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Opinion: Today SNAP pays for sodas but not hot food. That has to be reversed.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

Sen. Michael Bennet recently announced new legislation, “The Hot Foods Act,” that would allow the purchase of hot foods from grocery stores via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).SNAP, previously known as “food stamps,” provides assistance to 42 million Americans. Most recipients are children, elderly or disabled. Certainly, nutritious food cannot be defined by its temperature and Bennet deserves credit for listening to experts and SNAP recipients. The legislation includes provisions that keep SNAP dollars from being used at fast-food establishments and other restaurants.The Hot Foods Act addresses an archaic rule within the SNAP program and will allow greater food choices for individuals and families receiving aid. Kudos to Bennet. When politicians propose evidence-based policy changes that translate into better outcomes, it is worth noting.SNAP is a more than $100 billion yearly program that is reauthorized every five years via the Farm Bill. It provides critical...

Nearly 900,000-square-foot industrial park planned just north of Denver

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

A new industrial park is planned just north of Denver, one the developer says will help fill a gap in a part of the market where demand for industrial space outpaces supply.Hines, a global real estate investment and development firm, is building the 868,360-square-foot project in unincorporated Adams County, west of Interstate 25 on 56th Avenue.The first phase of Quantum 56 will be three buildings totaling 581,250 square feet of warehouse and manufacturing space, which is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024.“This is really the last large-parcel industrial development in the north-central submarket. There really are no other sites greater than 10 or 15 acres in this whole submarket,” said Jason White, managing director of JLL, a global commercial real estate company with an office in Denver.The entire site is 60 acres and the first phase will sit on nearly 32 acres. Courtney Schneider, director at Hines, said the north-central industrial market “h...

O.C. judge confessed to coworkers after shooting wife, prosecutors say

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson has been charged with multiple felonies in the shooting death of his wife at their Anaheim Hills home last week, a crime prosecutors say he confessed to his courtroom coworkers.Ferguson, 72, is accused of shooting 65-year-old Sheryl Ferguson on Aug. 3, then texting his court clerk and bailiff that he "just lost it," according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office and reporting by the Associated Press."I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry," Ferguson allegedly wrote.According to the AP, prosecutors claim that after an argument at a restaurant, the Fergusons returned home, where the dispute continued.After Sheryl Ferguson said something to the effect of “why don’t you point a real gun at me?,” the judge produced a pistol from his ankle holster and shot her in the chest, according to court documents filed by prosecutors.The Fergusons' adult son, who reported the shooting to police, a...

Attorney general appoints Hunter Biden special counsel

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday appointed David Weiss, the Delaware federal prosecutor who has led the investigation into Hunter Biden, as a special counsel overseeing the investigation.Garland said he made the decision in the politically explosive case after Weiss asked for the appointment. “On Tuesday of this week, Mr. Weiss advised me that in his judgment, his investigation had reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel, and he asked to be so appointed,” Garland said in a statement to the press Friday. “Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel.”Republicans have sharply criticized how the tax probe into Biden was handled, citing claims from two IRS whistleblowers that Weiss was blocked from seeking special counsel status — a claim Weiss and DOJ have consistently denied.Meanwhile, the pending plea dea...

Oxnard man admits to providing gun used in fatal 2017 shooting

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

An Oxnard man pleaded guilty on Thursday to several charges connected to a 2017 shooting that killed a woman and wounded another person.Jacob Jamal Steir, 26, admitted to voluntary manslaughter, attempted murder and three special allegations, including his second felony strike, according to a press release from Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.On Oct. 8, 2017, Alexis Jean Lopez was killed and her passenger wounded when an "associate" of Steir opened fire on their vehicle in the Neyland Acres of unincorporated Oxnard, apparently under the mistaken belief that the passenger was involved in an unrelated shooting earlier that day, the DA's office said.Steir provided his illegally owned gun to his associate for the shooting, as proven by forensic tests on the weapon, prosecutors said.The shooter has not yet been arrested, but the prosecutor of Steir's case, Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick, said officials hope to rectify that in the near future."I am very appre...

