In Other News: California senator agrees to end ‘fun-loving’ noogies; U.S. hunger falls to lowest level in a decade

Published 7:07 pm Friday, September 7, 2018

Editor’s note: “In Other News” is a list of state, national and global headlines compiled by the Daily Citizen-News staff. Click on the headlines below to read the full stories. To suggest a story, email the appropriate link to inothernews@dailycitizen.news.

A Confederate statue came down in St. Louis. A statue of Christopher Columbus may be next

Roughly a year after a Confederate monument was removed from Forest Park in St. Louis, another statue in a city park has been called into question. A commission is being formed to consider whether a statue of Christopher Columbus belongs in Tower Grove Park, where it has stood for more than 130 years. Each year on Columbus Day, Italian residents lay a wreath on the statue to honor their heritage. But the last two years, they’ve found the statue covered in graffiti, with paint reading “murderer” and “Black Lives Matter” on its base. — St. Louis Post-Dispatch

California senator agrees to end ‘fun-loving’ noogies

California state Sen. John Moorlach promises he will stop giving noogies to members of the public. The vow comes in response to a formal complaint that he delivered an unwelcome noogie while posing for a photo. Moorlach frequently gives people noogies, and he says it’s done in fun. But in a letter sent to Moorlach, the Senate Rules Committee urged him to discontinue the practice. “The behavior, while not sexual in nature, was clearly unwelcome,” the Senate Rules Committee concluded. — The Tribune

Tourism still suffering in town where diner kicked out Trump spokesman

A small town in Virginia is trying to recover its image after The Red Hen restaurant famously refused to serve President Donald Trump’s spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. A regional tourism board is pulling together emergency funds to boost its digital marketing campaign. Normally that money is saved. But officials agreed the region is in desperate need of positive coverage. — NBC Washington

U.S. hunger falls to lowest level in a decade

The number of people facing hunger in the U.S. declined last year to the lowest level since 2007 as unemployment fell, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report. The news comes as Republicans in Congress are trying to strengthen the requirement that able-bodied adults who receive food stamps work at least part time or be in job training. Democrats are balking at the change, saying stricter work rules punish the poor. About 39.3 million people received benefits in May, the most recent month of data available. That’s the lowest since December 2009. U.S. unemployment was 3.9 percent in August, the lowest since 2000. — Bloomberg