The Full Belmonte, 11/23/2022
Police respond to the scene of a mass shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, Tuesday night.
Walmart shooting
“At least six people were killed in a mass shooting Tuesday night inside a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia. The shooter is also dead, city officials said earlier this morning. Officers responded to the store less than an hour before closing around 10:12 p.m. and found the victims and evidence of a shooting, Chesapeake Police public information officer Leo Kosinski told CNN. Five patients were being treated at Sentara General Hospital in nearby Norfolk, Virginia, a spokesperson for Sentara Healthcare told CNN affiliate WTKR. An update on their conditions was not immediately available. ‘We’re just a couple hours past the initial incident, so everything is very fluid, very new right now,’ Kosinski said earlier. A news conference is scheduled for 8 a.m. ET, the city of Chesapeake said on Twitter.” Read more at CNN
Colorado shooting suspect will appear in court
“Anderson Lee Aldrich, the suspect in Saturday's shooting at a Colorado LGBTQ bar who stopped their rampage after being beaten by club patrons, was released from a hospital Tuesday and transferred to the El Paso County jail, police said. Aldrich is nonbinary and uses ‘they/them pronouns, and for the purposes of all formal filings, will be addressed as Mx. Aldrich,’ the defense motion states. They are scheduled to make their first court appearance Wednesday morning. Aldrich, 22, stands accused of gunning down five people and wounding 17 others at Club Q in Colorado Springs.” Read more at USA Today
People pay their respects at a memorial display set up to remember the five victims of the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022.Trevor Hughes/USA TODAY
Appeals Court Weighs DOJ Challenge to Special Master in Trump Documents Probe
Panel questions whether lower-court judge erred in granting former president’s request to appoint arbiter to vet papers
The Justice Department has cooperated with the special master’s review process while challenging the appointment.PHOTO: TING SHEN FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
“A federal appeals court on Tuesday asked whether Donald Trump was improperly accorded special deference as a former president after the federal government’s search of his Florida home in August.
A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta held its first hearing on a Department of Justice appeal challenging the role of a court-appointed arbiter known as a special master in refereeing a dispute over how federal prosecutors can use documents seized in the search.
Two of the judges noted that few criminal defendants are granted the right to scrutinize a government search before charges are brought, suggesting that the arrangement approved by a lower court gave Mr. Trump special treatment. Neither lawyers for the Justice Department nor for Mr. Trump’s legal team could identify an analogous case when questioned.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Trump
“The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the IRS to release former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to a Democratic-led House committee. The high court’s move is a major loss for Trump, who has sought to shield the release of his tax returns for years and is currently under multiple investigations. Trump’s legal team has continuously sought to keep his returns secret and turned to the Supreme Court -- composed of three of Trump’s nominees -- after he lost at the lower court level. Separately, a New York state judge set an October 2023 trial date for the New York attorney general’s $250 million lawsuit against Trump, his eldest children and the Trump Organization, alleging they were involved in an expansive fraud lasting over a decade that the former president used to enrich himself.” Read more at CNN
© Associated Press / Mark Lenniha | The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled the House Ways and Means Committee can obtain former President Trump’s tax records.
After Court Fight, Lindsey Graham Appears Before Atlanta Grand Jury
Lawyers for Mr. Graham had fought to keep him from having to testify in the investigation of election interference by former President Donald J. Trump and his allies.
By Richard Fausset and Danny Hakim
Nov. 22, 2022
“ATLANTA — A week after Donald J. Trump declared his third candidacy for president, there was a fresh reminder on Tuesday of his ongoing legal entanglements when one of his closest allies on Capitol Hill, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, was forced to testify before a Georgia special grand jury that is investigating election interference by Mr. Trump and his advisers.
Mr. Graham’s lawyers had fought for months to keep him from having to testify, taking their effort all the way to the Supreme Court. But his legal team, which includes Donald McGahn, Mr. Trump’s former White House counsel, ultimately failed, leaving Mr. Graham to potentially face questions about whether he coordinated with the Trump campaign or others as they sought to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results in Mr. Trump’s favor.
