Latest news with #CokeZero
Politico
41 minutes ago
- Business
- Politico
Washington reality check hits Sacramento
Presented by KEEPING SCORE: California Democrats are working to hammer out their moving target of a budget while keeping their eye on the storm clouds from Washington. As we reported this morning, Democrats are weighing potential revenue options to offset the state's $12 billion spending gap and are keenly aware that deep cuts in federal health care spending being negotiated in Congress would upend their plans. That tension became clear today as the Congressional Budget Office estimated the House budget plan would increase the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion within a decade — even after booting 7.8 million people off Medicaid nationwide. 'They can't throw enough people off health care to pay for this tax cut,' Senate Budget Chair Scott Wiener told Playbook. If Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel's caffeine stack of coffee and Coke Zero is any indication, weary state lawmakers still face a fiscal climb as they oscillate between spending negotiations and hitting the Friday deadline to move their bills from one house to the other. 'The more we learn about the details of this awful bill the more concerned we become,' Gabriel said in a statement to Playbook. 'It is an absolute horror show that would have disastrous consequences for our state.' While lawmakers are busy circulating vote cards and feverishly pushing their colleagues to vote for their bills, budget drama is unfolding in the background. Gabriel has spent much of the marathon floor sessions off the green carpet in meetings with budget leaders in both houses that at least once stretched into the evening, necessitating an emergency pizza delivery. California was struggling to afford its health care programs even before the threat of federal cuts intensified. Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed capping Medi-Cal enrollment for the state's undocumented population following a years-long expansion that became far more costly than initially thought. Progressive Democrats are pushing hard for their colleagues to consider corporate tax hikes to help pay for those Medi-Cal benefits. Those involved in the efforts insist lawmakers in both the Senate and the Assembly are taking proposals to make wealthy individuals and corporations pay up seriously. In the Assembly, Democrats have circulated a revenue survey obtained by Playbook. It asks members their opinion on how the body should 'approach potential new revenue/taxes.' Lawmakers could select from three options: Playbook was still awaiting the results at the time of publication, if any friendly parties are interested in sharing them (wink wink, nudge nudge).IT'S WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to lholden@ WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY HIGH-SPEED SNAG: President Donald Trump's administration today announced that it's moving to terminate two grants totaling roughly $4 billion that were previously awarded to California's beleaguered high-speed rail project, our Sam Ogozalek reports for POLITICO Pro subscribers. In a letter to Ian Choudri, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Federal Railroad Administration blasted the state, saying the agency 'has no confidence CHSRA will ever deliver an operating high-speed rail system,' wrote Drew Feeley, acting FRA administrator. The grant cancellations would affect a planned portion of the line from Merced to Bakersfield. A spokesperson for the rail authority in a statement said CHSRA disagrees with the federal government's conclusions, calling them 'misguided' and not reflective of the 'substantial progress' made on the project. The spokesperson added that the majority of funding has come from the state, not the FRA, and that Newsom's latest budget proposal would provide enough money over the next 20 years to complete the project's initial operating segment. 'The Authority will fully address and correct the record in our formal response to the FRA's notice,' the statement read. IN OTHER NEWS SOLAR STANDOFF: The Assembly left solar advocates fuming last night when it suspended a procedural waiting period to advance a proposal that would reduce subsidies to legacy rooftop solar customers, our Camille von Kaenel reports for Pro subscribers. The procedural rule in question requires the chamber to wait a 'full calendar day' after any amendments in order to vote on a bill. But lawmakers suspended that rule to approve Assemblymember Lisa Calderon's AB 942, which she had amended Monday to exempt schools and farms. The bill is now in the state Senate. ANTI-RTO CAUCUS: Republican Assemblymember Josh Hoover, Democratic Assemblymember Robert Garcia and 15 other lawmakers signed a letter urging Newsom to delay his mandate that state workers return to the office four days per week, which is set to start on July 1. Hoover and Garcia pushed the governor to delay the executive order until the state auditor can complete a study the Joint Legislative Audit Committee approved after the governor ordered state workers back to the office two days per week last spring. They noted the potential for the mandate to 'exacerbate our budget shortfall and hamper our ability to protect important programs from devastating cuts.' 