LOS ANGELES — Sony Pictures Entertainment’s new chief, Ravi Ahuja, is quickly putting his leadership team in place.

The Culver City-based studio on Tuesday named longtime television executive Keith Le Goy chairman of Sony Pictures Television, with oversight of all U.S. and international productions, including Sony’s game show business behind “Jeopardy!,” “Wheel of Fortune” and the Game Show Network.

Le Goy will succeed his boss, Ahuja, who ascended to the top job at Sony Pictures Entertainment earlier this month following the retirement of longtime chief Tony Vinciquerra. Since then, Ahuja has been raising his profile and organizing his executive team.

“Keith … is strategic, growth-oriented, and has a razor-sharp mind,” Ahuja said in a statement. “Just as importantly, as a close partner of mine in our TV business, I have seen firsthand that he is a fantastic colleague. I look forward to working with him in this new capacity.”

Le Goy has been running the studio’s combined television and home entertainment distribution and marketing units.

He was deeply involved in key sales, such as “Seinfeld” syndication and film output deals with Netflix and Disney. He also oversees the company’s cable networks in Latin America and Europe. Sony credited his leadership for helping Sony Pictures’ digital home entertainment business achieve revenue highs last year for its movies as well as sharpening its focus on local language productions in Latin America.

Le Goy also led the recent launch of Sony’s in-car entertainment service, Ridevu, and an entertainment app for PlayStation consoles.

Previously, he served as distribution head for Sony Pictures Television. Le Goy joined Sony in 1999 after serving as vice president of European sales at Walt Disney Co.

Over the last eight years, the studio has become a major independent supplier to streaming services and televisions networks. Its productions include “The Boys” for Prime Video, “Cobra Kai” for Netflix, “The Last of Us” for HBO, “S.W.A.T.” for CBS, “Outlander” for Starz, “Shark Tank” for ABC and “90-Day Fiancé” for TLC.

“It is a privilege to take the helm of the television group at this transformative time in the industry,” Le Goy said in a statement. “Thanks to Ravi and our incredible teams, SPT is well positioned to lead and build upon our rich legacy in this evolving and dynamic marketplace, and I am invigorated by the opportunities ahead.”

Ahuja became the studio’s president and chief executive on Jan. 2. He reports to Sony Group Corp. Chair and Chief Executive Kenichiro Yoshida and Hiroki Totoki, the president and chief operating officer of the Japanese electronics company.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

LAS VEGAS — A Las Vegas judge refused to dismiss a murder charge on Tuesday against Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the man accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur.

Davis, 61, has been in custody since he was indicted in September 2023 on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang.

Defense attorney Carl Arnold filed a motion this month asking District Judge Carli Kierny to dismiss the case, arguing that officials had delayed prosecuting Davis and were in violation of an agreement that reportedly gave his client immunity from prosecution.

Prosecutors last week filed a response arguing that Davis has provided “absolutely no proof” that he is immune from prosecution in Nevada.

After listening to arguments on Tuesday, Kierny agreed with prosecutors, stating that it’s “fairly clear that the state of Nevada never gave him immunity.”

Following the hearing, Arnold said he will be deciding in the next couple of days if he will appeal the judge’s decision to the Nevada Supreme Court. He said he was not surprised that the judge did not dismiss the murder charge.

“You’re not just going to dismiss the biggest case in the U.S. right off the bat,” Arnold said. “But you have to put these issues out for an appellate court.”

Davis, a reported member of the South Side Crips, is accused of ordering the drive-by shooting that killed Shakur and injured Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight. The shooting was allegedly part of an ongoing feud between the South Side Crips and the Bloods-associated Mob Piru gang, and was in retaliation for a fight at the MGM Grand involving Shakur, Knight, and Davis’ nephew Orlando Anderson.

The South Side Crips were associated with the Bay Boy Records label owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs, while the Mob Piru gang was tied to Death Row Records, prosecutors have said.

Arnold argued on Tuesday that the state cannot bring a case against Davis when the only evidence that Davis was involved in the murder is his own admissions. Prosecutors have said the renewed investigation into Shakur’s killing was spurred by Davis’ 2019 co-written book and public statements he had made about the shooting.