Like a number of other recent witnesses called before the special grand jury, Mr. Graham avoided walking into the Fulton County courthouse through the front door on Tuesday morning to give testimony in the closed-door proceeding. His lawyers have previously said that Mr. Graham is not a target of the Georgia investigation.” Read more at New York Times
Student loans
“The Biden administration is yet again extending the pause on federal student loan payments, a benefit that began in March 2020 to help people who were struggling financially due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This latest extension comes as the administration’s student loan forgiveness program remains tied up in the courts. Officials had told borrowers the program, which is worth up to $20,000 in debt relief per borrower, would be implemented before loan payments were set to resume in January 2023. The pause will last until 60 days after the litigation is resolved. If the program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, 2023, payments will resume 60 days after that, according to the Department of Education.” Read more at CNN
Student loan borrowers protest the GOP outside the Republican National Committee for denying student loan relief to 40 million borrowers in Washington, DC, on Nov. 18., 2022.Paul Morigi, Getty Images for We The 45 Million
'I-told-you-so moment': Young voter advocates urge parties to take them seriously after midterms
“Young people turned out in droves during the 2022 midterm elections — but not for Republicans.
Young voters had the second-highest level of youth participation in at least 30 years, according to Tufts University’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). Some 63% of young voters cast ballots for Democrats in House races, with young voters of color voting blue at even greater rates.
And in key Senate races like Nevada and Georgia, youth voters narrowed margins and decided outcomes, dramatically swinging in favor of Democratic candidates.
‘I don't think there's any doubt that unbelievably strong support from the youth age group was just a foundation for some of these candidates to win the races that they did and for Democrats to hold the Senate,’ said Abby Kiesa, deputy director of CIRCLE.
With nearly all 2022 races called, it's clear that young voters in part helped hold off the GOP's predicted ‘red wave.’
In Nevada's razor-thin Senate race, which decided control of the upper chamber, young people cast a net 27,000 votes in favor of the Democratic candidate, incumbent Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto — three times Cortez Masto's margin of victory of 8,000 votes over Republican challenger Adam Laxalt.
Youth voter experts and advocates on both sides of the aisle say the 2022 midterm elections prove that political parties can't continue to discount the nation's youngest voters without risking the loss of a key voting bloc that could help decide future elections.
‘Youth have felt underestimated for a very long time when it comes to politics, and in a sense, it was kind of their ‘I-told-you-so’ moment — their assertion of collective power,’ said Ioana Literat, a professor at the Teacher's College of Columbia University, who studies online political expression and participation. ‘And they really shut a lot of people up.’” Read more at USA Today
Herschel Walker accuser comes forward with fresh relationship claims
Woman who says she was pressured into abortion by Republican Senate hopeful presents unseen letters, audio and diary entries
“The second woman to allege that she was pressured into having an abortion by Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee in Georgia’s hotly contested US Senate race, on Tuesday presented previously unseen letters, audio recordings and pages of her personal diary that she said were evidence of their relationship, which he has denied.
At a press conference in Los Angeles organized by her lawyer, Gloria Allred, the anonymous woman known only as Jane Doe came forward anew with a raft of fresh materials. She said she was doing so because when she first aired her allegations last month ‘and told the truth, he denied that he knew that I existed’.
The alleged new evidence of the relationship between the woman and the former college football star included a voicemail recording in which Walker was purported to say to her: ‘This is your stud farm calling, you big sex puppy you’.
Jane Doe also read out a letter which she said had been written by Walker to her parents. ‘I do love your daughter and I’m not out to hurt her. She has been a strong backbone for me through all of this,’ the letter said.
The new allegations surfaced just as early voting is set to begin in the important run-off election for a Georgia seat in the US Senate between Walker, who has publicly called for abortion to be banned, and the Democratic incumbent, Raphael Warnock, following a neck-and-neck result in the midterm elections.
Asked whether she was coming forward with a new round of allegations in order to influence the election, Jane Doe said: ‘Voters can make their own decision. All I can do is tell the truth.’
The unnamed woman initially raised her claims on 26 October that she was pressured into an abortion. She alleged that she had an intimate relationship with Walker for six years while he was playing for the Dallas Cowboys and that he paid for her to have an abortion in 1993, driving her to the clinic.
Walker rebutted the claims, saying: ‘I’m done with this foolishness. I’ve already told people this is a lie and I’m not going to entertain it.’
At Tuesday’s press conference, Jane Doe read passages of what she said were her personal diaries from 1993 in the days immediately after she learnt she was pregnant. In one extract Walker is alleged to have told her that the pregnancy was ‘probably his ‘fault’ since he had very high levels of testosterone’.
