and there's a lit

the usda has yet to give us those answers. but the reality is coming just as the demand for food in those counties remains extremely high. >> more families find themselves turning to the food bank these days and we're a lifeline to them. so the need in alameda county is growing. we are serving one in six alameda county residents, the majority of which are children. >> to try to offset the shortage, both east bay food banks are appealing to the public, asking for them to organize their own food drives. and make monetary donations. >> we can turn every dollar that is donated into four dollars worth of food that we can distribute. we will come down here and volunteer, help out, lend your voice, call your legislator. there's a lot that can be done to help our neighbors in need. >> it's unclear at this point when these government shipments might resume, if the public wants more information on how they can help this food bank and the other one in contra costa county. that information can be found on our website, abc7news.com. in oakl

week officials said there was no evidence that sick cattle were getting into the food supply and the usda said the company improved over sight. >>> rescuers saved six people in three separate incidents off the coast in one day. the first call came in at noon when a sail boat was taking on water and then a sail boat was sinking. they sent a boat to pull two people to safety. and in a third rescue they found a small plane thanks to the plane's tracking device. video from the coast guard. you can see the rescuer tethered to the rope, hoisting up a father and his son. their plane went down after the engine quit. >>> judge reinvited child visitation rights for former alameda county supervisor nadia lockyer. nadia lockyer pleaded not guilty to drug and child endangerment charges after police found methamphetamine at her home. the decision today allows her visitation if her husband agrees nadia lockyer is the wife of california treasurer bill lockyer. >>> california must make changes in education to address a shortage of teachers. the task force says california has focused too much on test score

you're on the other end of the usda. you're seeing how the discriminate story policies what they are on the ground. seeing have their land foreclosed upon. there was a mean spiritednd about the way they were foreclosed on their land tell us about that. >> one of the things i had to do, i was determined and determined that everyone who worked with me did that, we -- i made sure we learned those regulations better than the folks they had working in the offices. so that you would know when they were doing something or saying something wrong. you knew. you could know when you were anyone who ever had to deal with discrimination, know when it happens but to know exactly what that person is doing to you that's wrong was what i wanted us. i needed to be able to do that to challenge that. i can remember a farmer called me, he had received a letter to come in to the local office, which ask about sixty miles away. he asked me if i could come to go to the office with him, and with his wife, and i said yes. i drove down to that offic

. >> reporter: it's a noble effort but an abc news investigation shows the usda's new school lunch guidelines are not going down so well with many kids cross the country. america's public school students protesting the new federal war on child obesity with guidelines promoting smaller portions, fewer calories, less meat or cheese, more fruits and vegetables all aimed to curb obesity. some protests hit the internet in dramatic fashion. like this lunchtime revolt. ♪ my friends are at the corner store ♪ >> reporter: students at this kansas high school creating a viral video promoting the viral videos in their cafeteria. ♪ we are hungry >> reporter: the new rules limit elementary schoolers to 650 calories, 700 for middle schoolers and 850 for high schoolers. >> it's a different mix how you get to the calorie. based on the science, a more nutritious mix. >> reporter: based on the science. is increase in plate waste. the only known study under the new guidelines contains a startling statistic. kids are throwing away twice as much food as last year. >> just plop the vegetables and food there, don't

the usda says how much nutrition needs to be in the launch. what types of foods need to be there and the nutrients provided. beyond that, it is absolutely a local decision. host: the government reimburses only to a certain amount. after that, you have to pay for it on your own? guest: the have to be with children's family and come and how ever many qualify, that is how the school gets reimbursed. this year, as a medium dated nutrition standards, they get a little bit more money. they get 6 cents more to help compensate for additional costs. host: because healthier food costs more? guest: potentially, yes. there may be a little bit higher costs and thus more money associated. host: look at the requirements. increases in whole grain-rich foods, limiting calories. reductions of saturated fat, trans-fat, and sodium. how are these changes going over? guest: in general, it has been positive. they are seeing similar things, to what have seen in past years. it may have gone from standard to all grain, using different cheeses come other things to tweak

