In recent months, Congress has been considering significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a move that has sparked widespread debate and concern. SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is a critical program that provides food assistance to over 40 million Americans, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Disclosure: State of Alabama-based writer. This article is a work from cited sources for informational purposes and is used with permission. No affiliate links are included. T.I. and Tiny Harris initially celebrated a major legal win when a jury ordered MGA Entertainment to pay them $71.4 million. The ruling found that MGA’s popular LOL Surprise! OMG Dolls infringed on the trade dress of the OMG Girlz, a group that once featured their daughter, Zonnique Pullins.

CALIFORNIA – Party City recently updated its website on the closure of over 850 stores nationwide, including 88 in California. After 40 years in business, the company said they are having a going-out-of-business sale with up to 50% percent off all items.

A new study just released questions the wisdom of cannabis use in adolescents and its impact leading to potential psychosis rather its environmental or via drug interaction and early use.

CALIFORNIA – Kohl’s announced January 9th, that they are closing their San Bernardino distribution center and 10 stores across California. A total of 929 employees are being laid off including 690 at the distribution center, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice.

Undocumented workers in Colorado can collect unemployment benefits, a perk for Venezuelan newcomers to the United States who can find companies to employ them illegally. Colorado became the first state in America in 2020 to offer undocumented migrant workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own unemployment benefits, according to the state website. The Benefit Recovery Fund operates independently of traditional state unemployment insurance. Migrants who received a paycheck with taxes taken out and complete a W-2 form are eligible to receive up to $809 per week for 13 weeks.

CALIFORNIA – DMSI, an industrial staffing agency, reported to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) that they would be laying off over 1,600 workers effective January 26, 2025.

CALIFORNIA – Joann announced, January 15, that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a Delaware court to help sell its business and get the best value. There are over 75 Joann stores in California with more than 800 stores across the U.S. offering sewing, fabrics, arts and crafts products.

Starting Jan. 1, California employers won’t be able to require workers to attend any meetings related to their political or religious views — or how their bosses feel about unions.

AlamogordoTownNews.org reports on another recent cannabis study results that in a recent report concerning cannabis consumption and use verses nonusers the absence of activation differences in this study suggests that adults using cannabis for medical symptoms over 1 year may not experience significant changes within reward, working memory, or inhibitory control domains.

California's wildfire season has taken a controversial turn, as Governor Gavin Newsom's recent fundraising efforts ignite a firestorm of debate among residents and political experts alike. In a move that has raised eyebrows across the Golden State, Newsom has utilized his political fundraising platform to solicit donations for wildfire relief, blurring the lines between governmental disaster response and campaign finance. This unconventional approach has left many Californians wondering: Is this an innovative solution to address the state's urgent needs, or a concerning precedent that mixes emergency management with political maneuvering?

If you've watched television in the Atlanta area in January, you've likely seen animated bears featured in commercials for toilet paper and an energy company. But if you headed out into the Georgia forests this winter, would you see real bears out in the woods -- with our without their favorite toilet paper?

Kimberly Johnson, 55, of Hampton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States in a mortgage fraud scheme, leading to the approval of approximately 450 mortgage loans, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia announced today.

California has taken a significant step to combat food waste by enacting Assembly Bill 660, which standardizes date labels on food products to reduce consumer confusion and unnecessary food waste.

Following a multiple year investigation across the state, and in collaboration with local and federal law enforcement officials, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced Friday the arrest of seven people on charges of illegal chicken fighting.

A new California law, Senate Bill 969, is now in effect and grants local governments the authority to create zones where food and alcohol consumption is permitted in designated streets, sidewalks, or public areas. This initiative aims to boost local economies and foster vibrant community spaces, while presenting challenges in regulation and public safety.

ATLANTA – Most new laws the General Assembly enacted this year took effect in July. But some significant legislation or portions of legislation lawmakers passed pertaining to elections, taxes, and health care don’t become operative until New Year’s Day.

Communities across America are struggling with the epidemic of homelessness. It’s expensive to house people. This sometimes leads to housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness that offer the bare minimum: Tents, tiny homes, modular homes. And in some places, legislatures have loosened building codes and regulations for such dwellings as part of homelessness emergency declarations.

SHENANDOAH – Shenandoah is looking for a member of the Zoning Hearing Board as the... The post Flail to resign from zoning board following legal concerns over appointment first appeared on The Shenandoah Sentinel .

SHEPPTON – East Union Township has two more part-time police officers and one of them... The post Ex-Girardville chief hired part-time in East Union; residents question vacant chief position first appeared on The Shenandoah Sentinel .

Walmart in Dahlonega, GA, is a hot spot for area shoppers. But under this Walmart lies a hidden surprise you won't find elsewhere: a partially-flooded gold mine, including deep shafts open to exploration as part of a gold mine tour.

A bill introduced Jan. 8 by Colorado state Rep. Manny Rutinel, a Democrat, would take money from real estate transfer fees, also known as documentary fees, and use them to help create homeless housing in the state.

CALIFORNIA – President Donald Trump said during his inauguration speech on January 20, that Los Angeles was without a ‘token of defense’ against wildfires. According to Cal Fire, the Palisades and Eaton fires are at 59% and 87% containment after burning a combined 37,000 acres. CoreLogic preliminary residential and commercial loss estimates for the fires total between $35 to $45 billion.

At the end of his first term, President Trump rescued Venezuelan migrants from deportation. And Trump’s pick for Secretary of State for term two, U.S. Sen Marco Rubio, applauded the move.

The Safety, Housing, Education and Homelessness Committee of the Denver City Council will vote Wednesday on whether to extend a contract with Housing Connector to help find landlords who will rent to people experiencing homelessness.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has unveiled a $322 billion budget proposal for the 2025–26 fiscal year, introducing a groundbreaking initiative to provide free diapers to families with newborns across the state. This program aims to alleviate the financial burden on families and improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

CALIFORNIA – Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored enterprise, announced January 13, that mortgage assistance and disaster relief options are available to homeowners and renters affected by the ongoing wildfires in Southern California.

Lawsuit follows similar suit against HASD The post Hazleton sued by DOJ to force adoption of seldom-used voting system first appeared on The Shenandoah Sentinel .

CALIFORNIA – Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accuses them of allowing virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhone and other devices.

On the first day of office, President Donald Trump took significant actions that have raised concern and sparked outrage, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. In a series of executive orders, the 47th President of the United States declared that the government would officially recognize only two sexes—male and female—and outlined plans to end what he described as “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within federal agencies.