In a second passage, she wrote that Walker ‘has about gone off the deep end over this whole thing … He thinks that by not having the baby we do have a future chance for happiness that we can ‘grow strong again together’.’
Allred read out what she said was a signed declaration from a friend of Jane Doe’s in which she recalled her confiding to her in 1993 that she was pregnant and that Walker had been the partner. Several years later, the friend said in her declaration, ‘she confessed to me that she had in fact had an abortion in 1993’ and that Walker had personally driven her to the clinic.
The first woman to make allegations against Walker told the Daily Beast last month that he paid for her to have an abortion in 2009.” Read more at The Guardian
Tech layoffs
“Computer maker HP said Tuesday that it will lay off up to 6,000 workers over the next three years, becoming the latest tech company to significantly reduce staffing amid fears of an economic downturn. The company disclosed the job cuts in a statement accompanying its lackluster quarterly earnings report, where it also said sales dropped more than 11% compared to the same period last year. The news makes HP the latest in a growing list of once-high-flying tech companies that are now announcing major job cuts. Facebook-parent Meta, Amazon and Twitter all announced large layoffs in recent weeks.” Read more at CNN
Covid-19
“The Biden administration has launched a critical, six-week push aimed at stepping up Americans’ Covid-19 booster vaccinations heading into the holiday season. Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, kicked off the campaign on Tuesday during his final White House press briefing before he retires in December. The push comes as more than 35 million Americans have already received the updated, bivalent booster shot -- including more than 16 million seniors -- White House Covid-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said during the briefing. But that’s a fraction of the 267 million Americans who have received their primary Covid-19 vaccine, according to data from the CDC. The campaign will focus on reaching seniors and the communities that were hardest hit by Covid-19 by expanding access, increasing awareness and more.” Read more at CNN
Scottish government loses indyref2 court case
“The Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum without the UK government's consent, the Supreme Court has ruled.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants to hold a referendum on 19 October next year.
But the court ruled unanimously that she does not have the power to do so.
The UK government has so far refused to grant the formal consent for a vote that was in place before the referendum in 2014.” Read more at BBC
China Covid: Angry protests at giant iPhone factory in Zhengzhou
Image caption, Workers told the BBC they weren't being paid their promised wages
“Protests have erupted at the world's biggest iPhone factory in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, according to footage circulated widely online.
Videos show hundreds of workers marching, with some confronted by people in hazmat suits and riot police.
Those livestreaming the protests said workers were beaten by police. Videos also showed clashes.
Manufacturer Foxconn said it would work with staff and local government to prevent further violence.
In its statement, the firm said some workers had doubts about pay but that the firm would fulfil pay based on contracts.
It also described as ‘patently untrue’ rumours that new recruits were being asked to share dormitories with workers who were Covid-positive.
Dormitories were disinfected and checked by local officials before new people moved in, Foxconn said.
Last month, rising Covid cases saw the site locked down, prompting some workers to break out and go home. The company then recruited new workers with the promise of generous bonuses.
Footage shared on a livestreaming site showed workers shouting: ‘Defend our rights! Defend our rights!’
Other workers were seen smashing surveillance cameras and windows with sticks.
‘They changed the contract so that we could not get the subsidy as they had promised. They quarantine us but don't provide food,’ said one Foxconn worker during his live stream.
‘If they do not address our needs, we will keep fighting.’
He also claimed to have seen a man ‘severely injured’ after a beating from police.
One employee who recently started working at the Zhengzhou plant also told the BBC workers were protesting because Foxconn had ‘changed the contract they promised’.
He said some newly recruited workers feared getting Covid from staff who had been there during the earlier outbreak.
‘Those workers who are protesting are wanting to get a subsidy and return home,’ the staff member said.
There was a heavy police deployment to the plant on Wednesday morning, he said. Other livestreamed videos also showed crowds of armed police at the site.
Another newly recruited employee told the BBC he visited the protest scene on Wednesday where he saw ‘one man with blood over his head lying on the ground’.
‘I didn't know the exact reason why people are protesting but they are mixing us new workers with old workers who were [Covid] positive,’ he told the BBC.
Foxconn, a Taiwanese firm, is Apple's main subcontractor and its Zhengzhou plant assembles more iPhones than anywhere else in the world.
In late October many workers fled the plant amid rising Covid cases and allegations of poor treatment of staff.