'Given the significant implications of the return to work order, we believe it is critical to fully understand the impacts of telework on our state budget and workforce prior to making a decision to reduce its use,' the letter said. WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY — The FBI arrested Daniel Park, a 32-year-old from Washington, for charges related to the bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs. (The Associated Press) — Yucca Valley resident Thomas Eugene Streval pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of making threats online to shoot President Donald Trump shortly after the 2024 election. (Los Angeles Times) — The San Jose City Council settled a civil-rights lawsuit on Tuesday with a $620,000 payout to seven people who say they were targeted and injured by police during protests related to the death of George Floyd. (Mercury News) AROUND THE STATE — The San Diego City Council approved an 18 percent fee hike for ambulance rides over the next three years, but they say those increases will mostly be paid by insurance companies. (San Diego Union-Tribune) — The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority ratified a new contract with their workers' union and awaits approval from their board of directors. (Mercury News) — San Francisco budget officials considered and then quietly discarded a plan to charge property owners $100 a year for their driveways. (San Francisco Chronicle) — compiled by Nicole Norman
North Wales Live
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
Las Iguanas giving away free beer on Father's Day
Las Iguanas has launched a Father's Day offer with a free pint of draft Corona lager or soft drink for every father figure, available all day on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Dads can have a free pint of Corona beer or a soft drink of their choice (including Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, or Schweppes Lemonade) when dining in. The offer is valid with the purchase of a main meal, and available to pre-booked tables. There's also the chance of winning crates of Corona beer the height of your dad. Go to the landing page on Las Iguanas website here: Father's Day at Las Iguanas | Las Iguanas, and fill in a form to be in with the chance of winning. For another chance of winning you can go to Las Iguanas' social media pages and comment on the Father's Day post.
Wales Online
10 hours ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Las Iguanas giving away free beer on Father's Day
Las Iguanas giving away free beer on Father's Day There are also two chances to win your dad's height in beer crates Las Iguanas has launched a Father's Day offer with a free pint of draft Corona lager or soft drink for every father figure, available all day on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Dads can have a free pint of Corona beer or a soft drink of their choice (including Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, or Schweppes Lemonade) when dining in. Article continues below The offer is valid with the purchase of a main meal, and available to pre-booked tables. There's also the chance of winning crates of Corona beer the height of your dad. Go to the landing page on Las Iguanas website here: Father's Day at Las Iguanas | Las Iguanas, and fill in a form to be in with the chance of winning. For another chance of winning you can go to Las Iguanas' social media pages and comment on the Father's Day post.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Drinking Diet Coke has been tied to heart health risks. Here's what you should know
Drinking Diet Coke and other similar beverages may be associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, among other health issues, according to new research. Although the reason remains unclear, some scientists say the drink's artificial sweeteners may trigger inflammation and alter metabolism, gut and blood vessels. Researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said the sweeteners may promote type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and unhealthy cholesterol levels. 