By JONEL ALECCIA and JAMIE STENGLE

DALLAS (AP) — A new Texas law promoting the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda requires first-ever warning labels on foods like chips and candies that contain dyes and additives not allowed in other countries.

Related Articles

What’s in and out of Trump’s big bill as Senate races to meet Fourth of July deadline

Royal upgrade: Trump will stay at the Dutch king’s palace during his NATO visit

Court orders Trump administration to facilitate another deported man’s return from El Salvador

Early US intelligence report suggests US strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by months

Trump administration authorizes $30 million for Israeli-backed group distributing food in Gaza

It could have far-reaching effects on the nation’s food supply, but a review of the legislation shows it also misrepresents the status of some ingredients that would trigger the action.

The law signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday requires foods made with any of more than 40 dyes or additives to have labels starting in 2027 saying they contain ingredients “not recommended for human consumption” in Australia, Canada, the European Union or the U.K. But a review shows that nearly a dozen of the targeted additives are either authorized in the cited regions — or already restricted in the U.S.

The law, which will send the food industry scrambling to respond, is laudable in its intent, but could lead to incorrect citations and potential legal challenges, a consumer advocacy group said.

“I don’t know how the list of chemicals was constructed,” said Thomas Galligan, a scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Warnings have to be accurate in order to be legal.”

The law, approved with wide bipartisan support, is part of a flurry of similar legislation this year by GOP-led statehouses as lawmakers align themselves with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. Texas would be the first in the U.S. to use warning labels to target additives, rather than nutrients like sugar or saturated fat, to change American diets.

It will force food companies to decide whether to reformulate products to avoid the labels, add the newly required language, pull certain products from Texas shelves or oppose the measure in court.

It’s unclear how the list of additives was created. Inquiries to the office of the bill’s author, Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, were not immediately returned.

Some of the targeted ingredients are allowed in all the named regions

Regulators in Australia, Canada, the EU and the U.K. take a cautious approach to food additives: If a product’s safety is uncertain, it can be banned or restricted until it is determined to be safe. By contrast, the U.S. generally allows products on the market unless there is clear risk of harm.

Three additives targeted by Texas — partially hydrogenated oils, Red Dye No. 4 and Red Dye No. 3 — are not approved or have been banned in food by U.S. regulators.

Several of the other listed ingredients are allowed in all four of those regions, noted Galligan and representatives from the Consumer Brands Association, a food industry trade group.

Examples of those include: Blue Dye No. 1; Blue Dye No. 2; butylated hydroxyanisole, or BHA; butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT; diacetyl; interesterified soybean oil; lactylated fatty acid esters of glycerol and propylene glycol; and potassium aluminum sulfate.

In addition, the legislation contains regulatory loopholes that could prevent certain ingredients from being labeled at all, said Melanie Benesh, an analyst with the Environmental Working Group, an activist organization that focuses on toxic chemicals.

For example, the food additive azodicarbonamide, known as ADA and used as a bleaching agent in cereal flours, is included on the Texas list. But under the Federal Code of Regulations, it may safely be used in food under certain conditions. That federal regulation likely exempts ADA from the state labeling law, Benesh said.

“The law, as passed, may not end up having the impact that legislators intended,” Benesh said.

Nutrition experts welcome a look at food additives

Nutrition experts have long worried about the potential health effects of food additives, even as it remains unclear how much of a role processed foods have in driving chronic health disease.

Research has shown that requiring food label warnings can help steer consumers toward healthier choices and prompt industry to remove concerning ingredients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed front-of-package labels that would flag levels of saturated fat, sugar and sodium.

“This represents a big win for Texas consumers and consumers overall,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports. “It’s a reflection of states not wanting to wait for the federal government to act.”

The law also creates a state nutrition advisory committee, boosts physical education and nutrition curriculum requirements in public and charter schools, and requires nutrition courses for college students and medical professionals doing continuing education.

States take on additives

Several states have been taking action to restrict dyes and additives in foods.

In 2023, California became the first state to ban some chemicals and dyes used in candies, drinks and other foods because of health concerns. The state expanded on that last year by barring several additional dyes from food served in public schools.

Other laws passed this year include one in Arkansas banning two particular additives from food sold or manufactured in the state and a West Virginia law includes a statewide ban on seven dyes.