Their escape was captured on social media as they rode lorries back to their hometowns elsewhere in the central Chinese province.” Read more at BBC
“Throughout the war in Ukraine, a powerful sign of liberation has been the first arrival of a Ukrainian Railways train. So when Kherson, liberated nearly two weeks ago from eight months of brutal Russian occupation, greeted its first passenger train from Kyiv, it was a moment to celebrate. Photos show reunited family members embracing and passengers gawking as they took in the destruction of Russia's occupation.” Read more at NPR
Zaporizhzhia strike kills newborn baby at Ukraine hospital
Image caption, Ukrainian emergency services managed to rescue a mother and doctor from the hospital which was hit overnight
By Sarah Fowler
BBC News
“A newborn baby has been killed in a Russian missile strike on a maternity unit in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, emergency services say.
The baby's mother, who was the only woman in the facility at the time, and a doctor were rescued from the rubble.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of bringing "terror and murder" to his country.
The Zaporizhzhia region, where a key nuclear plant is located, has been the focus of repeated Russian attacks.” Read more at BBC
Ukraine war: How Germany ended reliance on Russian gas
Image caption, Many in Germany were bracing for a tough winter after Russia slashed supplies of gas
“When Vladimir Putin switched off the gas taps to Europe, Germany more than most feared a winter of blackouts. Ministers scrambled to secure alternative supplies, painfully aware that a heavy dependence on Russian gas had left this industrial nation woefully exposed.
But fast forward a few months and, as lights sparkle in the Christmas markets, there is a sense of tentative optimism in the Glühwein spiced air. Germany's hastily assembled strategy to manage without Russian gas appears - for now - to be working.
‘Energy security for this winter is guaranteed,’ the Chancellor Olaf Scholz told MPs in the German parliament on Wednesday morning.
Not only are the country's gas stores full; the result, in part, of a frantic - and expensive - buying operation on the world's markets.
But, up on Germany's windswept North Sea coast, engineers have just finished building - in record time - the country's very first import terminal for liquified natural gas (LNG).
LNG is natural gas which is cooled to liquid form to reduce its volume and make easier to transport. It's then converted back to gas form upon reaching its destination.
Germany is rightly notorious for its ponderous bureaucracy; this kind of project would normally take years, but the authorities slashed away at red tape to enable completion in under 200 days.
Image caption, Russia slashed its supplies of gas to Europe following the invasion of Ukraine
The most important part of the terminal - a 'floating storage and regasification unit' (FSRU) - has yet to moor up. The FSRU, which is essentially a specialised ship upon which the LNG is converted back to its gas state, will be leased at a reported 200,000 euros (£172,732) a day.
But, within weeks, tankers from countries like the US, Norway or the Emirates could deliver their cargoes here to the port of Wilhelmshaven. The terminal's operator, Uniper, which is now almost entirely controlled by the German government, is coy about its suppliers but insists that contracts are in place.
And five other LNG terminals are planned. Most should be completed next year.
German industry is depending on it.
Just a year ago those contracts provided Germany with 60% of its gas, much of it via the Nordstream pipeline from Russia. The government was still anticipating - albeit in the face of significant political and public opposition - the opening of the Nordstream 2 pipeline which would have doubled the amount of Russian gas coming into Europe via Germany.
Today, according to the federal energy network agency, Germany's managing without Russian gas. But, to avoid shortages over the winter, its experts say LNG terminals must come online at the start of next year and that gas consumption must be reduced by 20%.
Just getting to this point may be considered a huge national achievement. But it comes at a cost.
Germany's an economic heavyweight; what it wants, it often gets. Its new-found appetite for liquified natural gas is intensifying global demand.
And that may place other, poorer countries, like Bangladesh and Pakistan, in a vulnerable position.
‘You have a whole bunch of countries - emerging economies notably - that are priced out of the market and can no longer source the LNG that they need,’ says Professor Andreas Goldthau from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy.
They ‘have less of a purchasing power than the Europeans have and, notably, the Germans.’
That, he warns, leaves them prone to blackouts and may also increase their reliance on ‘dirtier’ fossil fuels like coal.” Read more at BBC
Iran’s Protests Endure Despite Crackdowns
“More than two months have passed since mass protests erupted in Iran after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman, died in Tehran in the custody of the morality police. The youth-led movement continues to gain strength and capture global attention despite increasing violence at the hands of the regime.