the usda is continuing their investigation. yosemite national park administrators are now saying that as many as 10,000 people may have been exposed to this virus. so far two men have died from the disease that is spread by mice. for other people have been infected and authorities believe that the guest were exposed between june and august in the tent cabins in curry village. those cabins are now closed. >> anytime now doctors hope to wait and injured san jose firefighter from a medically induced coma. the 15 year veteran frank ryan had a heart attack after battling a three alarm fire at st. patrick's cathedral yesterday. he had no pulse and stopped breathing but his fellow firefighters were able to resuscitate him. they have been at his side ever since. >> we have 30 firefighters in hospital at all times. you know, waiting for updates, supporting each other. the biggest thing that we're saying amongst ourselves is that frank is not dead, frank is waiting to wake up and crack a joke because that is what frank does. >> he remains

the usda has yet to give us those answers. but the reality is coming just as the command for food in those counties remains extremely high. >> to more families find themselves turning to the food bank these days and we're a lifeline to them. so the need in alameda county is growing. we are serves one in six alameda county residents, the majority of which are children. >> to try to offset the shortage, both east bay food banks are appealing to the public, asking for them to organize their own food drives. and make monetary donations. >> we can turn every dollar that is donated into four dollars worth of food that we can distribute. we will come down here and volunteer, help out, lend your voice, call your legislator. there's a lot that can be done to help our neighbors in need. >> ice unclear at this point when these government shipments might resume, if the public wants more information on how they can help this food bank and the other one in contra costa county. that information can be found on our website, abc7news.com. in oa

farm and you are working and dealing with the discrimination so you you were on the other and of the usda and you are seeing exactly how the discriminatory policies what they are in the ground, having the land foreclosed upon have knowing there is a mean-spiritedness about the way they were foreclosed on their land. tell us about that. >> one of the things i had to do, and i was determined that everyone who worked with me did that. i made sure we learned those regulations better than the folks they had working in those offices so that you would know when they were doing something or are saying something wrong. you would know when you were in one that has ever had to deal with discrimination, to know exactly what that person is doing to you is wrong plus i wanted and i needed to be able to do that. i can remember a farmer called me -- he received a letter to come in to the local office, which is about 60 miles away. he asked me if i would come to that office with him with his wife, and i said yes so i drove down to that office that morning. we went into the office with the account supervis

take a look at the new numbers from the usda. children dealt with hunger in 2011. ranslates to one in every five kids. we talked today with the manager for a program called no kid hungry, which works to give families a hand up. >> this program teaches families how to shop for and prepare healthy meals on a budget. so this actually enables them to supplement the federal nutrition programs that are helping them. >> more than half of families who struggle with hunger report they have gotten help from a federal food and nutrition program. >>> a new healthy school menu is being put to the test in a local district. first, the plan needs a thumb ease up from the kids themselves. fox 5's beth parker shows us. >> with a crunch comes the biggest change in school nutrition in years. >> what do you think? >> it's good. >> good enough to make it past these tiny taste testers at yorkshire elementary school. they were joined by a big cheese. the deputy under secretary of agriculture for food, nutrition, and consumer services. >> every food fits in a diet. it is just how often you

schools tell us they've seen the 50% of increase in lunch in dash. >> too healthy almost. >> reporter: the usdathe new menus are working in some schools and rules are long overdue. >> this is about our children and health of our children and making sure we do a good job providing low fat dairy and whole greens. why? because they're at risk of being obese. >> reporter: despite the calorie limbs students can get seconds of fruit and vegetables. the challenge for america's lunch lady is get the kids to eat it. jim avila, abc news, bristol, virginia. >>> there was a kind of miracle at jfk airport today. the plane from rio degenerde ja when the landing gear failed. but it amazingly locked in the right position. a member of the disaster response team said it was if the hand of god turned that wheel. >>> still ahead on "world news," our exclusive with the create irv of "harry potter" she cracked the code for what kids want. has she done it again? this time for adults. [ mujahid ] there was a little bit of trepidation, not quite knowing what the next phase was going to be, you know, because you been, y

the usda offers following advice for local offices to help boost enrollment. throw a great party, they say. host special events where people mix and mingle. make it fun by having activities, game, food, entertainment, the list goes on and on. under president obama enrollment in the food stamp program has tripled but in this interview democratic strategist jehmu green said the goal is 1 one00% participation. she came on to disagree with me. >> we want 100% participation for low income family, military families, children with seniors. melissa: how do you know -- >> the stats prove we're not there. the congressional budget office, the national science institute, everyone who looks at program. 're at around 72%. roo reality is we are the richest nation in the world. we can not have children going hungry. children will --. melissa: can't have children going hungry you're abs absolutely right but getting to the point we have more people in the cart than pulling the cart. encouraging more people to get food stamps we'll run out of money. >> not absolutely. as we come

