International FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014 16 Obama personal chef to hang up apron after 6 years

WASHINGTON: For six years, Sam Kass cooked up policy as well as meals for President and his family. He was not only their personal chef but also senior adviser for nutrition policy, giving him a seat at the table where administration officials hashed out everything from updated food labels to new requirements for healthier school lunches. Kass, a newlywed, is leaving the White House at the end of the month, but don’t ask him what the Obamas like or don’t like to eat. “Top secret,” he said. “I love this family and believe in everything the presi- dent and first lady are doing and this has been the greatest job of my life and I assume will be the great- est job of my life,” the 34-year-old said in an inter- view. “But I’m going to be with my wife. Once you’re married you kind of need to be together.” Kass’ wife, MSNBC host Alex Wagner, is based in New York City. Kass’ relationship with the Obamas started when they hired him to cook healthier meals for the family in before the 2008 elections. was a vice president at the Medical Center and caring for young daughters, while Obama was a US senator spending most of his time in Washington. But the relationship sprouted well beyond the pro- fessional. Besides Kass’ tireless work for Mrs. Obama, for whom he wore a third hat as executive director of her anti-childhood obesity campaign, Kass some- times traveled with Obama and joined his weekend or vacation golf outings. Obama, in turn, blocked out several hours on his busy schedule to attend Kass’ late-August wedding. Obama said Kass “has grown from a close friend to WASHINGTON: First lady Michelle Obama stands with Sam Kass, White House Senior Policy Adviser for Nutrition Policy, a critical member of my team” and has left “an indeli- before they make salads from vegetables harvested from the White House garden with area students in the State Dining ble mark on the White House.” Mrs. Obama praised Room of the White House in Washington. — AP Kass’ “extraordinary legacy of progress,” which she said includes healthier food options in groceries, more nutritious school lunches and initiatives to improve how food is marketed to kids. Protests flare after Missouri Unlike any White House chef before him, Kass helped make decisions with far greater potential con- police kill armed black man sequences than whether the president’s veggies, which Kass often plucked from the first lady’s garden on the South Lawn, should be steamed or sautÈed. St Louis police release ‘ambiguous’ videos The school lunch changes have led Mrs. Obama into a public spat with the School Nutrition Association, an BERKELEY, Missouri: Protests flared “This is not a policeman in the city of although the footage is too dark and industry-backed group that represents school cafete- into early yesterday in the St Louis sub- Berkeley going out half-cocked,” grainy to establish that the person is ria workers and food companies that sell to schools. urb where a white policeman fatally Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins said holding a gun. shot a black man who brandished a gun at a news conference. “You could not Two other videos released later by St The group has lobbied Congress to weaken the stan- at a gas station on Tuesday night. A even compare this with Ferguson.” Louis County Police were similarly dards, arguing they are a burden on financially group of protesters marched onto Shortly after the shooting on Tuesday ambiguous, recorded by security cam- pinched districts and a big reason why kids are Interstate 170 in the city of Berkeley, night, a crowd of up to 300 people gath- eras that appear to have only restricted throwing their lunches into the garbage. Missouri, around 7 pm on Wednesday ered at the scene, where bricks and views of the scene. A House Republican-led effort to allow some dis- (0100 GMT on Thursday), blocking traffic three fireworks were thrown, two of The officer fired three shots, Belmar tricts to ignore the new lunch standards altogether for roughly 45 minutes. The demonstra- them at the roughly 50 officers at the said, a sequence captured on one of the failed to advance in Congress, but requirements for tion followed a vigil at the Mobil On The scene, St Louis County Police Chief Jon three videos. One bullet struck the man more whole grains in school foods will be eased Run gas station where the shooting Belmar said. with the gun, whom paramedics instead. The fight over the broader standards is occurred. Two officers were injured and four declared dead at the scene, he said. expected to heat up again next year when The site was just a few miles from the people were arrested for assault, Belmar The St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspa- Republicans, who are sympathetic to the associa- Ferguson street where a white police said. The shooting occurred three days per named him as 18-year-old Antonio officer shot dead 18-year-old Michael after a man summarily shot dead two Martin. Police said they found a hand- tion’s arguments, will control both houses of Brown in August, fueling weeks of officers in their patrol car in New York gun with a defaced serial number at the Congress. protest in the region and across the City, targeting them only because of the scene. The officer, who was not identi- Nutrition advocates say anyone who hopes these country. Demonstrations that drew as uniform they were wearing. fied and was put on administrative issues will disappear with Kass will be disappointed. many as 150 people were largely peace- leave, had been given a body cam era in “This administration is very committed to nutrition ful throughout the night, but at one POLICE RELEASE VIDEO a pilot program but was not wearing it and obesity prevention. That commitment runs very point officers disrupted an attempt by The Berkeley encounter unfolded at the time of the shooting. The dash- deep,” said Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for several people to break into a beauty after the officer, a six-year veteran of the board camera on the officer’s car was the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who has supply shop. town’s police department who was also off. pushed for healthier school meals. At least two people were taken into responding to a report of a theft, got out Protests in Ferguson have taken Despite her group’s issues with the lunch stan- police custody. Authorities were unable of his car to talk to two men at the gaso- place for months and spilled over into dards, Patricia Montague, the School Nutrition to provide further details. Black public line station. One of them pointed a violence when a grand jury decided a officials in Missouri were at pains on loaded 9mm handgun at the officer, month ago not to charge the police offi- Association’s chief executive, said Kass and “Let’s Wednesday to distinguish the death of Belmar said. Police released an indis- cer who shot Brown. Demonstrations in Move” played “an important role in promoting the suspect, whom they noted was tinct, distant surveillance video from the cities across the country gained in healthier lifestyles for children both at school and at holding a gun, from cases of unarmed gas station, edited to end just before the momentum when a New York grand home.” black men who had been killed by shooting. jury decided not to indict a police officer Kass will stay involved with “Let’s Move,” Mrs. police officers. The latter incidents have In the corner of the frame, one of the over the death of Eric Garner, a 43-year- Obama’s anti-childhood obesity initiative, along with led to protests across the United States people at the station can be seen raising old black man who died in July when broader efforts to improve childhood nutrition, the and bitter debate about how US police one or both arms in what might be a police tackled him and put him in a White House said. —AP forces treat non-white citizens. shooter’s stance near the police car, choke hold. — Reuters