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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/01/michelle-obama-school-lunch-let-girls-learn-scrapped-trump
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| Trump administration may scrap Michelle Obama's health and education programs | |
| (2 days later) | |
| At least the vegetable garden is safe. For now. | At least the vegetable garden is safe. For now. |
| The Trump administration is doing away with two marquee programs advanced by the former first lady Michelle Obama. One program promoted access to education for underserved girls in dozens of countries around the world. The second promoted healthier lunches in US schools. | The Trump administration is doing away with two marquee programs advanced by the former first lady Michelle Obama. One program promoted access to education for underserved girls in dozens of countries around the world. The second promoted healthier lunches in US schools. |
| The cancelled programs were administered by unrelated federal agencies and their cancellations did not appear to have been coordinated. | The cancelled programs were administered by unrelated federal agencies and their cancellations did not appear to have been coordinated. |
| In February, the current first lady, Melania Trump, announced her intention of preserving the White House vegetable garden, a signature part of Obama’s campaign to promote healthy eating and childhood fitness. | In February, the current first lady, Melania Trump, announced her intention of preserving the White House vegetable garden, a signature part of Obama’s campaign to promote healthy eating and childhood fitness. |
| But Monday’s news appeared to leave that legacy, as well as the former first lady’s work on expanding education for girls, in doubt. | But Monday’s news appeared to leave that legacy, as well as the former first lady’s work on expanding education for girls, in doubt. |
| Let Girls Learn, a program to open up educational opportunities for girls around the world started by Michelle and Barack Obama in 2015, is no longer a standalone program administered by the Peace Corps, according to an internal memo obtained by CNN. | Let Girls Learn, a program to open up educational opportunities for girls around the world started by Michelle and Barack Obama in 2015, is no longer a standalone program administered by the Peace Corps, according to an internal memo obtained by CNN. |
| “Moving forward, we will not continue to use the ‘Let Girls Learn’ brand or maintain a standalone program,” an email from the acting director of the agency, Sheila Crowley, was quoted as saying. | “Moving forward, we will not continue to use the ‘Let Girls Learn’ brand or maintain a standalone program,” an email from the acting director of the agency, Sheila Crowley, was quoted as saying. |
| Let Girls Learn was administered by the Peace Corps in 44 countries. Last October, to mark the International Day of the Girl, the program announced more than $5m in new private sector commitments “to help address the barriers that prevent adolescent girls from attaining an education”. | Let Girls Learn was administered by the Peace Corps in 44 countries. Last October, to mark the International Day of the Girl, the program announced more than $5m in new private sector commitments “to help address the barriers that prevent adolescent girls from attaining an education”. |
| “Let Girls Learn had several years of funding already baked,” Tina Tchen, a former chief of staff to Michelle Obama, told CNN. “We were hopeful that given that, it could continue. But obviously elections have consequences, and nobody knows that better than we.” | “Let Girls Learn had several years of funding already baked,” Tina Tchen, a former chief of staff to Michelle Obama, told CNN. “We were hopeful that given that, it could continue. But obviously elections have consequences, and nobody knows that better than we.” |
| The Peace Corps produced multiple promotional videos for the program, including this one: | The Peace Corps produced multiple promotional videos for the program, including this one: |
| “I’m extremely disappointed to learn that the Trump administration is discontinuing the landmark Let Girls Learn initiative, which brought much-needed attention to the unique obstacles that adolescent girls face in getting an education around the world,” said the Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire, who proposed new legislation to take up the discontinued program’s mission. | “I’m extremely disappointed to learn that the Trump administration is discontinuing the landmark Let Girls Learn initiative, which brought much-needed attention to the unique obstacles that adolescent girls face in getting an education around the world,” said the Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire, who proposed new legislation to take up the discontinued program’s mission. |
| Separately, Trump’s secretary of agriculture, Sonny Perdue, announced the agency was scrapping certain health standards for school lunches that were part of the former first lady’s healthy eating initiative. | Separately, Trump’s secretary of agriculture, Sonny Perdue, announced the agency was scrapping certain health standards for school lunches that were part of the former first lady’s healthy eating initiative. |
| The standards pertained to sodium levels, whole grain content in foods and milkfat content. Perdue said the program was not effective because kids would not eat the healthier food. | The standards pertained to sodium levels, whole grain content in foods and milkfat content. Perdue said the program was not effective because kids would not eat the healthier food. |
| “If kids aren’t eating the food and it’s ending up in the trash, they aren’t getting any nutrition, thus undermining the intent of the program,” Perdue said at a school in Leesburg, Virginia. | “If kids aren’t eating the food and it’s ending up in the trash, they aren’t getting any nutrition, thus undermining the intent of the program,” Perdue said at a school in Leesburg, Virginia. |
| A health advocate quoted by the Tampa Bay Times warned that repealing the health standards was dangerous. | A health advocate quoted by the Tampa Bay Times warned that repealing the health standards was dangerous. |
| “By forgoing the next phase of sodium reduction, the Trump administration will be locking in dangerously high sodium levels in school lunch,” Margo Wootan, a lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told the paper. | “By forgoing the next phase of sodium reduction, the Trump administration will be locking in dangerously high sodium levels in school lunch,” Margo Wootan, a lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told the paper. |
| The state department denied the program was being mothballed. “There have been no changes to the Let Girls Learn program,” it said in a statement. It did not reply to requests for comment on the reported Peace Corps memo or the standalone status of Let Girls Learn. USAid, one of the agencies that administers the program, declined comment and referred the Guardian to the state department statement. | |
| The Peace Corps did not respond to multiple emailed requests for comment, and neither the agency’s press department nor Crowley nor other top executives returned calls over two days. |