“Mr. Davis chose upon himself to publicly confess to a crime multiple times,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo said Tuesday. “Mr. Davis has no basis to complain that he’s sitting in that box right now.”

Despite his public statements, Arnold has argued that there is no evidence Davis was in Las Vegas at the time of the shooting, and he has claimed that Davis only published the book to make money.

The judge ruled that because there is evidence that the murder occurred, that is enough for Davis to face the charges

Arnold also argued there was a “tactical delay” by prosecutors by not filing charges against Davis until many people involved in the case died, including the three men who were reportedly in the car with Davis during the drive-by shooting. But the judge ruled that there was a “pretty significant” justification for the delayed prosecution, and there is no evidence that a delay would help prosecutors.

Attorneys also discussed some of the multiple agreements between Davis and law enforcement that Arnold has claimed made his client immune from prosecution.

Davis’ defense attorney has pointed to a reported “proffer agreement” from 2008 between Davis and officials who were investigating the murder of Christopher “Biggie” Wallace, a Bad Boy Records artist killed less than a year after Shakur was fatally shot. Prosecutors have argued that the agreement does not bind any other law enforcement agency or prosecuting authority.

A year after that agreement, Davis met with a detective from the Metropolitan Police Department about Shakur’s killing. Arnold said Tuesday that the detective repeatedly told Davis during that meeting that he was not going to arrest him. DiGiacomo argued that the detective never specified that Davis had immunity, and that he had no authority to do so.

Kierny said that it appeared Davis was attempting to give “very general” information during that meeting to avoid a murder charge, on the advice of his lawyer at the time.

Davis remains in the Clark County Detention Center with a $750,000 bail. He is set to appear in court again on Feb. 11 for a status check.

_____

©2025 Las Vegas Review-Journal. Visit reviewjournal.com.. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Sen. John Fetterman inadvertently took a photo Monday with the rioter who grabbed then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern and posed with it during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The photo came the same day President Donald Trump took the oath of office and hours before Trump issued an unconditional pardon to most participants in the Capitol riot — along with 14 commutations for other offenders, including Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes.

In a post on X Monday, Adam Johnson — who refers to himself as “The Lectern Guy” on social media — posted a photo with Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has been more open to working with Trump than some in his party, at a Starbucks with the caption “Just two dudes living their redemption arcs out.”

In the photo Fetterman is wearing his classic sweatshirt and shorts ensemble while giving two thumbs up. A spokesperson for the senator said the Democrat had “zero clue” who the individual was.

“He took several dozens of photos with people yesterday,” the spokesperson said.

Washington and the U.S. Capitol were filled with people who had traveled for Trump’s inauguration. Some Jan. 6 defendants, including a South Jersey man, were granted permission by the courts to travel to D.C. to attend. However, once the ceremony was moved indoors, only certain individuals were able to get a firsthand look at Trump’s swearing-in.

Johnson’s photo was posted ahead of Trump signing the pardons, eliminating criminal cases for “approximately 1,500 people.”

Johnson said he was one of the individuals pardoned for his actions that day, according to his X profile. Johnson was sentenced in February 2022 to serve more than two months in prison followed by one year of supervised release, NPR reported. The image of Johnson smiling and waving as he held the podium on Jan. 6, 2021, went viral. Prosecutors say he placed the podium in the center of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, posed for photos, and pretended to make a speech at it.

Like many of his colleagues in the U.S. House and Senate, Fetterman has lambasted Trump’s and his allies’ efforts to subvert and sow doubt in the 2020 presidential election. The senator had not issued a statement on Trump’s pardons as of Tuesday morning.

The Democrat has expressed a rare openness to working with Republicans and the second Trump administration. He has met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, held meetings with many of Trump’s cabinet nominees, and was one of the lone Democratic cosponsors for the controversial Laken Riley Act, aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration, before it attracted more support from the party.

Fetterman’s only posts on his personal or professional X accounts Monday touted his affirmative vote on the Laken Riley Act and congratulated Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Fetterman’s former Senate colleague, on his confirmation.

It’s because of his continued outreach and collaboration with Republicans that Fetterman had to shoot down rumors of him switching parties.

