THE CENTER SQUARE—San Francisco started its ban on county-funded cash assistance for individuals with substance abuse disorders who refuse to engage in treatment. Measure F, approved by voters in March 2024, applies to the $714 per month payments to housed low-income adults, and $109 per month to homeless individuals who have been in San Francisco for more than 30 days.  Under outgoing Mayor London Breed, San Francisco has significantly cracked down on homelessness, using a new Supreme Court ruling to begin enforcing anti-camping ordinances. As a result, the number of homeless tents has declined by 60% since peaking in 2023. Critics said that while homeless are leaving their tents, they’re still staying in the city.  With 75% of unsheltered homeless surveyed in a California Policy Lab analysis saying they have a drug or alcohol addiction, and 78% saying they have a severe mental illness, San Francisco’s program of requiring individuals with substance abuse orders to get treatment could be a major step forward in helping get people off the streets.  “San Francisco is a city of compassion, but also a city that demands accountability,” Breed said in a statement. “We fund a wide range of treatment and recovery services that are helping people every day, but it can be difficult to get everyone to accept the help they so badly need.” Breed’s office noted homeless individuals who get the lower $109 per month payment also receive “guaranteed shelter and meals.” The new Treatment Pathway Initiative program will require individuals who are even suspected of a substance abuse disorder to continue receiving cash payments.  San Francisco is partnering with Westside Community Services to roll out the new, intensive program, which will include a substance abuse treatment assessment and “high touch, ongoing treatment engagement support for clients, including transportation assistance, warm referrals and removing barriers to treatment.”  “The new Treatment Pathway Initiative supports people with substance use disorder in crisis by meeting them where they are in their recovery journey and providing tangible support and essential resources to improve their lives,” said Westside Community Services Forensic Director Cedric Akbar in a statement. According to San Francisco City Controller Ben Rosenfield, the program could save the city up to $2 million per year in discontinued benefits to individuals with substance abuse disorders, but treatment costs could exceed savings “if existing treatment capacity is not sufficient to meet the increased needs under this ordinance.” San Francisco’s $1.6 million two-year contract with Westside Community Services is for completing at least 320 substance abuse treatment assessments, 285 individualized treatment plans, and care coordination and reporting for 390 clients in the first year, and doubling each category in the second year.  San Francisco reports that about 20% or 1,100 of the 5,500 individuals receiving county-funded cash assistance are homeless. Should 75% of those individuals have a substance abuse disorder, care coordinated by Westside Community Services could end up providing treatment to 96% of homeless individuals with substance abuse disorders who are enrolled in the cash welfare program. Originally published by The Center Square The post San Francisco Starts Ban on Cash Welfare for Drug Addicts Who Refuse Treatment appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Police arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly planting an explosive device on a train car in Idaho. The Payette Police Department said it received reports “regarding a suspicious subject who was observed near a parked railroad car.” “Upon arrival in the area, officers observed fresh footprints in the snow and were able to track them to a train car, where they located a suspected undetonated Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D.),” a news release read. “Officers followed the fresh prints in the snow to a camp trailer that was parked near a residence in the 600 Block of N. 8th Street,” it added. “The suspect (identified as 40-year-old Payette resident, Brent Sharrai) attempted to flee from the camp trailer on foot but surrendered to Payette Police Officers after a short foot pursuit. Sharrai was taken into custody at that time on outstanding Payette County warrants. He was later booked into the Payette County Jail on those warrants, as well as additional charges for possession of a destructive device (felony), possession of a controlled substance (felony), possession of paraphernalia (misdemeanor) and resisting and obstructing officers,” the release continued. New: A 40-year-old man Brent Sharrai was arrested after he planted an IED on a train car in Payette, Idaho. Via: The Idaho Stateman pic.twitter.com/I1pJTa5TEG — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 3, 2025 Per Idaho Statesman: Police said they notified Union Pacific Railroad, which put all trains scheduled to travel through the site on standby for five hours. Sharrai was initially booked into the Payette County Jail on outstanding warrants for recent misdemeanors, according to court records. Police said they obtained a warrant to search the trailer where he was staying and found “items similar to the device found on the train car,” as well as controlled substances and drug paraphernalia. Sharrai was later charged with felony possession of a destructive device, felony possession of a controlled substance, as well as misdemeanors for drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest. Payette police said further federal charges of possession and manufacturing of a destructive device are pending while the FBI completes its investigation. #BREAKING: A 40-year-old man has been arrested after planting IED on parked railroad car #Payette l #Idaho Payette police officers responded to on Wednesday after reports of a suspicious individual attempting to set something on fire near a parked railroad car. Officers… pic.twitter.com/FNym9ajiqU — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 3, 2025 “Due to the dangers posed by the I.E.D., the Nampa Bomb Squad was requested for assistance in rendering the device safe. Union Pacific was also notified and all trains scheduled to travel through the incident site were put on standby for approximately 5 hours, until the scene was determined to be safe. An agent with the F.B.I. also responded to the scene to assist with the investigation,’ the news release read. “The Nampa Bomb Squad utilized their specialized robot to remove the IED from the train car and later detonated the device to render it safe,” it added. WATCH:

