Start Spreading The News: What You Should Read Today [01/08/15]

The cold weather continued for most of the U.S. Thursday. In international news, the manhunt for the Charlie Hebdo shooting suspects continued for a second day. Despite the tragic events, the magazine's editor said a new issue will be published next week. The search for AirAsia Flight 8501's black box goes on amid challenges, as the tail section containing it is buried in the sea floor. The search team did detect signals from the black box, but they were soon lost. Here's what you should read today.

Foie Gras Is Back On The Menu In California

A federal judge overturned a California law banning foie gras, the Los Angeles Times reported. A 2004 law banning the sale of foie gras went into effect in 2012, but restaurateurs and foie gras producers challenged the law. The group argued there was already a federal law in place regulating poultry, which foie gras would be classified under, and the California law interfered with the existing law. The Animal Legal Defense Fund, the Humane Society and other animal rights group will appeal the decision.

Avocados Reduce Cholesterol...With A Catch

Avocados are really good for you, containing potassium, lutein, folate, and vitamins B, C and E, which makes it a great choice for any diet. And a new study from the American Heart Association determined avocados can help reduce bad cholesterol -- but there's a small catch. Chances are you'll see headlines just mentioning the conclusion without any context from the study. Adding an avocado to your cheeseburger will not lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the type of cholesterol that builds up in your arteries. Adding avocado to a heart-healthy diet or a moderate fat diet, on the other hand, could lead to a significant reduction in LDL in otherwise healthy and obese individuals. "This was a controlled feeding study, but that is not the real world – so it is a proof-of-concept investigation. We need to focus on getting people to eat a heart-healthy diet that includes avocados and other nutrient-rich food sources of better fats," senior study author Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., chair of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee and Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, said in a statement.

The study mentioned that diets like the Mediterranean Diet are effective in lowering cholesterol. Other fruits and nuts high in monounsaturated fatty acids may also help to reduce LDL, but the beneficial properties of avocados could make it better at cutting bad cholesterol.

Five Feet Of No

The last thing you want to see coming out of a toilet is a five-and-a-half-foot Colombian rainbow boa (or any snake, actually), but that's exactly what happened to two San Diego women. The snake was discovered in their downtown-office bathroom and soon recovered by the Department of Animal Services. The boa was malnourished and bit someone who tried to handle it, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Marijuana Finds A Huge Backer

Peter Thiel, a billionaire entrepeneur and co-founder of PayPal, is betting on the marijuana industry in a big way. His Founders Fund firm invested millions in the latest round of funding for Privateer Holdings Inc., a marijuana investment firm, the Wall Street Journal reported. Privateer raised $75 million in the latest round of funding, which could be a sign that the marijuana industry is actching on with established venture capitalists. Founders Fund has invested in Airbnb, Spotify and SpaceX, WSJ reported.