Last week, four people were sentenced to death in connection with their participation in protests challenging the country’s clerical establishment. In recent days, security forces escalated their crackdown with live fire in Iran’s Kurdish region, which has been at the center of the protest movement. On Monday, tens of thousands of protesters there joined the funeral of a 16-year-old boy killed at a protest in the small town of Piranshahr.
The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday called the ongoing crisis in Iran ‘critical,’ saying that more than 300 people have been killed in the regime crackdowns so far. Accounts from Kurdish-majority cities suggest that security forces killed more than 40 people in the last week, an OHCHR spokesperson said, and estimates from other rights groups are even higher.
The protesters’ enduring anger—built on dissatisfaction with the hard-line government, the economic crisis, and policies like the mandatory hijab law—presents a significant and growing challenge to the regime. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Iranian leaders reached out to two of the Islamic Republic’s more moderate founding families last month, asking them to speak out to calm the protests, but they refused.
The U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva will hold a debate on the protests on Thursday, with diplomats and witnesses expected to attend. The session will hear a proposal to create a fact-finding mission focused on the government crackdown to collect evidence of potential abuses that could later be used in a national or international court.
Iran’s unrest has also gained visibility at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where the country’s national team began its first match against England on Monday by refusing to sing the national anthem in an apparent show of solidarity with protesters. The team had previously faced criticism from activists for bowing to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at a sendoff before traveling to Qatar; videos online showed some crowds of protesters celebrating Iran’s loss.
Iran plays against Wales on Friday. Some Iranian politicians issued veiled threats toward the team, raising questions about what the players would do next, the Guardian reports. On Tuesday, the chairman of Tehran’s city council said, ‘We will never allow anyone to insult our anthem and flag.’ Another lawmaker called for the team to be replaced with more patriotic players. However, national media have steered away from the team’s silent protest.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“China tightens COVID rules. Not long after making some changes to its strict zero-COVID policy, some Chinese cities have doubled down again as cases rise. Health authorities reported the first official deaths from COVID-19 since May this week, along with recording 28,000 new cases on Monday—nearing a record set in April. In response to outbreaks, Beijing has closed parks in museums and Shanghai announced new rules for recent arrivals to the city.
China’s response to the latest wave has raised questions about its path forward, with its zero-COVID policy now reflective of its global isolation. It has also spooked investors, who have hoped for easing of the policy as Beijing’s economy suffers. On Tuesday, large protests erupted at a FoxConn factory that produces Apple iPhones in Zhengzhou.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Malaysia’s hung parliament. Malaysia has had three prime ministers in three years. It now faces a political stalemate after neither leading contender secured a majority in parliamentary elections on Nov. 19. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin declined King Al-Sultan Abdullah’s suggestion to form a ‘unity government,’ which leaves it up to the monarch to appoint someone to cobble together a coalition.
Today, the king was expected to meet politicians from the incumbent Barisan Nasional coalition, which has so far refused to back either Anwar or Muhyiddin. Anwar’s coalition won more seats overall, but an Islamist party that is part of Muhyiddin’s coalition gained significant support, raising fears of deepening divisions in Malaysia.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Russian oil price cap. The United States and its Western allies aim to reach an agreement today on a price cap on Russian oil—central to efforts to sanction Russia for its invasion of Ukraine—after months of discussion. The policy aims to limit Russian energy revenue without causing a major spike in oil prices. Ambassadors from European Union member states will meet first to nail down a price with unanimous agreement.
The G-7 countries and Australia plan to enforce the price cap beginning Dec. 5. The EU is also working on a plan to cap Russian natural gas prices.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Election challenge | Brazil’s electoral court gave outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party until today to decide how to proceed after it challenged the outcome of last month’s runoff election that gave leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a tight victory. The court said the allegations of problems with electronic ballots would only be considered if the first round is also reviewed, which could jeopardize wins of many Liberal congress members. Brazilian markets fell.
Advisers to Lula and members of congress are discussing a more moderate spending plan after last week’s budget proposal sent local markets plunging, sources said.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Saudi Arabia’s jaw-dropping 2-1 win over heavily favored Argentina at the football World Cup sparked such jubilation that the oil-rich kingdom called a national holiday for today. The day off raises a high bar for celebrations: If a single win can elicit a holiday, what will the Saudis do if their team miraculously emerges as tournament champions?” Read more at Bloomberg
Saudi players celebrate after the team’s second goal yesterday. Photographer: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe
November 23, 2022
By German Lopez
Good morning. Americans support marijuana legalization, but many of their political leaders do not.
