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Companies receiving taxpayer dollars as part of President Donald Trump’s signature food aid program hired a longtime lobbyist to push back on criticism that the government is relying on unqualified contractors, such as an event planner. “We’re working to take the stories of the impact this is having on farmers, processors, distributors and end users and making sure some positive aspects of the program, from both the economic and social standpoints, are out there too,” said the lobbyist and industry consultant, Dale Apley, who reached out to ProPublica on behalf of the contractors. “It’s not all just certain stories about certain companies that maybe shouldn’t have been awarded contracts.” (Arnsdorf, 6/2)

In response to the pandemic, New York City has served more than 40 million free meals since mid-March. And the volume is increasing. Last week, nearly 1.5 million free meals were dished out every day. That’s a lot of food! And no one seems to be properly marveling at these crazy numbers. How did the city, not generally known for a nimble response, manage to launch its gargantuan free-food programs in a matter of days? (Kadet, 6/2)

A nearby middle school found many of its students and their families who live blocks from the police station were stuck without access to food. “The area has become a food desert for these families, many of whom don’t own a vehicle to drive elsewhere,” said Amy Nelson, the principal of Sanford Middle School. School food services and public transportation were suspended across the city, affecting the school’s 970 students, about 60 percent of whom are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Nelson decided to step in. (Page, 6/2)

Supermarket prices are surging, and even the most sales-conscious Long Islanders say they cannot avoid bigger bills. Despite the inflation rate falling 0.5% in the metro area, food prices grew 2.6% from March to April, which marked the largest jump in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' food index in more than 30 years. Prices rose more dramatically — by 3.6% — when excluding restaurants and examining supermarkets alone.  (Trangle, 6/3)