Study shows which states are seeing the biggest reductions in SNAP benefits

FILE -- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assistance. (KBTX)

Washington

More people in the U.S. are reportedly losing food assistance due to a law that was enacted last July.

According to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute, deep cuts have been made to federal funding for food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program since the Budget Reconciliation Act of 2025 was implemented.

Researchers estimate that SNAP participation nationwide has fallen by more than 4.5 million people, or 11%, since the “Big Beautiful Bill” went into place in July 2025.

The Associated Press reported that the tax and spending bill was nearly 900 pages and included a collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and new money for national defense and deportations.

Among the included spending cuts were to such government programs as SNAP.

Republicans reported at the time the bill was trying to balance the safety net programs for the population they were designed to serve while rooting out waste, fraud and abuse.

When it comes to the SNAP participation declines reported since the bill’s implementation, Arizona has seen the most among U.S. states.

According to the institute’s report, Arizona has seen a 55% decline from July 2025 to April 2026. Other states that have also reportedly seen the steepest downtrends are Louisiana at 21%, Florida at 19% and Oklahoma at 18%.

Researchers said they expect these declines to continue as states fully implement eligibility restrictions and take actions to lower their error rates.

Republicans said the bill will save on federal government spending while holding states accountable and making those that have higher payment errors regarding SNAP benefits pick up some of the program costs.

According to the Department of Agriculture, more than 37 million people nationwide received SNAP benefits in March, a drop of nearly 5 million from a year earlier.

The USDA has also shared information for those interested in applying for SNAP benefits, along with the latest qualifications.

Cause of death revealed for 18-year-old ‘Godzilla’ actress Kaylee Hottle, reports say

FILE -- Kaylee Hottle arrived at the premiere of "Godzilla x Kong in 2024 in Los Angeles.(Richard Shotwell | Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

Authorities have reportedly released the cause of death for Hollywood actress Kaylee Hottle following a deadly crash earlier this week in Maryland.

According to multiple reports, the Maryland medical examiner determined the 18-year-old died from multiple blunt force injuries, with her death being ruled an accident.

Hottle was a passenger in a 1995 Honda Accord that crashed in Ijamsville early Tuesday morning, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office reported.

According to the sheriff’s office, the car, driven by a 19-year-old man, went off the right side of a two-lane road and hit a culvert.

Hottle was taken to a trauma center for her injuries, where she later died. The driver was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries while the other passenger refused medical treatment at the scene.

The sheriff’s office said excessive speed was believed to have been a factor in the crash. However, the collision remains under investigation.

Hottle, who was deaf, starred in the 2021 movie “Godzilla vs. Kong” as Jia, a Skull Island native who could communicate with King Kong using sign language. She reprised the role in the 2024 movie “Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.”

Hottle was also a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf. The school shared the news of her death in an Instagram post.

“Please keep Kaylee’s loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this tremendous loss together,” the post said.

Her father, Joshua Hottle, also shared the news of her death in American Sign Language during a Facebook livestream. In the video, titled “I am taking a flight that I would never like to take,” he said he was traveling from Texas to recover her body.

An Atlanta native, Hottle was also said to be from a multigenerational deaf family, getting her acting start in commercials.

McDonald’s introduces a new sauce and menu items for a limited time

The fast-food giant announced that customers will soon be able to spice up their craveable items with a new Caesar Sauce. (McDonald’s)

McDonald’s is adding a new sauce and menu items to its summer lineup.

The fast-food giant announced that customers will soon be able to spice up their craveable items with a new Caesar Sauce, described as a creamy, garlicky parmesan blend infused with lemon.

To accompany the sauce, McDonald’s said it is introducing the Caesar Snack Wrap and Bacon Caesar McCrispy Sandwich.

The wrap will feature shredded lettuce, cheese and the creamy Caesar Sauce, wrapped in a soft tortilla. The sandwich includes a McCrispy filet topped with Caesar Sauce, applewood smoked bacon, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions and crinkle-cut pickles on a toasted potato roll.

According to McDonald’s, its McCrispy Strips are also “even crispier” for customers to enjoy with the Caesar Sauce.

McDonald’s said these items will be available at restaurants nationwide starting July 21 but only for a limited time.

Alleged drug kingpin accused of smuggling drugs across US-Mexico border through railway tunnel

FILE - The U.S. Border with Mexico is seen in an aerial view Jan. 31, 2025, near San Diego. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

San Diego

A man was arraigned in federal court Monday for allegedly using a sophisticated underground tunnel to move drugs into the U.S. from Mexico that was discovered in 2022.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Genaro Lopez, 54, was a powerful drug trafficker who was operating on both sides of the border.

Lopez entered a not guilty plea during his court appearance this week to drug trafficking charges.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel E. Butcher granted the government’s request to hold the 54-year-old without bond because he posed a serious risk of flight from prosecution.

Lopez reportedly operated out of a stash house in Chula Vista until July 9, 2021, when investigators stopped three cars leaving the property with drugs.

Authorities said they executed a search warrant and ended up seizing 241 kilograms of cocaine, eight guns, a bulletproof vest, ammunition and nearly $40,000.

Officials noted that Lopez took off to Mexico following the search and became a fugitive until he was caught on March 10 and extradited back to the U.S.

Investigators allege that the 54-year-old used a cross-border tunnel to smuggle illegal drugs into the United States.

Investigators discovered the tunnel in May 2022, while surveilling a second stash house in National City, according to court records.

Authorities said they stopped four cars leaving that property, where investigators seized close to 800 kilograms of cocaine, 74 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 1.6 kilograms of fentanyl.

The reported tunnel was from Tijuana to a warehouse in Otay Mesa. It was estimated to be about 1,744 feet long, 61 feet deep, with reinforced walls, a rail system, electricity and a ventilation system.

Six people were also arrested in that case, investigators said.

Lopez’s next court appearance for a motion hearing and trial setting is scheduled for Aug. 14 before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez.

Capt. ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ pilot, announces Alzheimer’s diagnosis

FILE - In this June 11, 2011 photo, former Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger talks to the media in front of the US Airways flight 1549 aircraft at the Carolina Aviation Museum in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Retired pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger says he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Sullenberger made the announcement on Tuesday.

“I recently found out I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It is an early stage. For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well, but I am at the beginning of this long journey,” he shared in a statement.

Sullenberger grabbed headlines in January 2009 as the US Airways captain who managed to land a plane full of people in the Hudson River without a loss of life despite the aircraft losing thrust in both engines.

The acclaimed event became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson” and went on to be the subject of the movie “Sully” with Tom Hanks playing the role of Sullenberger.

But this week’s focus is on the former pilot’s health.

The 75-year-old said that by sharing his story, he hopes that other families dealing with the disease don’t have to hide from it but that they too could take a step forward.

“Over the years, when people would ask about the successful outcome of Flight 1549, I would say that ‘courage can be contagious,’ and on that day it helped everyone band together to get everyone off that airplane successfully,“ Sullenberger shared. ”Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together.”

Sullenberger, who has also served in the U.S. Air Force, says he is working with Dr. Gil Rabinovici at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco regarding his diagnosis.

“This new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service,” the retired commercial airline pilot said. “Though it may impact my memory of the past, this diagnosis will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, an estimated 7 million Americans and over 55 million people worldwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Sullenberger said he will take on the disease with his family by his side while giving hope to others.

“So many people told us after Flight 1549 that the outcome gave them hope. Lorrie, my incredible partner of 37 years, says we can all use a little of that hope right now,” Sullenberger shared.