“It’s not going to happen,” Fetterman told Semafor on Monday night. “And even if I wanted to do that, that is a rocket sled to Palookaville to try to switch. I would make a pretty bad Republican.”

©2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Visit at inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A day after opening fire on an armored U.S. embassy van and wounding a local hire, armed gangs in Haiti on Tuesday fired on three vehicles, two of them armored and fitted with diplomatic plates, and left five people injured with gunshot wounds and a sixth person dead, a local security firm said.

Among the injured is a family member of the honorary consul of India, who was shot in the leg when the armored vehicle she was riding in was fired on. Two other vehicles also were shot up as they traveled along the Airport Road in Port-au-Prince, according to a report by Halo Solutions, which tracks security incidents in the volatile Caribbean nation. One of the drivers suffered an abdominal wound and is in critical condition, while the other sustained injuries to the leg and is in stable condition.

A third vehicle, which wasn’t armored, was also hit with gunfire, killing a female passenger. The driver and another passenger escaped and the car was set on fire, the firm said. The survivors later showed up at La Paix Hospital, which wasn’t too far from the attack, with gunshot injuries.

“This attack occurred during routine travel, underscoring vulnerabilities in the route,” the firm said, highlighting the targeting of armored vehicles with consular corps or diplomatic license plates in Port-au-Prince over a 24 hour-span.

The attacks all seem to have occurred in the vicinity of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport. Security experts have called for more attention to be given to area after armed gangs in November fired on three U.S. commercial jetliners, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to issue an ongoing ban against U.S. airlines flying into Port-au-Prince.

“Initial reports suggest that these attacks were retaliatory actions by gang members in response to recent police and Multinational Security Support (MSS) operations,” the firm said. “High-risk areas include Terre Noire, specifically between Barbancourt and Route 9, the vicinity around the U.S. embassy, and La Paix near Visa Lodge.”

Armed groups have become increasingly dangerous and bold in Haiti where more than 5,600 people were killed last year in gang-fueled violence, and more than 1 million are now displaced.

The latest attacks come a day before Colombian President Gustavo Petro is scheduled to visit the southeastern city of Jacmel, the first visit by any president from the South American country in over two decades. Also on Wednesday, the United Nations Security Council will hold its quarterly meeting in New York to discuss measures being taken to tackle the country’s political, security and humanitarian crisis.

Among those slated to address the Security Council is Robert Alvarez, the foreign minister of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. The Dominican Republic is among several countries in the region calling on the Security Council to transform the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission into a formal U.N. peacekeeping operation in order to guarantee its funding and personnel.

The current mission, which was primarily funded by the Biden administration before it left office on Monday, has struggled to contain the violence amid a lack of funding, equipment and security personnel.

On Monday, amid a furry of executive orders he signed, President Donald Trump announced the temporary suspension of all U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals. It is unclear how the order affects assistance to Haiti, which relies overwhelming on the U.S. not just financial support for security, including the Haiti National Police, but for humanitarian and health programs. The U.S. is Haiti’s biggest donor.

©2025 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Food costs represent a significant portion of household budgets, and rising grocery prices make strategic shopping essential. While cutting back isn’t the only solution, smartphone apps can provide substantial grocery savings through cash-back rewards, digital coupons, discounts and loyalty programs.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to 10 effective food savings apps for both grocery shopping and dining out.

Top food savings apps

1. Ibotta

Ibotta is one of the most popular cash back apps available. It’s known for offering cash-back rewards on everyday purchases at major retailers. The app allows users to select offers before shopping and earn rewards by scanning receipts afterward.

Its browser extension enables cash back on online grocery purchases, and partnerships with retailers provide exclusive deals on essential household items.

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Multiple redemption options, including PayPal and gift cards
• Wide acceptance at major retailers
• Bonus rewards for reaching specific goals, such as trying new products or completing a certain number of offers in a month

Cons

• Requires pre-selecting offers
• The cash-out minimum takes time to reach
• The interface can be overwhelming with numerous offers

2. Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards allows users to earn points on any receipt from grocery stores, pharmacies and even gas stations, making it a versatile option for shoppers.

Unlike other cash-back apps, Fetch Rewards doesn’t require users to select offers before shopping. Instead, they can scan any eligible receipt and automatically earn points, which can be redeemed for gift cards to major retailers.