. >> so the usda says that the new men use are working in some schools and that the rules they are longrdue. >> i do like that song. >> i do. i really do. >> lynette was singing it during the break, so we'll see if we can hype up the band one more time. >>> is there anything a robot cannot do. >>> and first class coach, no matter who you are, flying can sometimes be a headache, eventual on air force one, what kept the president from landing, back in a bit. excuse us, while we change into something more comfortable. cool. introducing, the square sunnyd bottle. >>> we'll make the music up. you're supposed to hear music. they're busting the moves. they were the dancing robots at the 13th western china 3o> it's pretty cool but what's the point. >>> time now to see a picture that lauren put on facebook, and you made captions for it. >> today's caption was sent in by michelle. her cat founa spot to haj out in the kitchen sink. many of you have sounded off

the usda says it's working in some schools. >>> the army has ordered a standdown day to focus on suicide prevention training. the army recorded 116 suicides among active-duty soldiers. >>> and fans are remembering entertaining andy williams this morning. the "moon river" singer died at his home in missouri. among those paying tributes, donny osmond. osmond sang "moon river" during his show in las vegas last night. >> talk about one of the great voices. back when people could sing. what a voice. >>> time, now, for some action from the big leagues. highlights, now, from espn news. >> randy scott here with your "sportscenter" update. the best pennant race in baseball is in the american league central. it's the tigers and white sox. they came into wednesday tied atop of the division. tigers, looking to take care of business. against the royals. serving one up to jeff fron cowh francoeur. abeale la, off of jeremy guthrie, who has been better coming to the royals from the rockies. but returning to old form there. tigers cut it to 4-3. austin jackson, mr. jackson, if you're nasty. that's gone.

schwartz: the usda asked that i go to herminie and provide an independent evaluation of the problems to determine if it was severe enough to warrant funding. i've worked in a lot of communities in pennsylvania, i've seen a lot of things that were pretty startling, however, the trip to herminie absolutely, um... astounded me. i wrote a letter to usda, saying that it was the worst thing i'd ever seen in pennsylvania and that if they could award funding, that they do so. and they did. they did. over $15 million, grant and loan, for that project. mcmillen: and it took years to get funding. what kept this project going was the steadfastness of the community -- they knew they needed sewage, and they just kept plugging along till we got through every issue that came up. the project will consist of 44 miles of line that we're going to put in, and a treatment plant. it will permanently eliminate the problem, the health hazards. i anticipate a definite regrowth in herminie, and it will be a good thing for everybody. zdravecky: maybe it won't help me too much because i'm an old lady, but whoeve

professionals working with the district and the of the potential to work with to set the standards and the usda has a sample meal menus. >> jessica is the project for the healthful food project from the web site calfee school food board for more information. thanks for talking to the viewers. joining us this week on the communicators as representative joe barton a republican from texas, former chairman of the energy and commerce committee and currently the co-chair of the congressional privacy caucus. representative barton command a few days and then the lame-duck sessions of the 112 congress, do you foresee any action on the issues of privacy? >> being handled? >> i've asked the chairman of the commerce committee to consider moving the do not track kids online privacy bill the congressman markey and i have introduced. i don't have a commitment from him to do that, but that bill is a possible, especially in the lame-duck. in the regular session we are probably not bring to have that more legislative days. succumb if we have one bill, though that would -- that is the one that i've asked the chai

