WASHINGTON — The House on Friday passed sweeping legislation that would decriminalize marijuana and expunge nonviolent marijuana-related convictions, as Democrats sought to roll back and compensate for decades of drug policies that have disproportionately affected low-income communities of color.
The 228-164 vote to approve the measure was bipartisan, and it was the first time either a chamber of Congress had ever endorsed the legalization of cannabis. The bill would remove the drug from the Controlled Substances Act and authorize a 5 percent tax on marijuana that would fund community and small business grant programs to help those most impacted by the criminalization of marijuana.
Gov. Brian Kemp, the Georgia Republican who has been fiercely criticized by President Trump over his approach to allegations of voter fraud in his state, said Thursday that new testimony has raised additional questions and a signature audit should be performed.
Kemp, who was interviewed on “The Ingraham Angle,” was referring to surveillance video that allegedly showed poll watchers being led out of a room at State Farm Arena, the state’s largest vote-counting center, after being told that the vote count was complete for the night. Once they left, a woman could be seen pulling out suitcases from underneath a table that allegedly contained ballots. The votes were allegedly counted for hours, with no election supervisors present, CBS46.com reported.
Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump’s lawyers, tweeted, “SMOKING GUN FROM GEORGIA.’
MANILA – Philippine police on Friday threatened to cane people who violate social distancing protocols as the Southeast Asian nation fights the spread of the coronavirus during the festive season.
The Philippines celebrates one of the world’s longest Christmas seasons, starting as early as September and crowds have started to flock to sprawling malls and shopping centres despite the pandemic.
Police general Cesar Binag, commander of the coronavirus task force, told a news conference that police and soldiers would patrol in public areas in the capital Manila, the hotspot of COVID-19 cases, carrying 1 meter rattan sticks to measure distancing.
“It can be used to cane the hardheaded,” Binag said, adding that the “social distancing patrols” would focus on high-traffic areas such as transport hubs and public markets.
MILAN — Italy recorded a pandemic-high daily death toll Thursday, providing a grim backdrop for Premier Giuseppe Conte’s cheerless announcement of restrictions for the Christmas holidays that will make it difficult for extended families to celebrate together as is customary.
Italiasn like to say, “Christmas with family, Easter with whomever you please,” underlining the sacrosanct notion of spending Christmas and St. Stefano’s feast day on Dec. 26 with as much far-flung family as possible. Even regional governors, including Luca Zaia of Veneto and Attilio Fontana of Lombardy, pushed vainly for more flexibility.
Conte stood firm. While Italy has managed to slow the fall resurgence with a month of tiered restrictions, without resorting to last spring’s 10-week total lockdown, the death toll remains stubbornly high. A total of 993 people died in the previous 24 hours, officials reported Thursday, eclipsing the previous high of 969 hit March 27 as Italy struggled to contain the first deadly peak.
“Black Panther” star Letitia Wright is under fire for some of her recent tweets.
The 27-year-old actress, who plays tech genius Shuri and sister to T’Challa in the Marvel movie, retweeted a video on Thursday night that expressed anti-vaccination thoughts.
The video was from the YouTube channel On The Table and the host discussed whether any potential COVID-19 vaccines will be safe and effective.
Fans of Wright were angered at her for using her social media platform to spread misinformation on vaccines.
Joe Biden is asked about his disagreements with Kamala Harris on certain issues:
"Like I told Barack, if I reach something where there's a fundamental disagreement we have based on a moral principle, I'll develop some disease and say I have to resign." pic.twitter.com/SLcvrwaPCA
-2,468 votes by voters that legally changed their address to another state or country -Appx 42k voters who voted twice in NV -Appx 1,500 voters listed as deceased by the SSA -Almost 20k NV voters with a non NV mailing address -Appx 6k USPS flags on vacant addresses
President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday revealed that he broke his foot tripping on a rug after a shower as he chased one of his dogs and grabbed its tail.
Biden’s campaign previously explained the hairline fracture by saying Biden fell while playing with the dog, but did not mention the shower or tugging the animal’s tail.