Pros

• No pre-selection of offers required
• Compatible with numerous retailers
• Bonus points available through referrals

Cons

• Limited earnings on generic brands
• Gift card redemption only
• No direct cash rewards

3. Flipp

Flipp helps users save by compiling weekly ads and sales from major retailers in one easy-to-use app. The app enables users to search for specific items, compare prices across stores and create shopping lists based on current promotions, making it valuable for strategic grocery planning.

Pros

• Great for sale matching, providing easy access to local deals and promotions
• Integrates with loyalty programs, allowing users to clip digital coupons directly from ads
• Reduces the need for multiple apps by combining local deals and digital coupons in one place

Cons

• Focused on weekly ads, without cash-back or rewards
• May not include all local stores
• Deals are limited to specific weekly promotions

4. Checkout 51

Checkout 51 offers weekly cash-back deals across various stores, similar to Ibotta but with a slightly different selection of offers. Users can upload their receipts to the app after purchasing selected products to earn cash back. The app refreshes its offers every Thursday, so users have new savings opportunities each week.

Pros

• Simple, user-friendly interface
• Works across multiple stores
• Seasonal promotions often boost cash-back percentages on select items

Cons

• Limited cash-back options for fresh foods
• High cash-out minimum
• Requires prompt receipt uploads to avoid missing cash-back opportunities on eligible items

5. Coupons.com

Coupons.com streamlines digital coupon usage by connecting with store loyalty cards for automatic savings at checkout. The platform offers both digital and printable coupons across various brands and retailers. Coupons.com is a solid option if you enjoy the simplicity of using coupons without the hassle of clipping.

Pros

• Automatic discount application through loyalty programs
• Wide variety of frequently updated coupons
• Convenient and user-friendly, with no need for physical coupons at participating stores

Cons

• Limited to specific partner stores
• Some coupons have restrictions or expiration dates
• Requires keeping track of coupon terms

6. Kroger App

The Kroger app provides exclusive discounts, digital coupons and personalized savings offers for shoppers who frequent Kroger and its affiliated stores. The platform integrates with the store’s loyalty program and includes fuel rewards for additional savings.

Pros

• Customized offers based on purchase patterns
• Integrated fuel rewards for added savings
• Allows users to scan receipts to earn additional rewards on select items, boosting the overall value

Cons

• Limited to Kroger and affiliated stores
• Not all promotions are available in every local store
• Some benefits may be too store-specific

7. Target Circle

Target Circle combines the retailer’s loyalty program with exclusive discounts and rewards. Members can save money on a variety of grocery items and other household essentials, and the app frequently features special offers for members.

Pros

• Seamless online and in-store integration
• Easy to use for both in-store and online shopping
• Allows users to participate in community support by voting on charities

Cons

• Limited to Target stores
• Rewards can take time to accumulate
• Some offers have minimum purchase requirements

8. RetailMeNot

RetailMeNot offers a diverse selection of coupons and cash-back opportunities for groceries, restaurants and local services. The platform supports both in-store and online purchases.

Pros

• Extensive range of discounts across multiple categories
• In-store and online coupons, plus a cash-back portal for extra savings
• User-friendly with easy access to deals for a variety of needs and preferences

Cons

• Coupon values can vary, and some offers may come with restrictions
• Limited cash-back features
• Not all coupons are guaranteed to work at every store

9. Dosh

Dosh is a cash-back app that connects directly to your debit or credit card, providing automatic cash-back on purchases made at participating stores. The app covers grocery stores and restaurants, eliminating the need for receipt scanning or coupon clipping.

Pros

• Automatic savings tracking
• Allows stacking of rewards with other loyalty programs for maximum savings
• Regular bonus promotions

Cons

• Only works with participating merchants
• Cash-back percentages can vary, and offers may change frequently
• Redemption process can be confusing for some users

10. Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go is a unique app that helps users save on food by purchasing surplus from local restaurants and bakeries at a discount. Users can pick up these surplus meals at a reduced price, making it both budget-friendly and environmentally friendly.