. >> reporter: the usda launched a program called the school day just got healthier, changing menus based upon an act of congress. >> these changes in the menu mean that they will be more of something and less of others. >> we'll see more fresh fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, looking at reduction in fats and sugars. >> reporter: the kids are testing five new menu items if you like if you circle the smiley face. if not, you make this face. [ laughter ] >> there was broccoli salad. >> this is good. >> reporter: broccoli and pizza. >> it's spicey. like the black bone pizza. -- black bean pizza. >> not a big fan of raisins. >> reporter: there was a lot they did like. >> and have to buy in. the nutrition that goes in the trash can is not nutrition. >> reporter: diana mason is glad she can vegetables. >> and they can get more muscles and everything. >> and are you trying to get stronger? >> when i get older, i can get a good job and so i'm not like a couch potato. >> to talk to kids and hear and interact with their point of view and they direct and telling you how they feel. some ask

we actually ask the usda to come check us. we have never fed steroids or hormones and never will. no blood meal, no meat and bone meal. yuck. no animal by-products. it means when you put my chicken on the table, you know where it came from. >>> ladies, take your dramamine, because i'm about to take you on an aerial tour of northern california in oregon with, apparently, a guy doing a little bit of flight training. look at this. over the coast and through these narrow canyons, really low-level, intricate flying. >> oh. >> this guy, i mean, it's -- this is "top gun" stuff! >> whoa! >> can't you just hear -- din, din, din, right? >> i think you're thinking of "danger zone" by kenny loggins. >> definitely! that's the only soundtrack to play when you're watching something like this. >> he's going crazy hard, going quickly one way and then quickly the other way. >> i feel like i should be tilting my head, like i'm in a plane, like the cat watching the video the tv. >> yeah, because if you tilt your head, though it kind of helps you feel not as dizzy. >> some comments are saying this guy

. >>> a random at the time by the usda found salmonella contamination in a single sample of melons. they were sold between august 27 and september 10 in california. public health officials say so far there are no reports of any illnesses. >>> a san francisco parking lot is going to become a green space. the city says it plans to convert the current 200-car lot to a city park next to new housing. plans for the space include native plants, an amphitheater and a community garden. the city even plans to capture rainwater for irrigation. construction is set to begin in the fall of 2013 and be complete by the end of 2014. >>> san francisco schools today kicked off a two-day summit to tackle the issue of bullying. as david stevenson reports, a high profile film played a key role in starting today's discussion. >> reporter: 3,000 san francisco middle and high school students took a break from class to talk about bullying. >> i've gotten bullied in sixth grade. i felt abandoned, because no one would help me out. >> you say these people are my friends. what friends do i have? >> reporter: the

they live in areas designateded by the usda is food deserts which is an area of poverty rate of 20% with no grocery store nearby. i'm standing in one of of the food deserts and it is one of the people here to try to find fresh produce or fruits or vegetables. but while investigating behind this church we found a truck like this one, if fulton fresh fruit market. they give away produce for free and something else here. this minia chester manages the program. it is called the fulton county program. >> i explain it like this, if you were trying the go to the grocery store with two children, how many bags can you carry because you have to hold the children's hands? >> sos a as a result, you don'y it this is. >> it is easier to go buy fast food. >> just having the truck is not enough for people who are not used to eating fresh vegetables so twice a week, she gives cooking lessons to area residents before handing out the bags of produce. >> now that has browned, we are going to add the zucchini and squash. patricia barnham loves that truck. >> you don't have grocery stores around here that muc

. >> jeff: the usda estimates that one in ten households with children will have trouble putting foodn the table this year. and it's not just the lingering effects of the recession making things difficult. this year it's also the presidential election. lee cowan explains why. >> this is what survival looks like for nicole johnnie and her 8-year-old daughter chy jane, it's not a grocery spor but a food bank. without her her family wouldn't it. >> do i get embarrassed to come, i do. but is it necessary, yeah. >> reporter: she like all others at the snow cap community charities have to line up and take a number. >> 87. >> reporter: they have to get here early. the food these days runs out fast. >> i wish i could say that it tugs at my heart now, it makes me mad. >> reporter: judy allie is in charge here and she has seen it all before. every election cycle, she says, donations drop and her shelves get emier an emier. >> i have been doing there 22 years and in presidential election years, people donate to politics, to campaigns. donate to politics, to campaigns. and that takes away what li