Lawmakers in several states have passed measures this year banning certain additives from food served or sold at public schools, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural. That includes Texas, where the governor last month signed a bill banning foods with certain ingredients from being served in school lunches.

“It’s a pretty dizzying time to be watching what’s happening, because usually policies that are not very industry friendly are opposed, particularly in red states,” said Christina Roberto, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Food and Nutrition Policy, “With RFK and the MAHA movement, it’s really turned things upside-down in some ways.”

At the federal level, Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have pledged to remove artificial dyes from foods and have pressured industry to take voluntary action. Some large food manufacturers have complied.

Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children.

The FDA previously has said that the approved dyes are safe and that “the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.”

Aleccia contributed to this report from Temecula, Calif. Associated Press writer David A. Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Mo.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

A Milwaukee-area man allegedly had hallucinogenic mushrooms in his van and showed signs of impairment when he slammed into a scissor lift inside a North Shore highway tunnel last week, critically injuring a worker.

Patches Magickbeans, 34, of Hartland, Wis., was charged Monday with three crimes in the crash that left Benjamin John Kidd, 27, of Duluth, with life-threatening injuries.

Authorities said Magickbeans struck the maintenance equipment in the Lafayette Bluff Tunnel along Minnesota 61, about 8 miles north of Two Harbors, just before 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Kidd was thrown to the ground from the lift, which had been extended to the ceiling, while a second worker, Bradley Nicholas Kostiuk, 37, of Duluth, was able to grab a light fixture and pull himself to safety with only minor injuries.

According to a criminal complaint:

Patches Magickbeans, 35, of Hartland, Wis., has been charged with hitting a pair of workmen on a scissor lift inside a highway tunnel on Minnesota’s North Shore. The June 18, 2024, crash one of the men in critical condition. (Forum News Service)

An off-duty police officer was traveling north behind Magickbeans and captured the incident on his dash cam. He told a sheriff’s deputy the van was “swerving and weaving” on the road and then hit a curb and several traffic cones before ramming into the lift.

The van then hit the tunnel wall and rolled several times, landing on its side and trapping Magickbeans inside. The officer reported the driver seemed to show signs of drug impairment and became combative with rescue personnel.

Kostiuk told the deputy he heard the cones getting hit and looked to see a van moving fast in their direction. He then grabbed onto the overhead lighting system, apparently getting clipped on the hip by the falling lift. He managed to pull himself up and tuck his knees to his chest on a rail as he awaited assistance from first responders.

Magickbeans was helped out of the van and continued to show signs of impairment. He was reportedly “saying things did not make sense,” making erratic movements, displaying an “absent look such as not being able to focus on anything or anyone” and “interacting with things in the air that were not there.”

Kidd and Magickbeans were both airlifted to Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, where the worker remained hospitalized with “critical and life threatening injuries” as of Monday.

The highway was closed in both directions for several hours before the scene was cleared.

In Magickbeans’ van, investigators found two plastic bags with suspected psilocybin mushrooms weighing approximately 90 grams.

When a state trooper met with the defendant Saturday, he indicated he suffered a couple broken ribs and said the last thing he remembered was driving in Cloquet. He said he did not have any alcohol or drugs that day, has no medical conditions and slept 12 hours the night before.

Magickbeans told the trooper he forages for the mushrooms himself and had a small one the day before, along with an edible. However, he said there would not be any controlled substances in his system and that he was unsure why he would have struck the workers.

A blood sample was taken at the hospital under a search warrant following the crash. Results were still pending.

Magickbeans, who has no apparent criminal history, is charged with felony and gross misdemeanor criminal vehicular operation and felony second-degree possession of a controlled substance.

A judge set unconditional bail at $75,000 and also ordered a potential supervised release option. Magickbeans’ next court appearance was scheduled for Aug. 4.

Related Articles

Minneapolis woman gets nearly 24 years for driving SUV into crowd, killing Fridley teen

Woman with ties to a cultlike group to appear in court after border agent’s killing

Two teens, both 15, injured in shooting in St. Paul

Burnsville man called ‘serial fraudster’ sentenced to seven years in prison

St. Paul man’s crime spree included a carjacking, crash, shots fired, charges say

The Twins may be sputtering through the month of June, but they still believe they have the right man in charge to lead the club. The organization has picked up the team option on manager Rocco Baldelli’s contact for the 2026 season, per a report in The Athletic.