The injury requires Biden, who turned 78 last month, to wear a boot for weeks.
“What happened was I got out of the shower. I got a dog and anybody who’s been around my house knows — dropped, little pup dropped a ball in front of me. And for me to grab the ball,” Biden told CNN journalist Jake Tapper in his first post-election joint interview with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp called for a signature audit of the state’s election results on Thursday night during an interview on Fox News, saying that some of what was alleged today during a Georgia Senate Government Oversight Committee hearing was “concerning.”
“You know, I’ve called early on for a signature audit, obviously the secretary of state, per the laws and the Constitution would have to order that; he has not done that,” Kemp said. “I think it should be done. I think, especially with what we saw today, it raises more questions. There needs to be transparency on that. I would again call for that, and I think in the next 24 hours hopefully we’ll see a lot more from the hearings that the legislature had today and we’ll be able to look and see what the next steps are.”
Seriously, just read this whole thread. It’s absolutely bonkers.
SCOOP: San Diego Unified School District is forcing teachers to attend "white privilege" training, in which teachers are told "you are racist" and "you are upholding racist ideas, structures, and policies."
The leaked documents from the training session will shock you.👇
Nye County, Nevada — Officials were responding to an active shooter incident in Pahrump, Nevada Thursday afternoon.
The Nye County Sheriff’s Officer sent out the following alert: “Deputies are on scene in the 3200 block of Kings Way. Deputies are taking rounds over head. This is an active shooter situation and all residents are advised to avoid the area and stay in your houses.”
Further details were not available. It was unclear if anyone was wounded.
A Michigan restaurant owner who disrupted a local reporter’s live shot and sounded off on the government’s failure to help him and other business owners during the coronavirus pandemic will join “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Thursday.
Dave Morris, the owner of D&R’s Daily Grind Café in Portage, achieved instant notoriety Wednesday when he walked up to WWMT reporter Tarvarious Haywood.
“My government leaders have abandoned me,” Morris said. “$4 trillion of stimulus money and they gave it to who? Special interest groups and campaign donors.”
Anti-Israel organizations have launched a coordinated effort to pressure the incoming Biden administration into selecting people who will champion their causes, a push that reportedly includes opposing mainstream nominees supported by leading Democrats and Republicans.
In a bid to agree on strategy and maximize pressure on Joe Biden’s transition team, more than 100 far-left organizations, including Code Pink and Win Without War, held a Wednesday conference call “to try to get on the same page and make a more coherent pitch to the Biden team,” according to Politico. The organizations are preparing to recommend some 200 staffers who share these organizations’ foreign policy ideology, which includes rolling back sanctions on Iran and challenging American aid to Israel.
Included on the call was Matt Duss, a top adviser for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) who has made a name on the foreign policy stage for his hardline anti-Israel views. Duss faced charges of promoting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories during his time as a blogger at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, and was ultimately pushed out of the organization by Biden nominee Neera Tanden. His role in pressuring the Biden transition team is likely to worry pro-Israel Democrats who prefer the incoming administration sideline the most radical voices in the party, such as Democratic representatives Ilhan Omar (Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.). The House progressives have been working to mainstream anti-Israel voices and push policies such as conditioning military assistance to Israel until it bows to far-left demands.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo showed off what he called a “box of vaccines” during his press briefing Thursday — only to later clarify it was just a mock up.
The governor smirked and made a joke about Christmas presents as he pulled out the package from New York-based drugmaker Pfizer.
His “show and tell” moment came after he instructed New Yorkers to get ready for the COVID-19 vaccine because “it’s here and it’s real” — a day after announcing the state was expecting 170,000 doses by Dec. 15.
“It’s real and they are being manufactured and they are going to be shipped,” he said.
Cuomo carefully unwrapped the package of the soon-to-be approved inoculation, which comes with trays of vials, as well as a GPS tracker, thermometer and dry ice.
Talk about excessive police force 😳- a Jewish jewelry store in Belgium was ambushed by police officers after having a few too many people inside picking out engagement rings for a soon to be bride! pic.twitter.com/lSG358LHwg