Marijuana at a dispensary in Secaucus, N.J., in 2018.Bryan Anselm for The New York Times
Popular vote
“A decade ago, no American lived in a state where marijuana was legal to smoke, vape or eat recreationally. Today, nearly half of Americans do or will soon: Voters approved legalization ballot measures this month in Maryland and Missouri, bringing the number of states allowing any adult use to 21.
Legalization may not make major news often anymore, but it’s a big deal. It amounts to America’s largest change to its drug policy in decades. By aligning marijuana with alcohol and tobacco, rather than harder drugs, the policy change is giving birth to a new industry. And, over time, it could reduce the hundreds of thousands of marijuana arrests made in the U.S. every year, freeing up police resources.
The change came about largely because of the support of voters, not politicians or lawmakers. While the public backs legalization, some prominent political leaders do not: President Biden has said he’s opposed. Donald Trump has characterized legalization as an issue for states to decide, but his 2020 presidential campaign said marijuana should remain illegal.
Voter support
A key reason for marijuana legalization’s success: It’s popular. About 68 percent of adults in the U.S. support legalization, a Gallup survey found last week. Even a majority of Republicans, who are typically more conservative on the issue, have told Gallup that they support legalization.
Around two decades ago, public opinion was essentially the reverse: About 64 percent of U.S. adults said marijuana should not be legal.
The shift toward support empowered legalization campaigns around the U.S. The 21 states that have legalized it have done so only since 2012, starting with Colorado and Washington. Three of those states reliably vote Republican: Alaska, Montana and Missouri.
Why have voters come around to legalization? Advocates credit several issues. Much of the public now sees the broader war on drugs as a costly failure — and marijuana, widely viewed as less dangerous than alcohol, is an accessible target for policy changes. States’ experiments with medical marijuana, starting in the 1990s, helped make Americans more comfortable with loosening access. And the internet has made it easier for a grass-roots legalization movement to spread.
Political opposition
Some leading lawmakers have not followed the shift in public opinion. Biden has said he opposes jailing marijuana users and pardoned thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law. But he also opposes legalization, putting him at odds with more than 80 percent of self-identified Democrats.
Lawmakers’ opposition has led activists to rely largely on voter support to enact legalization. Of the 21 states where recreational marijuana is or will soon be legal, 14 approved the change through ballot measures.
But there are limits to the ballot process. Not every state allows such initiatives. And the drug remains illegal at the federal level, stopping most big banks from working with marijuana businesses and raising the businesses’ tax bills.
Even in states where voters approve legalization, marijuana may remain illegal. South Dakotans voted to legalize marijuana in 2020, but Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, took the measure to court and won. This month, South Dakotan voters rejected another legalization initiative.
Some of the political resistance is easing. Congress passed its first stand-alone marijuana reform bill last week, which will allow for more research into medical uses if Biden signs it into law, as expected. Several state legislatures, including Vermont’s and Virginia’s, have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. Some prominent Democrats, like Senator Bernie Sanders and the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, have voiced support for legalization.
The shift is coming slowly, but perhaps typically: Whether they are considering action on prescription drugs or same-sex marriage, lawmakers often move well after voter support for an issue has solidified.” Read more at New York Times
Lingo: "Thankstaking"
Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Erin Clark/The Boston Globe, Katie McTiernan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
"‘Thankstaking,’ the Native American-influenced alternative to Thanksgiving, has become more noticeable in the U.S. amid a racial reckoning, Axios' Russell Contreras writes.
Why it matters: Indigenous tribes in recent years have been asserting their sovereignty around water rights, criminal justice and political representation. Thanksgiving, where Indigenous people are the center of a national myth, is also a target.
Indigenous activists, scholars and artists are using the hashtag #thankstaking in November to bring attention to land theft, removal and the exclusion of Native American history in schools.
Some use Thankstaking, sometimes referred to as Truthgiving, as a call to donate to Indigenous nonprofits.
Others use it to spread humorous memes and informative videosabout Indigenous history.” Read more at Axios
“Lives Lived: Hebe de Bonafini helped build the protest movement the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo after her sons disappeared under Argentina’s military dictatorship. She died at 93.” Read more at New York Times