Pros

• Offers a unique savings model that focuses on reducing food waste while providing affordable meal options
• Environmentally friendly, contributing to sustainability efforts by repurposing food that would otherwise go to waste
• Variety of meal options from local businesses

Cons

• Limited market availability
• Meal options can be unpredictable

The bottom line

Food savings apps provide multiple ways to reduce grocery and dining expenses without compromising quality or variety. You can more effectively manage your food budget by combining these tools with strategic shopping habits. Consider your shopping preferences and habits when selecting apps, and remember that using multiple platforms may maximize potential savings.

©2025 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

WASHINGTON — It’s official: There’s now a Department of Government Efficiency and it reports directly up to Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump’s chief of staff.

Trump late Monday issued an executive order — one of many Day 1 executive actions — formally establishing DOGE as an agency housed within the Executive Office of the President.

The executive order in some ways upends the notion that DOGE would be nothing more than an unofficial advisory board with no formal role in the federal government.

The group’s advertised streamlining and cost-cutting role would still be temporary, and actual policy decisions would have to be made by Congress, the agencies and higher-ups in the White House. Nonetheless, housing the agency within an existing federal office could help deflect legal challenges that DOGE, as a private entity, was not abiding by federal transparency rules.

Several suits filed Monday within minutes of Trump’s inauguration claim that under a 1972 law governing federal advisory committees, DOGE meetings and records should be available to the public and that the group’s members should represent a “fair balance in viewpoints.”

Instead of operating as an outside agency, DOGE is replacing the old U.S. Digital Service, a part of the Office of Management and Budget that President Barack Obama established in August 2014, staffed by information technology experts that helped fix initial glitches in rolling out the 2010 health care law’s exchange portal, HealthCare.gov.

The new DOGE appears to be keeping some of the old Digital Service’s mission, which is to “deliver better government services to the American people through technology and design,” according to its website. Trump’s executive order says the agency’s job will be to help implement his agenda by “modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.”

But the similarities are likely to stop there for the new agency, which is keeping the “USDS” initials but is now officially called the “United States DOGE Service,” Trump’s order says.

Part of the agency’s mandate will be to improve government-wide IT capabilities, though it’s also expected to coordinate with other federal agency heads to “ensure USDS has full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems.”

While protection of sensitive data will be a priority, the order says, the data-sharing requirement could give DOGE operatives access to a deep look under the hood at what agencies are doing with taxpayer dollars. That could help ease DOGE officials’ job as they look for cost savings to recommend to lawmakers and top Trump budget officials.

The order creates a role for a “USDS Administrator” who will report to the White House chief of staff; even though the administrator won’t report to the OMB director, the two are expected to work closely. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that person would be Elon Musk, the remaining leader of the previously unofficial DOGE after Monday’s departure of Vivek Ramaswamy.

Within the new agency a “U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization” would be created — using authorities granted nearly 25 years ago — that would sunset on July 4, 2026, the same date the original, unofficial DOGE was scheduled to expire. A 2000 law allows for creation of a temporary “commission, committee, board, or other organization … for a specific period not in excess of three years for the purpose of performing a specific study or other project.”

The order requires each agency leader to designate four employees, which may include temporary consultants known as “Special Government Employees,” to work with DOGE.

©2025 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Turkey detained four people over a hotel fire that killed 66 people at a popular ski resort.

The hotel’s owner was among the four and the investigation into the incident is ongoing, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on X.

At least 51 people were injured in the blaze, which broke out around 3:30 a.m. on a restaurant floor of the 12-story Grand Kartal hotel in the resort of Kartalkaya in northern Turkey. It quickly engulfed the rest of the building, which had 234 people inside, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing the provincial governor.

It took around 10 hours to control the fire, AA added. The hotel’s position at the top of a steep slope made it more difficult to extinguish, the agency reported.

January is peak ski season in Turkey and Kartalkaya, located between Istanbul and the capital Ankara, is one of the country’s most popular resorts. Hotels are particularly full at this time of year due to school holidays.

At least two of the victims died after jumping from the building in panic, Anadolu reported. Others were seen tying sheets together and hanging them from the windows to escape.

Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the hotel had a fire safety certificate issued by the fire brigade and that the government had received no reports of compliance issues.

