What Else Is News? Daily Edition

British Lawmakers Advance Assisted Dying Bill

The House of Commons approved the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by a vote of 330 to 275. The bill now goes to parliamentary committees before it returns to the House of Commons for another vote.

If the bill ultimately passes, it will give people in England and Wales who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness (with a life expectancy of six months or less) the opportunity to choose assisted dying.

Currently, terminally ill British citizens who want to end their lives travel to Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal. According to the organization Dignity in Dying, a few dozen people each year choose that option.

Opponents of the bill worry that some patients may be coerced into ending their lives by feeling they have no other option. Britain’s health minister, Wes Streeting, argued that funds could be diverted from other NHS programs to fund the Terminally Ill Adults Bill.

According to the BBC, it could be several months before the bill goes to a final vote.

Missing Hawaii Woman Is Said to Have Crossed Willingly Into Mexico

Friends and family of Hannah Kobayashi have been frantically searching for her since she missed a connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York about a month ago. Two days ago, the LAPD announced that the 30-year-old woman was seen on video walking from San Diego into Mexico. She was walking alone and did not appear to be distressed, according to police. It was also revealed that prior to her departure from Hawaii en route to New York, Kobayashi expressed a desire “to step away from modern connectivity.” She did not have her phone with her when she entered Mexico.

Kobayashi’s family grew worried when she didn’t board her flight to New York and began sending concerning text messages. She claimed that “deep hackers…wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.” In another text, she told her mother, “I just need to rest & I’ll think better. But it’s very complicated Matrix underworld sh*t.” Then she stopped texting.

Kobayashi’s father, Ryan, traveled from Hawaii to Los Angeles to look for her. On Nov. 24, he was found dead of an apparent suicide. Prior to his death, Ryan told a reporter that he and his daughter had not been close for several years. “I’m just trying to make up,” he said. “I’m trying to get her back. That’s my main focus.”

While Kobayashi’s other family members continue to hope that she will eventually return home, they likely will not get answers unless Kobayashi contacts them directly. LAPD said that their investigation will not continue into Mexico. Now considered a voluntary missing person case, the disappearance of Kobayashi will likely remain a mystery unless she decides to come forward and share her story.

Photo by Tai's Captures on Unsplash

Chi Chi’s Plans to Reenter the Restaurant Industry After 20 Years

Lost to a generation of restaurant goers, Chi Chi’s Mexican restaurants are planning a comeback in 2025. The final Chi Chi’s restaurant closed 20 years ago. Now, Hormel, the current owner of the Chi Chi’s trademark, is letting the son of the original owner open several restaurants under the Chi Chi’s name.

Did you know?

• The first Chi Chi’s opened in Minnesota in 1975 under the ownership of Marno McDermott and former Green Bay Packer Max McGee.

• In its heyday, Chi Chi’s boasted 200 restaurants around the country.

• A 2004 hepatitis outbreak linked to green onions in Chi Chi’s salsa led to the chain’s demise. The largest hepatitis A outbreak in U.S. history, it resulted in four deaths.

• Even though the restaurants folded, Hormel continues to sell Chi Chi’s salsa in grocery stores around the country (using fresh onions, of course).

Photo by Joshua Kantarges on Unsplash

FBI Investigating Mysterious Drones Over New Jersey

Morris County, New Jersey residents have been reporting mysterious drones in the nighttime sky since mid-November. Now, the FBI has joined local and state officials in investigating the situation.

According to newjersey.com, “the drones have disrupted a medevac helicopter picking up a patient and led to FAA drone flight restrictions over the Trump National Golf Clubd in Somerset County and Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County.”

A few reports noted multiple drones flying at once. “One Morris County resident reported seeing eight drones at once near Black River Middle School in Chester. Another reported seeing 15 over a three-hour period in Morris County,” newjersey.com reported.

While speculation on social media has ranged from alien invasions to criminals casing houses to rob, others believe the drones belong to commercial or U.S. military operators experimenting with swarming, or flying drones in large groups.