'Do not take it for granted that drinking low-sugar and low-calorie artificially sweetened beverages is healthy, it may pose potential health risks,' Dr. Ningjian Wang, a researcher at the Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital in China, said in a statement. People with diabetes or those trying to lose weight may turn to artificial sweeteners and could already be at risk for potential problems. But the overall message from medical professionals is clear. A study from U.C. Irvine found people who consumed the most artificial sweeteners had a 9 percent higher risk for cardiovascular disease and an 18 percent greater risk for stroke or other disease. The American Heart Association found that adults who drink about two liters or more of artificially sweetened drinks per week had a higher risk of an irregular heartbeat. "Avoiding added artificial sugars makes sense, and this study helps to support that," UC Irvine health cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth H. Dineen said. Several sweeteners appear to be the most problematic, including those used in Diet Coke and Coke Zero, researchers found. A request for comment from Coca-Cola was not immediately returned. The sweetener aspartame — which is also widely known as the brand Equal — and sucralose, or Splenda, have been linked to a higher risk of stroke and coronary artery disease. Aspartame is also used in chewing gum, ice cream, cereal, cough drops, and yogurt. It's 200 times sweeter than regular sugar and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a general-purpose sweetener in 1996. It is widely recognized as one of the most researched ingredients in the world. The FDA says it disagrees with conclusions that studies support classifying aspartame as a possible carcinogen to humans. 'Scientific evidence has continued to support the FDA's conclusion that aspartame is safe for the general population when made under good manufacturing practices and used under the approved conditions of use,' the agency says. 'The assessments of aspartame have indicated that, while safety is not a major concern at the doses which are commonly used, potential effects have been described that need to be investigated by more and better studies,' the World Health Organization's Dr. Francesco Branco said. That doesn't mean people cannot consume it. Moderate use should be fine. Coca-Cola notes that people with the rare hereditary disorder phenylketonuria should strictly limit their intake of phenylalanine: a common amino acid found in aspartame. 'A 2022 study found that people who consumed higher amounts of aspartame had a slightly higher risk overall of developing cancer, especially breast cancer and obesity-related cancers. However, it is unclear precisely what amount of aspartame a person would need to consume over time to increase their risk of developing cancer,' City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center oncologist Dr. Misagh Karimi said. So, how much is too much? Just a couple of drinks may increase your risk for negative health outcomes, Michelle Routhenstein, a New York-based registered dietitian who specializes in heart disease, told Fox News Digital. "Research shows that drinking two or more artificially sweetened beverages per day may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke," she said.
7NEWS
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Blues legend Brad Fittler rips into Brian To'o's viral pre-game breakfast: ‘Odd bloke'
New South Wales icon Brad 'Freddy' Fittler has shredded Blues star Brian To'o's wild pre-game breakfast. The 'ridiculous' breakfast has gone viral after it came to light last year that To'o had two bacon and egg burgers, six cans of Coke, a bowl of hot chips and a caramel latte on the morning of a big game. Appearing on Nova's show Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie, Fittler said the breakfast was disturbing and could lead to health problems. While former AFL star and Front Bar regular Ryan Fitzgerald said the pre-game meal was absurd. 'We cannot get over this,' Fitzgerald said. 'Like it's ridiculous. Is he taking the piss? That's got to be wrong, doesn't it?' Fittler was perplexed. 'He's an odd bloke,' he said. 'I don't remember seeing him gorging into all the Cokes on a morning of a game ... so I wouldn't say he's dishonest but, yeah, it seems strange. 'But anyway, if he keeps eating and drinking like that, there's going to be a problem somewhere in the future.' Fittler said when he was playing he liked to keep things 'light' ahead of a game. '(But) I used to drink the night before,' he admitted. 'I'd sit around dinner and have some beers and have a few drinks. 'A few blokes used to smoke darts at half-time. Thank god that's all changed.' Fittler also admitted that 'in the old days' there would be some long parying after a victory. 'The lock-in was ridiculous,' he said. 'We would just lock in a room and drink. Our go was to go out and just make sure there's the bus to go to the airport the next day.' To'o also revealed recently that he once drank 600 cans of Coke Zero in one month. After To'o's revelation about his Coke-heavy breakfast, the soft drink company sent him 24 cases (24 cans per case) of Coke Zero (to help you with the matha, that's a total of 576 cans). It equates to almost 200 litres of Coke. 'I think Coke sponsored Penrith so they sent me 24 boxes of 24 packs (after the story)', To'o said. 'Put it this way, I got them in October and they were finished by November. My teeth still seem pretty good. 'I'd love to be the face of Coke – it's delicious.'
