• The moratorium on new stand-alone fast food businesses in South L.A. became permanent yesterday, restricting eateries from opening within a half-mile radius of one another. [SCPR]
• Children’s eating habits are only partially influenced by their parents, with schools, peers, and the local food environment also big factors in determining youth diets. [L.A. Times]
• Two men stole an ATM machine from Haven Gastropub in Old Towne Orange on Tuesday. Hopefully, Ice Cube and his buddies from the barber shop can find them. [TMC Net]
• A bunch of people are not amused by a joke recipe for “kung pao kitten” that appeared in a University of Missouri newsletter. PETA, is this you pulling some kind of elaborate stunt? [Kansas City Star]
• Chef Dave Luna is teaching cooking to a Regional Occupational Program at Pico Rivera’s El Rancho High. [Whittier Daily News]
• El Pollo Loco in Rowland Heights was robbed at 7:45 P.M. last night by a man with a handgun. [SGV Tribune]
• Just like the evil geniuses over at McDonald’s had plotted, their limited-edition McRib sandwich helped boost sales nearly 5 percent last month. [USAT]
• If you’re already stuffing your face with a couple of doughnuts, plus some coffee, each morning, well, now it’s possible that breakfast might just make you smarter. [NYDN]
• Another reason to bring on the doughnuts: The FDA has approved a new weight-loss pill, called Contrave. [Catholic Online]
• Butter may be even worse for you than you think: Researchers in Toledo, Ohio, found evidence of the flame-retardant chemical PBDE in nine out of ten brands they tested. [ABC Local]