Neither Baldelli, who is in his seventh season leading the Twins, nor a club official confirmed the report when asked about it.

“The entire time I’ve been with the Twins organization, I’ve never commented on anything contractually or anything related to it. I’m going to stay there,” Baldelli said. “I spend all my time and my energy right now thinking about our team and how to get our guys in a great place and how to win games. That’s the way I like to keep it. I don’t really have anything to add on that in any way.”

The Twins entered Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Mariners losers of 10 of their previous 11 games. They’ve slipped under .500 and into fourth place in the American League Central Division during a disastrous month of June in which the team had a 6.81 collective earned-run average.

But still, on Monday, president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey threw his support behind the manager.

“Rocco is not running away from any of the work,” Falvey said. “My focus has been on how do I support him with that, because I do believe he has got the players’ best interest at heart and he’s trying to figure out how to solve a challenging equation that we’re all trying to navigate through. He’s not alone in that. We’re all side by side with him, as is the staff and as (are) our core players. We’re trying to figure it out together.”

In six and a half seasons at the helm of the Twins, Baldelli had a career .527 winning percentage entering Tuesday. He has led the Twins to three division titles.

But the past two have been filled with ups and downs, each featuring a slow start  followed by a long winning streak to pull the team back above .500.

The 2024 season ended with a six-week collapse that saw the Twins miss the postseason after having playoff odds that topped 95 percent at one point and led to the dismissal of four members of Baldelli’s coaching staff.

And this season, once again, Baldelli is tasked with leading the Twins through a challenging stretch.

“You’ve got to continue to prepare, and you’ve got to wear it sometimes when it isn’t going the way you want,” Baldelli said. “But there is always a game tomorrow to focus on and think about. Probably a few nights where I’m not sleeping quite the way I want, but I get to play with my kids. I can’t think about baseball when I’m home playing with my kids.”

Briefly

The Twins will send Joe Ryan to the mound Wednesday for the third game of the Seattle series. Ryan, who has a 3.06 ERA, gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings his last time out. He will be opposed by George Kirby.

By MARK THIESSEN

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A cargo ship that had been delivering new vehicles to Mexico sank in the North Pacific Ocean, weeks after crew members abandoned ship when they couldn’t extinguish an onboard fire that left the carrier dead in the water.

Related Articles

California dog trainer charged with animal cruelty, evidence destruction in deaths of 11 dogs

Anthropic wins ruling on AI training in copyright lawsuit but must face trial on pirated books

Temperature in New York City reaches 100 degrees as eastern US swelters under extreme heat wave

4 family members celebrating a birthday are among the 8 dead from a boat capsize on Lake Tahoe

Man charged with supplying chemicals to Palm Springs fertility clinic bomber dies in custody

The Morning Midas sank Monday in international water off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands chain, the ship’s management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime, said in a statement.

“There is no visible pollution,” said Petty Officer Cameron Snell, an Alaska-based U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson. “Right now we also have vessels on scene to respond to any pollution.”

Fire damage compounded by bad weather and water seepage caused the carrier to sink in waters about 16,404 feet deep and about 415 miles from land, the statement said.

The ship was loaded with about 3,000 new vehicles intended for a major Pacific port in Mexico. It was not immediately clear if any of the cars were removed before it sank, and Zodiac Maritime did not immediately respond to messages Tuesday.

A salvage crew arrived days after the fire disabled the vehicle.

Two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment will remain on scene to monitor for any signs of pollution or debris, the company said. The crew members of those two ships were not injured when the Morning Midas sank.

Zodiac Maritime said it is also sending another specialized pollution response vessel to the location as an added precaution.

The Coast Guard said it received a distress alert June 3 about a fire aboard the Morning Midas, which then was roughly 300 miles southwest of Adak Island.

There were 22 crew members onboard the Morning Midas. All evacuated to a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby merchant marine vessel. There were no injuries.

Among the cars were about 70 fully electric and about 680 hybrid vehicles. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship’s stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles, the Coast Guard and Zodiac Maritime said at the time.

Adak is about 1,200 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city.

The 600-foot Morning Midas was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The car and truck carrier left Yantai, China, on May 26 en route to Mexico, according to the industry site marinetraffic.com.

A Dutch safety board in a recent report called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire aboard a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore.

One person was killed and others injured in the fire, which burned out of control for a week. That ship was eventually towed to a Netherlands port for salvage.