Oklahoma seeks to exclude soda, candy from food stamp purchases
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said Thursday the state is seeking federal permission to exclude soft drinks and candy from the list of items that can be purchased under the benefit for low-income Americans long known as food stamps.
Stitt made the announcement during an event at the Capitol with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as part of the 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative.
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Oregon Democratic state Rep. Hòa Nguyễn returns to House following cancer diagnosis
Rep. Hòa Nguyễn, D-Portland, speaks on the House floor on June 20, 2025, her first day back in the Capitol since leaving to undergo cancer treatment in February. (Screengrab from Oregon legislative broadcast) Rep. Hòa Nguyễn, D-Portland on Friday returned to the Oregon House in her first official public appearance since announcing she was undergoing treatment for advanced cancer in February. 'I felt like I have a second chance at life now, by some miracle, whatever, all the prayers and affirmations really help,' she said on the House floor on Friday, surrounded by many of her colleagues and staff wearing face masks. 'I think it's the community, it's all of you here and the support that really, really pushed me through.' The representative comes back to the Legislature at a critical moment for Oregon Democrats, who are working with slim margins in both legislative chambers to pass a transportation package in the face of staunch opposition from Republicans and some Democrats concerned about the tax increases and scope of the proposed measure. In its latest form, the proposal would raise an estimated $14.6 billion over the next 10 years. Any tax increases require 36 votes, and Democrats need Nguyễn if they're not able to sway any Republicans. Nguyễn's seat came under the spotlight in February after she revealed that she was beginning chemotherapy treatments for stage 4 cancer, an explanation for why she had already missed weeks of legislative business. A stage 4 diagnosis is the most intense stage of cancer, when the disease has spread to other parts of the body and is harder to treat. During her remarks, Nguyễn thanked her colleagues for the courtesies they had extended to her aunt, brother and sister when they were recognized on the House floor in May. She called herself 'a fighter' and said she is ready to get back to work at some point, but didn't say for how long she would return or the extent to which she had recovered. Nguyễn was excused for the House's afternoon session on Friday. 'She is taking the session day by day at this point, and we're focused on her health above anything,' said a spokesperson for the House Majority Office in a Friday statement. Nguyễn in a February statement said her staff would provide critical constituent services, vowing to continue her efforts to address chronic absenteeism and improve child care access. She previously served as vice chair of the House Early Childhood and Human Services Committee and a member of the House Education Committee and Ways and Means subcommittee on education, but Speaker Julie Fahey gradually removed her from those rules during her treatment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
an hour ago
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19 beaches are closed in Massachusetts this weekend due to bacteria. Here's where
After the heat wave in Massachusetts this week, you may be in the mood to spend a day at the beach this weekend. However, if you're planning a weekend beach trip, you'll want to avoid the beaches closed due to unsafe swimming water. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) states that swimming in the water at these closed beaches poses a threat of illness due to high levels of bacteria. Symptoms of water-borne illness can range from nausea and vomiting to a sore throat and fever, or even rashes and infections. Heading into this weekend, 19 Massachusetts beaches are closed. Here's the full list. The following MA beaches, listed by town, are closed as of Friday, June 27: Andover: Pomps Pond (Bacterial Exceedance) Ashby: Damon Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance) Ashland: Ashland Reservoir Main Beach (Bacterial Exceedance) Ayer: Ayer Town Beach (Bacterial Exceedance) Bourne: Patuisset (Bacterial Exceedance) Brewster: Upper Mill Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom) Danvers: Sandy Beach (Bacterial Exceedance) Framingham: Waushakum Beach (Bacterial Exceedance) Manchester: Magnolia (Bacterial Exceedance) Tuck's Point (Bacterial Exceedance) Marlborough: Henry F Collins Beach (Bacterial Exceedance) Natick: Cochituate State Park Beach (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom) Salem: Children's Island - Dock (Bacterial Exceedance) Saugus: Peckham Pond at Camp Nihan (Bacterial Exceedance) Templeton: Beamans Pond - Day Use (Bacterial Exceedance) Beamans Pond - Campground (Bacterial Exceedance) West Tisbury: Seth's Pond (Bacterial Exceedance) Winchester: Shannon Beach at Upper Mystic (Bacterial Exceedance) Most beaches are closed due to bacterial exceedance, meaning the levels of bacteria in the water are higher than the limits set by the MDPH. Those in the "other" category can be closed due to a variety of chemical or physical hazards, such as riptides and poor visibility. Beach parking: Want to park for free at the beach this summer in MA? Boston Beer Company can help Another popular beach is closed for the summer, but not due to bacteria. According to an announcement from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) on May 30, the main beach at Walden Pond in Concord will be closed for the season as the site undergoes construction. Red Cross Beach, another beach at Walden Pond, will still be open for the summer, but with no lifeguards present and limited parking availability. Over the summer, Walden Pond will be getting a new $6.1 million bathhouse, according to the DCR. The new single-story, 2,700 square-foot building will replace the current two-story bathhouse from 1947, which is not ADA compliant. This project will bring Walden Pond State Reservation's facility up to federal and state accessibility requirements. More: Popular MA beach to stay closed all summer due to construction. Here's where According to the MDPH website, beaches can only re-open when their bacteria levels are back within the safe range, so there is no set amount of time for a closure. The status of a closed beach can be checked on the website's water quality dashboard, which is updated at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. daily. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Which Massachusetts beaches are closed this weekend? Here's a list
Washington Post
an hour ago
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Majority of working dads in study took under 2 weeks' family leave
Research points to paternal leave as good for both dads and babies — yet just 36 percent of fathers reported taking more than two weeks of leave when their child was born, and 64 percent said they took two weeks or less, according to a new analysis. Published in Pediatrics, the study is part of a first-of-its kind initiative that measured fathers' behavior and health in the months before and after their children's birth.