“It is evident even from the number of casualties that fire safety measures were not adequately taken in the facility,”the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects said in a statement.

“People on the upper floors were screaming,” Atakan Yelkovan, a guest at the hotel, told the IHA news agency. He added that he didn’t hear an alarm and said it took around an hour for fire fighters to arrive.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cut short a speech at a party congress to oversee the response. He pledged the incident would be thoroughly investigated and those responsible would be held accountable.

—With assistance from Ugur Yilmaz.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is among the first four presidential appointees from the Biden administration fired by President Donald Trump the day after he was sworn in to office.

In a Tuesday post just after midnight on Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, the president entering his second term in office made the announcement using the catchphrase made famous on his reality television series, The Apprentice: “YOU’RE FIRED.”

“Our first day in the White House is not over yet!” Trump wrote. “My Presidential Personnel Office is actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees from the previous Administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again.”

In a social media post Tuesday morning, Bottoms said she already resigned from her post effective Monday.

“A day late and a dollar short,” she said. “My resignation from the President’s Export Council was submitted January 4, effective yesterday.”

“You can’t fire someone who has already resigned,” Bottoms wrote. “Of all of the things happening in the world, not sure why I am on Donald Trump’s mind at 1:30 am, following his Inauguration, but I count it as a badge of honor.”

Bottoms served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 through 2021. She initially joined the White House in 2022 as director of the Office of Public Engagement and senior adviser to President Joe Biden. She extended her tenure in that temporary role several times before she stepped down from that position in late March of that year.

Then in 2023, Bottoms returned to Washington, D.C. as an appointed member of the President’s Export Council, which serves as the principal national advisory committee on international trade.

During her time as mayor, Bottoms often made headlines with her fiery comments against Trump and Gov. Brian Kemp during the pandemic and amid nationwide protests after the killing of George Floyd.

In a recent interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bottoms pointed to the pandemic as a tipping point for her relationship with the Trump administration. She said as mayor she struggled with a “lack of predictability” coming from the Trump White House.

“I give the example, in the midst of the pandemic, the remarks that the President made whether it was inject yourself with bleach or really encouraging people not to trust the science on COVID,” she said.

But she also slammed the Republican president over his immigration policies and handling of the 2020 census. The pair were at even worse odds over how officials responded to mass calls for police reform during protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

In a CNN interview in May 2020, Bottoms said Trump’s rhetoric around the nationwide protests was “making it worse,” and that he “should just stop talking.” She also signed onto a letter with dozens of other large city leaders condemning the president’s deployment of federal agents to quell protests.

Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon told the AJC that Trump is “making it clear that his mandate to enact the America First agenda will not be frustrated from within the federal bureaucracy.”

“Keisha Lance Bottoms made the disgusting comment that ‘Trump would eat his own children if he found it prudent’ and so it is no surprise she is being purged from any role in the federal government,” McKoon said.

©2025 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The new Trump administration could be coming for your snacks.

For years, the federal government has steered clear of regulating junk food, fast food, and ultra-processed food.

The push to reform the American diet is being driven largely by conservatives who have taken up the cause that has long been a darling of the left. Trump supporters such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose controversial nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services still faces Senate confirmation, are embracing a concept that champions natural foods and alternative medicine. It’s a movement they’ve dubbed “MAHA,” or Make America Healthy Again. Their interest has created momentum because their goals have fairly broad bipartisan support even amid a bitterly divided Congress in which lawmakers from both sides of the aisle focused on the issue last year.

It’s likely to be a pitched battle because the food industry wields immense political influence and has successfully thwarted previous efforts to regulate its products or marketing. The category of “food processing and sales companies,” which includes Tyson Foods and Nestle SA, tallied $26.7 million in spending on lobbying in 2024, according to OpenSecrets. That’s up from almost $10 million in 1998.

“They have been absolutely instrumental and highly, highly successful at delaying any regulatory effectiveness in America,” said Laura Schmidt, a health policy professor at the University of California-San Francisco. “It really does feel like there needs to be a moment of reckoning here where people start asking the question, ‘Why do we have to live like this?’”

