• The former mayor of Pico Rivera, Ron Beilke, is facing charges for various alleged crimes, including the receipt of $2,650 in free wedding catering from El Rodeo restaurant. [Whittier News]
• British soldiers in Afghanistan subsisted on nothing but Spam for three weeks after their supply helicopter was shot down. [Guardian]
• A child’s choking death was ruled an accident after a San Pedro boy consumed a whipped cream-topped hot dog in exchange for a prize this week. [KABC]
• Entries are now being accepted for the AIA/LA Restaurant Design Awards. [Interior Design]
• Visitors to the Vancouver Olympics are in for a real culinary treat, as the city is full of exciting restaurants. [Reuters]
• The number of restaurants in the U.S. continues to fall; however, it’s falling at a slower rate than at this time last year. [NRN]
• Inefficiencies in the supply chain in Haiti have led to the emergence of a black market for relief food and other supplies. [NYT]
• The USDA is hoping to offset Super Bowl-related food poisoning by advising people to be keep food safety in mind while preparing food. [CNBC]
• The European Union is shaping up to completely ban the commercial fishing of bluefin tuna. [NYT]
• China’s provincial governments tended to shield local dairies from punishment over tainted milk, leading to the current reemergence of the scandal. [AP/NYT]
• The next step in the evolution of vending machines: touchscreens! [WaPo]
• A restaurant in Butte, Montana, was buglarized three times in four days. [WaPo]