In October 2019, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed a new law that requires restaurants to make healthy drinks the default drink in kid's meals, over sugary sodas. Kid's meals now will offer a choice of water, nonfat/low-fat milk, or 100% juice. Sugary drinks are not banned. Instead, customers must specifically request them. “Ensuring that these healthy beverage options are available to families is a step in the right direction toward the health and well-being of our city’s children,” said City Council Member Blondell Reynolds Brown, who introduced the law, in a statement.
Why Does Philadelphia Need Healthier Kid's Meals?
About 66% of American children drink at least one sugary beverage a day. Sugary drink consumption contributes to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular ...
More than most states, California is plagued by rising housing costs. Recently California lawmakers approved a statewide rent cap, covering millions of tenants, the biggest step yet in a surge of initiatives to address an affordable-housing in the state. California’s housing activists won a major victory in mid-September when the state legislature passed, and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Oct. 8, 2019.
The New Housing Law
The new law is also know as Assembly Bill 1482. The key features of the new law are: The new law will limit annual rent hikes to 5% plus the regional cost-of-living increase, or a maximum of 10% per year.
Tenants will also receive eviction protections after living in an apartment for a year, meaning they cannot be ousted without a reason such as ...
How bad is sugary soda for your kid? In New York City (29% Latino), an 8-year-old would need to walk 70 minutes from City Hall to Times Square to burn off the 9 teaspoons of sugar in a kid's meal soda. That's why city leaders are making water, milk, and 100% juice the “default beverages” on kid’s menus, thanks to a new law to reduce childhood obesity in an area where 1 in 4 toddlers and preschoolers have at least one sugary drink a day. New York's City's law goes into effect May 1, 2020. “Sugary beverages contain no nutrients that children need, and they are disproportionally marketed to children in low income neighborhoods and communities of color,” said Dr. Judith A. Salerno of the New York Academy of Medicine, in a statement. “We believe that every child should ...
Last week, people across the world marched through city streets in hopes of prompting world leaders to act on the climate crisis. Over 7.6 million people participated in this strike from cities in over 185 countries, according to the Global Climate Strike website. These protestors demanded immediate action in the climate crisis from their respective elected officials. This event was inspired by the words and actions of Swedish 16-year-old, Greta Thunberg, who has made significant influences in the current climate crisis conversation — some say she's the spark that lit the Climate Strike fire. "We have gathered today because we have chosen which path we want to take, and now we are waiting for the others to follow our example," Thunberg said at an earlier climate protest in ...
Dallas families needs 20,000 affordable housing apartment or single-family units. That kind of housing shortfall, which can make it hard for Latino and other low-income families to afford health care and other health-promoting assets, requires action from city leaders in a variety of ways. Enter the Dallas Land Bank Program. The program, halted two years ago, is back to provide "lots to builders in underdeveloped parts of town to boost the amount of housing for low to middle-income families," according to Reform Austin. "This is really a great way for the city to take unproductive land, put it back into production, and create affordable housing with this program all at one time," David Drury, manager of the Dallas Land Bank Program, told cbsdfw.com.
How the Dallas Land Bank ...
In recent years, housing affordability in the U.S has emerged as a key issue that increasingly affects low-income households and millions of middle-class renters. People across age demographics' ideals concerning housing are shifting — hoping to find an urban experience. This movement is in contrast with the suburban American dream of the past. However, rental rates are rising and wages are stagnating, which is causing neighborhoods to struggle and putting pressure on the housing development industry. In the coming years, much of the increase in both population and in households will be among precisely those groups that today are being left behind in homeownership growth. Our older and historic neighborhoods now have a new mission to provide homes for the young, for new ...
Although violent crimes on the Los Angeles County (48.6% Latino) Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) are rare, riders complain the high number homeless individuals makes them feel unsafe. In a 2016 survey, 29% of former riders told Metro they stopped taking transit because they felt unsafe, according to the Los Angeles Times. The next year, Metro increased spending on law enforcement and security by 37%. However, police presence alone is not enough to address perceptions of safety. “We cannot and should not arrest our way out of the problem,” said Jennifer Loew, Metro’s director of special projects. That’s why Metro paired law enforcement officers with social workers as part of their homeless outreach program.
Transit Agencies and Homelessness
Transit systems ...
Illinois has joined California as the second U.S. state to enact immigrant tenant protection law. State Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed a new law to prevent landlords from disclosing or threatening to disclose a tenant’s citizenship status to authorities for the purpose of intimidating or eviction. The law prevents landlords from, in essence, blackmailing tenants. Ilinois modeled its law after California, which passed its tenant protections in 2018. “Where you were born has absolutely nothing to do with your ability to pay rent on time, which is what the relationship between a landlord and a tenant should really be about,” Pritzker said, according to the Chicago Trubine.
Inside the New Immigrant Tenant Protection Act?
Illinois' new immigrant tenant protection act ...
Transit is good for Cleveland’s economy, according to a new study. Researchers at Cleveland State University’s Center for Economic Development explored the economic impact of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) over the past decade. They found it’s good for commuters, students, employers, school districts, and healthcare institutions across the region. “[The Transit Authority] is fantastic investment for taxpayers,” Obed Pasha, an assistant professor at Cleveland State and one of the study’s authors, told Streetsblog USA. “Not only does it help lift people out of poverty, it helps revitalize neighborhoods.”
Transportation Woes in Cleveland
Housing and transportation are important factors to get out of poverty and stay healthy. However, ...