“Ultra-processed food” is a widely used term that means different things to different people and is used to describe items ranging from sodas to many frozen meals. These products often contain added fats, starches, and sugars, among other things. Researchers say consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked — in varying levels of intensity — to chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, mental health problems, and early death.

Nutrition and health leaders are optimistic that a reckoning is already underway. Kennedy has pledged to remove processed foods from school lunches, restrict certain food additives such as dyes in cereal, and shift federal agricultural subsidies away from commodity crops widely used in ultra-processed foods.

The intensifying focus in Washington has triggered a new level of interest on the legal front as lawyers explore cases to take on major foodmakers for selling products they say result in chronic disease.

Bryce Martinez, now 18, filed a lawsuit in December against almost a dozen foodmakers such as Kraft Heinz, The Coca-Cola Co., and Nestle USA. He developed diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by age 16, and is seeking to hold them accountable for his illnesses. According to the suit, filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, the companies knew or should have known ultra-processed foods were harmful and addictive.

The lawsuit noted that Martinez grew up eating heavily advertised, brand-name foods that are staples of the American diet — sugary soft drinks, Cheerios and Lucky Charms, Skittles and Snickers, frozen and packaged dinners, just to name a few.

Nestle, Coca-Cola, and Kraft Heinz didn’t return emails seeking comment for this article. The Consumer Brands Association, a trade association for makers of consumer packaged goods, disputed the allegations.

“Attempting to classify foods as unhealthy simply because they are processed, or demonizing food by ignoring its full nutrient content, misleads consumers and exacerbates health disparities,” said Sarah Gallo, senior vice president of product policy, in a statement.

Other law firms are on the hunt for children or adults who believe they were harmed by consuming ultra-processed foods, increasing the likelihood of lawsuits.

One Indiana personal injury firm says on its website that “we are actively investigating ultra processed food (UPF) cases.” Trial attorneys in Texas also are looking into possible legal action against the federal regulators they say have failed to police ultra-processed foods.

“If you or your child have suffered health problems that your doctor has linked directly to the consumption of ultra-processed foods, we want to hear your story,” they say on their website.

Meanwhile, the FDA on Jan. 14 announced it is proposing to require a front-of-package label to appear on most packaged foods to make information about a food’s saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar content easily visible to consumers.

And on Capitol Hill, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) are sounding the alarm over ultra-processed food. Sanders introduced legislation in 2024 that could lead to a federal ban on junk food advertising to children, a national education campaign, and labels on ultra-processed foods that say the products aren’t recommended for children. Booker cosigned the legislation along with Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.).

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a December hearing examining links between ultra-processed food and chronic disease during which FDA Commissioner Robert Califf called for more funding for research.

Food companies have tapped into “the same neural circuits that are involved in opioid addiction,” Califf said at the hearing.

Sanders, who presided over the hearing, said there’s “growing evidence” that “these foods are deliberately designed to be addictive,” and he asserted that ultra-processed foods have driven epidemics of diabetes and obesity, and hundreds of billions of dollars in medical expenses.

Research on food and addiction “has accumulated to the point where it’s reached a critical mass,” said Kelly Brownell, an emeritus professor at Stanford who is one of the editors of a scholarly handbook on the subject.

Attacks from three sides — lawyers, Congress, and the incoming Trump administration, all seemingly interested in taking up the fight — could lead to enough pressure to challenge Big Food and possibly spur better health outcomes in the U.S., which has the lowest life expectancy among high-income countries.

“Maybe getting rid of highly processed foods in some things could actually flip the switch pretty quickly in changing the percentage of the American public that are obese,” said Robert Redfield, a virologist who led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the previous Trump administration, in remarks at a December event hosted by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Claims that Big Food knowingly manufactured and sold addictive and harmful products resemble the claims leveled against Big Tobacco before the landmark $206 billion settlement was reached in 1998.

“These companies allegedly use the tobacco industry’s playbook to target children, especially Black and Hispanic children, with integrated marketing tie-ins with cartoons, toys, and games, along with social media advertising,” Rene Rocha, one of the lawyers at Morgan & Morgan representing Martinez, told KFF Health News.

The 148-page Martinez lawsuit against foodmakers draws from documents made public in litigation against tobacco companies that owned some of the biggest brands in the food industry.

