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Coca-Cola debuts spicy raspberry soda amid amped-up snack boom
Coca-Cola has unveiled a spicy, fruity twist on its classic soda, as snacks and drinks with amped-up flavors gain traction among consumers.
The Atlanta-based beverage giant on Wednesday introduced Coca-Cola Spiced, a raspberry-flavored soda with a touch of spice. The fizzy drink’s debut marks Coca-Cola’s first new permanent offering in North America in three years. Coca-Cola Spiced and Coca-Cola Spiced Zero Sugar will go on sale in the U.S. and Canada on February 19.
Coca-Cola Spiced doesn’t have a lot of heat; the main flavor drinkers will notice is that of raspberry. Coke won’t name the spices it added – it guards its recipes closely – but they taste like amped-up versions of the spices in regular Coke.
“If you go to the aisles, you’ll see the amount of spiciness has gone up because consumers’ taste palettes have evolved. We realized that could be an opportunity for us,” Coca-Cola’s North American marketing chief Shakir Moin told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “Can we dial up something which is already part of our formula and bring in a taste profile that is interesting, unique and brings in the next generation of consumers?”
The new beverage launch comes as heat-packed snacks and drinks are increasingly popular among consumers worldwide. According to food production firm Kalsec, 95% of global consumers enjoy foods that are mildly spicy or above.
Booming interest in spiced foods and drinks has driven several major snack brands to debut products with punched-up flavors. Last year, Frito-Lay rolled out a tangy, chili-flavored cheetos, expanding its famous Flamin’ Hot brand, according to Food & Wine. And in 2021, Mountain Dew launched Flamin’ Hot Mountain Dew, a spicy, citrus-flavored soda.
—The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.