The Palm Bay City Council voted 5-0 against adding fluoride to the city’s water supply. All Palm Bay residents who attended the meeting agreed that they didn’t want fluoride in their water. WATCH: FLORIDA – "Palm Bay City Council unanimously voted not to add fluoride to the city's water supply. All Palm Bay residents at Thursday's meeting agreed that they did not want fluoride in their water." pic.twitter.com/wovmlXjbHN — Fluoride Action Network (@FluorideAction) January 3, 2025 Per Florida’s Voice: The City’s North Regional Water Treatment Plant fluoridation system became “inoperable” and has not been used to add fluoride since 2016; however, a plan to restore fluoridation was halted in 2024, according to the meeting agenda packet. The legislative memorandum requested direction and approval to modify the city’s Florida Department of Environmental Protection permit to end fluoridation of the city’s potable water system. During the meeting, many members of the public spoke in support of making sure fluoride is not added to the water. The agenda noted that Florida’s Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo announced guidance in November 2024 recommending against community water fluoridation due to the “neuropsychiatric risks associated with fluoride exposure.” #BREAKING: Palm Bay City Council votes to remove fluoride from tap water, 5-0 — Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 3, 2025 Activist and public speaker Justin Robert noted that Palm Bay is the largest city in Brevard County. The LARGEST city in Brevard County, Palm Bay, just voted 5-0 to END WATER FLUORIDATION! @FluorideAction @standforhealth1 pic.twitter.com/pAWTvHmYmr — Justin Robert (@JustinWeRchange) January 3, 2025 Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo advised all cities and counties statewide to stop adding fluoride to drinking water. Florida Surgeon General Issues New Statewide Guidance On Fluoride – “Public Health Malpractice” Dr. Ladapo spoke at a news conference in Winter Haven, which announced it would not add fluoride to its drinking water by the end of the year. FLORIDA - “Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced new guidelines on Friday, advising that all cities and counties statewide stop adding #fluoride to drinking water.” BIG WIN! https://t.co/IqEEjfDtG1 — Fluoride Action Network (@FluorideAction) November 22, 2024 “It is public health malpractice with the information that we have now to continue adding fluoride to water,” Dr. Ladapo said. WATCH: WESH reports: All Palm Bay residents at Thursday's meeting agreed that they did not want fluoride in their water. "I don't think it is a good idea to mass treat anything. I do think it would be good to pause this and research it more," said Rachael Holohan, who opposes fluoride in the water. According to Gabriel Bowden, the city's utilities director, the city has not injected fluoride into the water since 2016, when the north plant's fluoride system failed, and in 2017, when the same happened to the south plant system. There are, however, naturally occurring low levels of fluoride in the water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend a fluoride level of 0.7 milligrams per liter in drinking water for optimal oral health benefits.

The U.S. Surgeon General has released a new advisory warning of alcohol-related cancer risk. 

The House of Representatives will go to a second vote after failing to come to a majority consensus on who to elect as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.