Alabama Legislature votes to legalize medical marijuana
By Chandelis Duster Alabama’s State Legislature voted to legalize medical marijuana late Thursday, becoming the most recent state to possibly approve its use amid ongoing talks over revamping cannabis laws. The measure would create a medical cannabis commission to regulate, license and oversee distribution of medical marijuana. Doctors could prescribe medical marijuana for several conditions including cancer, a terminal illness, epilepsy and chronic pain. Patients would receive medical cannabis cards, and vaping or smoking of medical marijuana would be prohibited while products including gummies, oils or creams are allowed. The House version of SB 46 passed 68-34 in the chamber
South Carolina and Montana to end all pandemic unemployment benefits for jobless residents
By Tami Luhby South Carolina is joining Montana in ending federal pandemic unemployment benefits for its residents next month. The Republican governors of both states say the enhanced jobless programs are dissuading people from returning to the workforce and are creating labor shortages. They are the first two states to halt participation in the historic federal expansion of jobless benefits, which Congress enacted last spring as the coronavirus pandemic began upending the national economy and costing millions of Americans their jobs. The move, which may be replicated in other states as the economy springs back to life amid declining coronavirus
Blinken’s battle to make State Department more diverse will face steep resistance, diplomats of color say
By Nicole Gaouette The Black diplomat who was handed a set of keys in the State Department parking garage by a White colleague who seemed to assume he worked there, not in the offices above, and could fetch her car. The young Latina in tears after an older White diplomat counseled her on being “too vibrant.” Her boss, another older White man, told her to ignore the reproach and keep shining. The unofficial list of colleagues to avoid because of their perceived hostility to diversity that diplomats quietly share among themselves. Asian American diplomats who say they face a tougher
White House tells governors they will redistribute unordered vaccine doses
By Kaitlan Collins and Maegan Vazquez President Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisers told governors during a call Tuesday that they plan to redistribute vaccine doses should states not order all the vaccines allocated to them each week, the White House confirmed. States will still get allocations based on their population, but the change means if a certain state does not order all of the doses available to them, the White House will redistribute them and likely give them to a state that has higher demand than their allocation. The Washington Post was first to report on the new plan. White House
House Democrat introduces bill to release COINTELPRO files on surveillance of Black Panthers and Fred Hampton
By Caroline Kelly A Democratic lawmaker on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require the government to release its decades-old records from an FBI-run covert surveillance program that monitored the Black Panthers, as well as civil rights and anti-war activists, among others. In addition to requiring the release of files from COINTELPRO, or the Counter-Intelligence Program, within six months of enactment, the bill would remove the name of J. Edgar Hoover — who oversaw the FBI during the program — from the FBI headquarters in Washington. “I want to shine a bright light on this dark chapter of our nation’s
CIA briefing to lawmakers on suspected energy attacks turned contentious
By Kylie Atwood and Jeremy Herb A briefing on suspected energy attacks on US intelligence officers turned contentious last week, two sources told CNN, as senators demanded more information about the mysterious incidents from the CIA and accountability for how the agency has handled them. Senators on the Intelligence Committee were baffled that they were just learning about significant developments for the first-time and they were also frustrated that they were not given more details. The classified briefing was one of the most contentious in the committee’s recent memory, according to the two sources familiar with the briefing. The briefers
‘The honeymoon is over’: Biden faces tougher tasks ahead as progressives demand more
Analysis by Gregory Krieg The era of good feelings enjoyed by President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party’s progressive wing will face a stern test of its staying power as the administration pushes forward into the next phases of its big-ticket policy agenda. Biden’s first hundred days in office saw the passage of his $1.9 trillion Covid relief and economic stimulus package, along with the escalation of an unprecedented mass vaccination campaign that appears, at last, to be beating back the coronavirus pandemic. The success of those high-stakes government interventions has, in the eyes of many on the left, laid
Hill Democrats aren’t waiting for Biden on health care reforms
By Tami Luhby Congressional Democrats are not waiting around for President Joe Biden to propose big changes they want to see in the nation’s health care system, including reducing drug prices and expanding Medicare. Committee chairs in both chambers are working on aggressive steps to broaden benefits and government involvement in health care. The push has won the support of party leaders, though still faces many challenges to making it into the bills, much less becoming law. Biden has moved swiftly on less controversial measures, including bolstering the Affordable Care Act and reversing several of former President Donald Trump’s efforts
Biden team may partner with private firms to surveil suspected domestic terrorists online
By Zachary Cohen and Katie Bo Williams The Biden administration is considering using outside firms to track extremist chatter by Americans online, an effort that would expand the government’s ability to gather intelligence but could draw criticism over surveillance of US citizens. The Department of Homeland Security is limited in how it can monitor citizens online without justification and is banned from activities like assuming false identities to gain access to private messaging apps used by extremist groups such as the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers. Instead, federal authorities can only browse through unprotected information on social media sites like
Harris to chair the National Space Council
By Jasmine Wright The Biden administration will maintain the National Space Council and Vice President Kamala Harris will chair it, according to senior administration officials, adding another item to the vice president’s portfolio. Harris confirmed her new role on Saturday, writing in a tweet, “As I’ve said before: In America, when we shoot for the moon, we plant our flag on it. I am honored to lead our National Space Council.” Harris “intends to put her own personal stamp on the Council,” a senior administration official said. The official listed her personal priorities as STEM education, cybersecurity, supporting sustainable development