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California among 25 states suing Trump over halt to food aid
Board adopts ordinance regulating sales of kratombased products
By Joe Taglieri
By City News Service
alifornia, 24 other states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the Trump administration's halt to food assistance during the nearly monthlong federal government shutdown. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Massachusetts alleges the administration is using the shutdown as an excuse to unlawfully withhold November funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, despite having available funds, according to court documents. The U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Donald Trump has announced November SNAP benefits will cease because of the shutdown. As a result, 5.5 million Californians including 1.9 million children will lose access to $1.1 billion in food assistance. “While Donald Trump parades around the world trying to repair the economic damage he's done with his incompetence, he's denying food to millions of Americans who will go hungry next month," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. 'It's cruel and speaks to his basic lack of humanity. He doesn't care about the people of this country, only himself." According to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the USDA has available funds sufficient to cover all or a large portion of November SNAP benefits as agency sits on billions of dollars in contingency funds. “Let’s be clear about
joet@beaconmedianews.com
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California National Guard troops prepare meals for distribution at a food bank in the City of Industry. | Photo courtesy of Gov. Gavin Newsom's office
what’s happening: For the first time ever, SNAP benefits will not be available to the millions of lowincome individuals who depend on them to put food on the table,” Bonta said in a statement. “November SNAP benefits can and must be provided, even with the government shutdown. USDA not only has authority to use contingency funds, it has a legal duty to spend all available dollars to fund SNAP benefits." Bonta accused the Trump administration of politicizing food assistance. "With the holidays around the corner, we are seeing costs for groceries continue to increase and food banks facing unprecedented demand," Bonta said. "We are taking a stand because families will experience hunger and malnutrition if the Trump administration gets its way.”
The White House referred a request for comment to the administration's Office of Management of Budget, which did not immediately respond. USDA officials blamed the shutdown on Democrats who were aware that SNAP funding was about to run out and accused the opposition of using the families who rely on food aid as political pawns. “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats," a USDA spokesperson said in an email to HeySoCal.com. "Continue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.” According to the lawsuit, on Sept. 30 the USDA See Food aid Page 28
issued a Lapse of Funding Plan acknowledging that Congress intended for SNAP benefits to continue during a government shutdown and that the department has multiple years of contingency funds available totaling $6 billion. Nine days after the shutdown's Oct. 1 start, the USDA directed state agencies to put an indefinite hold on November benefits while it began “the process of fact finding and information gathering to be prepared in case a contingency plan must be implemented,” according to a letter the department sent to states. After no additional guidance for two weeks, a group of attorneys general requested an update on the USDA’s contingency plan, court documents show. The same day, Oct. 24, the USDA
he Board of Supervisors Tuesday formally approved a Riverside County ordinance intended to curb the use of synthetic pain-relieving products that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration may add to the nationwide list of controlled substances. In a 5-0 vote, the board signed off on the county Executive Office's implementation of regulations aimed at deterring sales and marketing of kratom derivatives, mainly to minors. "You have the sheriff's department and other agencies supporting this," board Chairman Manuel
Perez said after the second reading of Ordinance No. 1004. "It's the right thing to do." During the ordinance's first reading last week, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen admitted that he had "never heard" of kratom until earlier this year. "We've tried to identify the most dangerous aspect of this," he said. The main emphasis is on so-called "7-OH" products, which contain alkaloids produced using biosynthetic methods. The 7-OH derivatives are based on kratom leaf or kratom leaf extracts originating from
See Kratom Page 27
Board approves Animal Services' rate adjustments to cover costs By City News Service
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he Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a Riverside County Department of Animal Services request to hike fees charged to cities that contract with the agency over the next three years to cover expenses for personnel, impounds and other necessities. In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board signed off on the rate adjustments, which are retroactive to the
start of the current fiscal year on July 1 and continue until the end of June 2028. "The ... rates are necessary to keep up with the ongoing operational costs associated with providing efficient services and essential programs to county residents and their animals," according to an agency statement posted to the board's agenda. Officials said a "rate study" was carried out to
See Animal Services Page 27