the usda has yet to give us those answers but the reality of shortages come just as demand for food in the countries remains extremely high. >> more families find themselves turning to the food bank these days and we are lifeline to them. so the need in alameda county, we are serving one in six alameda county residents. majority of which are children. >> to try to offset the shortage they are appealing to the public asking for them to organize their own food drives and make monetary donation. >> we can turn every dollar that is donated into four dollars of food that we can distributed or come down here and volunteer and lend your voice, call your legislator. >> it's not clear when the government shipments will resume. if the public wants more information how they can help this food bank, that information can be found on our website at abc7news.com. >> a lot safer for pedestrians in south san jose. new bridge opened up yesterday providing safer access to a shopping center. walkway comes after a toddler died in the same spot seven years ago. more from abc7 news reporter sergio quintana.

earlier this month the usda estimated farmers will harvest on average about 123 bushels of corn per acre this fall; that's a 13% decline from last year. >> the government bases those estimates on samples it takes and surveys it does with farmers, but experts say this year weather conditions and crop conditions varied so much from one farm to the next it's hard to say what yields will be. >> reporter: ag economist bill tierney thinks this corn crop could make the history books. >> there was something that meteorologists like to call pop- up thunderstorms and if you got an inch-and-a-half rainfall from a thunderstorm in your area at just the right time you could have a yield that is anywhere from 30%, to 40%, to 50% better than a neighbor that is just a couple of miles down the road. >> reporter: the yuton grain elevator is seeing that. it's buying corn from farmers within a ten mile radius of the facility whose yields are running anywhere from ten bushels to 200 bushels per acre. still manager steve dennis expects his business will take a hit this year. >> we're not drying near as much, t

the usda, congress and the administration, need to fix this problem.heryl: throwing more money at the problem. i would like to ask you about the black market is getting pretty smart about. >> that's right. it's great. should not be taking place because it's not necessary. what we keep hearing is that we just need to spend more money. we hear that all the time. we just need more money in order for graduation rates to improve, but if you look at schools in washington dc, new jersey, where some schools spend over $26,000 per student, spending more money is not fixing the problem. >> you basically have said if mitt romney wins the election, these regulations will pose even more problems. what did you mean by that? >> what i mean is that people are getting comfortable with the idea of going to school and having breakfast given to them. having once given to them. other government programs, making it very comfortable for parents to basically give away the responsibility. if we elect politicians who go to washington dc and say look at the debt and deficit and

this was championed by michelle obama along with the usda, and the idea is to give kids more fruits, and less fats and processed foods, and, of course, the schools have to go along with it, or they don't get reimbursed for the free lunches they've give out. calorie limits for kids 6-8, it is 700 calories and 9-12 you get 850 calories. come on, some football players need 850 calorie appetizers. look, the kids are now pushing back. in massachusetts they have created a black market for, are you ready? chocolate syrup. what they do is they smuggle it in, and they charge by the squeeze. and in kansas some kids and a teacher came up with a parody, a video turning the song "we are young" into "we are hungry." listen. ♪ now, i know that this is not all that you've got, i guess that i, i just thought maybe we could find a way not to start the day. ♪ but our friends -- >> reporter: goes on to show athletes that are falling down at practice. the video's gotten 100,000 youtube hits, but the usda does not appear to be entertained, saying they've got the solution. they'll figure out the problem by

melissa: according to the usda the price of these foods is 10 to 30% more.ve someone from stanford come out and say there is no health advantage to organic meats, end quote, when we thought there would be finding that support the superiority of organics over conventional foods. we were quote, definitely surprised. that is pretty damning, from a pr standpoint i understand you would be a good sport come out tonight and spin this in the right direction. does something like this get traction and how do you combat it? >> first of all i think you have to read the whole study because that was just one part of the study. melissa: pretty damning. it is a damning part of the study but go ahead. >> well, it's a, it certainly, you're not, you're just focusing on one section. what you have to look at is the major reasons that people buy organic to avoid those things that we just talked about. so that is, those are health contributing attributes of organic. melissa: christine, thanks for coming on tonight. we appreciate your time. you're a great sport. >> thanks. melissa: