www.youtube.com – WYFF News 4 – 2025-08-07 22:20:58

SUMMARY: South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster plans to issue an executive order imposing “common sense limits” on SNAP benefit purchases, potentially mirroring trends in 12 other states that restrict spending on sugary drinks, energy drinks, and candy. Representative Steven Frank, who filed a similar bill in February, supports these changes to curb subsidies for unhealthy items linked to obesity and chronic illnesses. While specifics remain unclear, Frank believes limiting unhealthy food subsidies could improve health outcomes without necessarily increasing SNAP funds for healthier options. The timing and details of McMaster’s announcement are still unknown, with updates forthcoming.

Rep. says changes to SNAP in South Carolina may mirror other states

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carolinapublicpress.org – Lucas Thomae – 2025-08-06 08:14:00

by Lucas Thomae, Carolina Public Press
August 6, 2025

Former Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran continues to fall deeper into legal trouble. Two weeks ago, he was arrested again and charged with second-degree forcible rape according to filings in Swain Superior Court.

The embattled sheriff left office last month after being arrested and charged in both North Carolina and tribal court for committing sex crimes against a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Cochran faced state criminal charges of sexual battery, assault on a female, solicitation of prostitution and felonious restraint. He was indicted in Swain Superior Court on July 21.

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The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians also charged Cochran with violations of the Cherokee Code for the same assault — one count of abusive sexual contact and two counts of oppression in office. The tribe can charge non-Indian perpetrators with certain crimes as authorized by the Violence Against Women Act in 2022.

The most comprehensive account of the investigation leading up to Cochran’s first arrest was included in District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch’s petition to remove Cochran from office, which was voluntarily rescinded after Cochran announced his retirement on July 3.

According to that complaint, a Cherokee woman reported to the police on June 22 that Cochran had sexually assaulted her and attempted to pay her for oral sex inside his own police vehicle. That prompted an investigation involving state and federal law enforcement. On June 23, a Cherokee Indian Police officer pulled over Cochran inside the Qualla Boundary and found him with another woman (not Cherokee) who later told investigators that she had been similarly assaulted.

Both women, according to the court filings, were picked up by Cochran on the side of the road under the guise of him offering them a ride.

Rape added to Cochran’s list of charges

The second degree rape charge involves a third woman not mentioned in previous court filings. She does not appear to be Cherokee, and no additional charges have been filed against Cochran in tribal court.

As of now, the details of this latest offense are sparse.

Cochran was arrested again on July 21 after being indicted on the rape charge — the same day that he was indicted for the four other charges brought against him. He was released on a $50,000 bond under the conditions that he would not leave the state, not contact the rape victim and not commit any more crimes.

All of the alleged assaults Cochran is accused of occurred in June of this year, and all three victims have previous arrest records with the Swain County Sheriff’s Office during the time that Cochran led the department.

Welch’s office declined to comment on whether they suspect that more women have been victimized by Cochran, but said that possible victims should contact the State Bureau of Investigation.

Ex-sheriff’s son involved in curious traffic stop

Travis Cochran, a trooper with the State Highway Patrol and son of the former sheriff, pulled over one of Curtis Cochran’s alleged victims on July 18 according to a publicly available court filing.

The younger Cochran assessed the woman a traffic violation for not wearing her seatbelt and wrote in the citation that there were “no problems” during the interaction.

The woman was named in the petition for removal as the non-Cherokee woman found in Cochran’s vehicle on June 23. He has not so far been charged in the alleged assault on her, but she was a witness in the investigation leading up to his arrest.

Unlike the other two named victims, there is no court order barring Cochran from contacting this woman. However, the incident does raise questions related to conflict of interests or potential witness tampering when it comes to Cochran’s criminal case.

The district attorney’s office declined to comment on the matter, stating that they did not comment on pending cases. Neither the State Highway Patrol nor Curtis Cochran, through his attorney, responded to inquiries from CPP prior to the publication of this article.

Curtis Cochran’s next hearing for the state criminal charges is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sept. 24 at the Swain County Courthouse in Bryson City. He is set to make his next appearance in Tribal Court in Cherokee at 9 a.m. on Sept. 29.

This article first appeared on Carolina Public Press and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Cochran, former sheriff of Swain Co., NC, faces more legal trouble appeared first on carolinapublicpress.org

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The content is a straightforward news report focusing on the legal issues involving a former sheriff, Curtis Cochran, without evident editorializing or partisan language. It presents facts from official sources and court proceedings, maintaining an objective tone without endorsing or opposing any political ideology. The balanced presentation and lack of politically charged commentary indicate a centrist bias, aiming to inform rather than persuade.

www.youtube.com – WPDE ABC15 – 2025-08-06 06:15:09

SUMMARY: Jeffrey Epstein is dead, but Ghislaine Maxwell remains imprisoned as investigations continue. The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed over a dozen high-profile figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, former Attorneys General Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch, Merrick Garland, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, Alberto Gonzalez, and former FBI Director James Comey, probing the Epstein case. Prosecutor Alex Acosta, responsible for Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal, was notably not subpoenaed. The committee demands unredacted Justice Department documents by August 19. The Trump administration may release Maxwell’s recent interview transcript, where she denied witnessing wrongdoing by Trump. Maxwell was recently moved to a less restrictive prison camp.

“Administration officials are currently discussing whether to release the transcript of Maxwell’s interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche,” according to the media outlet.

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