Similar allegations were made against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retailers before they agreed to pay tens of billions of dollars in a 2021 settlement with states.

The FDA ultimately put restrictions on the labeling and marketing of tobacco, and the opioid epidemic led to legislation that increased access to lifesaving medications to treat addiction.

But the Trump administration’s zeal in taking on Big Food may face unique challenges.

The ability of the FDA to impose regulation is hampered in part by funding. While the agency’s drug division collects industry user fees, its division of food relies on a more limited budget determined by Congress.

Change can take time because the agency moves at what some critics call a glacial pace. Last year, the FDA revoked a regulation allowing brominated vegetable oil in food products. The agency determined in 1970 that the additive was not generally recognized as safe.

Efforts to curtail the marketing of ultra-processed food could spur lawsuits alleging that any restrictions violate commercial speech protected by the First Amendment. And Kennedy — if he is confirmed as HHS secretary — may struggle to get support from a Republican-led Congress that champions less federal regulation and a president-elect who during his previous term served fast food in the White House.

“The question is, will RFK be able to make a difference?” said David L. Katz, a doctor who founded True Health Initiative, a nonprofit group that combats public health misinformation. “No prior administration has done much in this space, and RFK is linked to a particularly anti-regulatory administration.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. population is recognized as among the most obese in the world and has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions among high-income countries.

“There is a big grassroots effort out there because of how sick we are,” said Jerold Mande, who served as deputy undersecretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture from 2009 to 2011. “A big part of it is people shouldn’t be this sick this young in their lives. You’re lucky if you get to 18 without a chronic disease. It’s remarkable.”

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Strong Santa Ana winds pushed a wildfire across critically dry terrain in the Bonsall area early Tuesday, charring more than 80 acres and forcing the evacuation of homes in the path of the fire, officials said.

The so-called Lilac fire — which began north of West Lilac Road just west of Interstate 15 — is burning in an area where the relative humidity is very low, giving the system more strength. Winds are blowing up to 21 mph and will last well into the morning.

The blaze is one of three that broke out in the area before dawn. Firefighters have contained the two others.

The Lilac fire continues to spread in a west-southwest direction in a region that has had virtually no rain since last spring. Some structures have been damaged although the extent of the loss is unclear, Cal Fire officials said.

The fires come as the region is under a red flag warning as strong Santa Ana winds and bone-dry conditions combine to heighten fire risks. San Diego Gas & Electric has turned off power to 14,000 customers to help reduce chances that additional fires will pop up.

“The Lilac is still growing. It is over 80 acres and still growing,” Cal Fire Capt. Robert Johnson said around 5 a.m. “We have over 150 personnel assigned to the Lilac incident.”

In addition to firefighters on the ground, two night-flying helicopters were assigned to the fire and were making water drops, he said.

“We were having pretty strong gusts in the beginning of the fire,” Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette said. He said SDG&E’s weather map showed peak gusts of 21 mph reported in the Fallbrook area, with sustained winds of around 7 mph around 5 a.m.

Sheriff’s deputies worked to get evacuation warnings to Bonsall residents using patrol cars and a sheriff’s helicopter to put out the distinctive “hi-low” sirens. Residents also were notified by reverse 911 calls and by deputies going door to door, said sheriff’s Lt. Noah Zarnow.

The evacuation area is west of Interstate 15, south of state Route 76 and east of Vessels Ranch Road, Zarnow said.

Residents were directed to an evacuation center at the Castle Creek Country Club in Escondido. Evacuees with large animals were told to take them to the Del Mar Horsepark, 14550 El Camino Real, Del Mar; or to CRC Ranch, 43101 Anza Road, in Temecula.

Cal Fire investigators are on scene and are trying to determine what might have started the fires, which were fairly close together.

The first fire was reported shortly after 12:15 a.m. west of I-15 and north of Highway 76. The Pala fire burned around 16 acres before its forward rate of progress was halted. Residents in the area were briefly told to evacuate before the order was lifted.

The Lilac fire was reported about a half hour later. A third, dubbed the Riverview fire, was reported near Santa Margarita Drive in Fallbrook shortly after 1:20 a.m. It charred about one acre before crews were able to halt its spread, officials said.

©2025 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.