Edwin Vincent Hoffman Arrested after Fatal Multi-Car Crash on Interstate 5 [Oceanside, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

Woman Killed, 4 Injured in Multi-Vehicle Collision near State Route 78OCEANSIDE, CA (August 11, 2023) – Edwin Vincent Hoffman was arrested Wednesday evening, after a deadly multi-car crash on Interstate 5.Authorities responded to the scene around 8:58 p.m., on the northbound lanes of the freeway just north of SR 78.Per reports, the driver of a black Chevrolet Corvette was traveling at a high rate of speed and struck a parked red Dodge Caliber that was on the side of the road. Upon impact, the Dodge was pushed into the No. 4 lane and struck an 18-wheeler big-rig.Upon impact, the driver of the Chevrolet exited his vehicle and fled the scene on foot through a hill. Crews were eventually able to locate and arrest 39-year-old Edwin Vincent Hoffman of Oceanside, for felony DUI and other related charges.Medics arrived and pronounced one female passenger inside the Dodge dead at the scene. Although, police have not yet released her identity.Meanwhile, paramedics transported four other...

Douglas Green Arrested after DUI Crash on Stony Point Road [Petaluma, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

Douglas Green Detained after Suspected DUI Collision on Petaluma Boulevard NorthPETALUMA, CA (August 11, 2023) – Monday evening, Douglas Green was arrested following a DUI crash on Stony Point Road.According to the police, the incident happened around 8:30 p.m. near Stony Point Road and Petaluma Boulevard North.Officers arrived to find the suspect, Douglas Green, traveling on the westbound lane of Petaluma Boulevard North before turning right to continue northbound on Stony Point Road.Green, on the other hand, reportedly made an open turn and went into the southbound sections of Stony Point Road, resulting in a head-on crash with another vehicle.Meanwhile, the other motorist was hurt and was taken to a nearby hospital.According to the police, Green displayed indicators of intoxication.Officers also determined that his driver’s license had been suspended due to a prior DUI, according to the agency. Moreover, both directions of the roadway were temporarily shut down to allow for...

From BT to Haim — the New LA Weekly Playlist is Live

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

From BT to Haim: The 169th LA Weekly playlist, reviewing the musicians that we’ve been writing about all week, is live now. There’s electronic music from BT, pop from Taylor Swift, Anna Aya and Carly Rae Jepsen, punk from the Oxys and Green Day, new wave from Josie Cotton, and so much more.Find us on Spotify here,or on Soundcloud here.Don’t forget to “Like” the playlists and “Follow” the profiles.BT (Lacy Transeau)From BT to HaimAlso this week:Print star Anna Aya told us that, It’s not the basic J-pop, which is only in Japanese. My song is mixed with English and Japanese, so not only is it a fusion of the languages, it’s a fusion of the sound as well because it’s more of a western beat that you would technically hear in America more maybe. But the lyrics and the melody are more Japanese-inspired in that it’s soft and more emotional. So yeah, I think it’s not the most generic way of describing J-pop, but it’s something I define as my kind of J-pop.”In “Not Another DJ,” BT...

How the soft-top surfboard went from ‘kook’ to cool

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

It wasn’t long ago that the soft-top surfboard was scoffed at, used only by novices. A surfer on a soft top was either a beginner just learning to navigate the whitewash or they were a “kook,” a clueless surfer not yet skilled enough for a real board.Despite the soft top being created in the 1970s, it took decades for the foam-filled board to be accepted into surfing culture. But much has changed in the past 15 years or so, and while there are still plenty of naysayers, it seems the soft top has found its place in the crowded lineup.At T-Street Beach in San Clemente, an event on Saturday, Aug. 12 hosted by Red Bull and Catch Surf, a local brand that has helped wipe out the soft top stigma in recent years, will showcase a less-serious side of surfing with a fun competition called Red Bull Foam Wreckers, a wacky, light-hearted event where the silliest ride on a soft top is celebrated.And with the backing of pro surfing icons and Catch Surf team riders Jaime O’Brien, who will be in fro...

Pac-12 rebuild: Estimating the media valuation of a reconstructed conference

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:40:52 GMT

The market rendered its verdict last week as Apple offered $25 million per school annually for the Pac-12’s media rights, with the potential for more if the conference met certain subscription goals.But how much would a rebuilt conference be worth?The mass exodus on Pitch-Black Friday left a quartet of schools and one gigantic question behind: Will Stanford and Cal link arms with Washington State and Oregon State to reform the Pac-12 through possible raids of the Mountain West and American conferences?What revenue levels could a Pac-8 or Pac-10 command? That market doesn’t exist yet, so we created one.The Hotline teamed with an expert in sports media valuation to estimate the market value of a rebuilt conference.Because of the unusual nature of the project, which leaned into established audience data and media contracts but combined teams from three leagues, we made a slew of assumptions:— The contract cycle was pegged to begin next fall, when the rebuilt Pac-12 would begin its next...