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Sessions received an “F” on the 2016 congressional scorecard released by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a pro-legalization group. |
While no one’s certain exactly what Sessions would do as attorney general, his nomination is clearly good news for opponents of legalization. |
This is a man who we know is staunchly anti-legalization. There’s no way around that. Things are about to get interesting. |
The latest Gallup Poll shows that 60 percent, a record high number of Americans, back legalization. Last week, voters in California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine approved the recreational use of marijuana, doubling a list that already included Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. In addition, 28 states now allow... |
Marijuana backers can also pitch the industry as a jobs issue, with the industry expected to have a market value of nearly $22 billion by 2020. So far, marijuana sales have resulted in big business for both Washington state and Colorado, the two states that first legalized recreational marijuana. In 2015, licensed stor... |
“While the pick certainly isn’t good news for marijuana reform, I’m still hopeful the new administration will realize that any crackdown against broadly popular laws in a growing number of states would create huge political problems they don’t need,” Angell said. |
The big question is who will call the shots in the Trump administration. During the presidential campaign, Trump followed Obama’s lead in arguing that legalization should be left to the states. |
“It would certainly be controversial if Senator Sessions completely defied the president who appointed him,” said Mason Tvert, spokesman for the pro-legalization group Marijuana Policy Project. |
It would certainly be controversial if Senator Sessions completely defied the president who appointed him. |
But with federal law superseding any state law, Sessions would have broad power to shut down all marijuana operations in the country. |
All he’d have to do is enforce the federal law that bans pot and lists it as a Schedule 1 drug, similar to LSD and heroin, with absolutely no medical value. |
Obama’s Justice Department declined to enforce the law and allowed the states to proceed with legalization, so long as they promised to do a good job policing themselves. |
From Richard Nixon to Barack Obama, U.S. presidents have had much to say about marijuana policy. So do Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. |
“All you have to do is take a list of the state-licensed cannabis growers and sellers into federal district court and say, ‘Your Honor, here are the people who have applied for and been given licenses to commit federal felonies,’ ’’ said Kleiman, who’s now a professor at New York University’s Marron Institute of Urban ... |
Sessions has often touted the rights of states to operate without federal interference. |
In 1998, for example, he argued that the federal government should not allow Indian casinos to open in states where they’re illegal. Sessions said that states, not federal bureaucrats, should have the final say in the location of casinos. |
While marijuana backers called last week’s legalization votes historic, with some saying it represented a tipping point in the drive toward national legalization, Friday’s news seemed to change everything. |
“It could be really bad news, if we don’t fight back,” said Steph Sherer, executive director of Americans For Safe Access, a group that promotes medical marijuana. |
Georgia mobilized its special forces on Sunday and warned residents in the capital not to leave their homes after lions, tigers and bears — among other animals — escaped during floods that have claimed at least 12 human lives. |
Heavy rains and wind hit Tbilisi overnight on Saturday, turning a normally small stream that runs through the hilly city into a surging river. Officials said 12 people were known to have died and about two dozen others were missing. |
The surging floodwater destroyed enclosures at the zoo, killing some animals and letting loose others. |
Georgian Culture Minister Mikheil Giorgadze told NBC News: "The special forces are doing everything to control the situation. We are all mobilized" |
It wasn't immediately clear if any of the people killed were attacked by animals. |
Three zoo workers were killed in the floods, the zoo said. One of them was Guliko Chitadze, a zookeeper who lost an arm in an attack by a tiger last month. |
Helicopters were circling the city and residents were told to stay indoors except in case of an emergency. |
A spokeswoman for the zoo told NBC News that many of the animals were killed in the flooding or by special forces, but it was not known how many remained at large. |
"Not many animals are still on the loose but it is difficult to say how many are still out there," Mzia Sharashidze said. |
Footage from Tbilisi showed a hippopotamus roaming the streets, while a bear could be seen climbing around an apartment window. The hippo was cornered in one of the city's main squares and subdued with a tranquilizer gun, the zoo said. |
Six wolves were shot dead in a yard at an infectious diseases hospital, while NBC News viewed images of a dead lion, hyena, and a wolf — all presumably drowned in the floods. |
Some officials accused authorities of using unnecessary force against the wild beasts. Zoo director Zurab Gurielidze said one of the park's most beloved attractions, a young white lion named Shumba, had been found shot in the head. |
"Our Shumba is no more," he lamented, according to the news agency Interfax. "It's simply possible that someone exceeded his authority." |
The flooding damaged dozens of houses and left streets covered in mud and debris. Images showed several cars upturned and a fire truck left swamped in the detritus. |
Georgia's Environment Minister Gigla Agulashvili said forecasts showed there could be a repeat of Saturday night's rain, and rescue work would stop at nightfall Sunday "to avoid further loss." |
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced the nation would hold a day of mourning on Monday, June 15. Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri estimated the damage bill was $20 million. |
About 1.1 million people live in the former Soviet republic's capital. |
The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as telling a Sunday Mass that Georgia's former Communist rulers bear responsibility for the disaster. |
"When Communists came to us in this country, they ordered that all crosses and bells of the churches be melted down and the money used to build the zoo," he said. "The sin will not go without punishment. I am very sorry that Georgians fell so that a zoo was built at the expense of destroyed churches." |
Ian Sherwood is a Senior Editor for NBC News covering foreign news. A multi award-winning journalist with 18 years experience in broadcasting, Ian has also worked for BBC News as Deputy Washington Bureau Chief and UK based Sky News and ITV News. |
Coronation Fund Managers, one of the largest shareholders in Steinhoff when it announced “accounting irregularities” in December, will be taking legal action against the company. |
Suzanne Daniels – a whistle-blower on the Gupta family’s alleged capture of Eskom – will on Monday face disciplinary charges that could cost her her job. |
Family says unrestrained psychiatric patient assaulted him with a drip stand in a ward. |
A week before plunging to his death from the third floor of a high-rise student residence in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, Sanele Dlamini had complained bitterly to his sister about a stolen laptop. |
Former North West ANC deputy chairman China Dodovu has called on the party’s top six officials to reprimand embattled North West premier Supra Mahumapelo for defying the national leadership. |
Axed Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille says claims that she tried to influence a decision to appoint Achmat Ebrahim as city manager for the City of Cape Town. |
Police have shut down the “residence of horrors” in Protea Glen, Soweto where 29 schoolboys were allegedly raped or repeatedly beaten by their coach. |
After two embarrassing defeats in court, the regulator takes aim at an escape clause in the credit act, and says it plans to appeal the recent club card ruling that it had no case against Lewis. |
Since whistleblower Nomawethu Kunene disappeared on 26 February, her anxious family has been pleading for her safe return. |
President Cyril Ramaphosa said he would meet ANC structures this week to resolve the problems in North West. |
Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal are questioning two men suspected of killing the ANC Lower South Coast branch treasurer. |
The ANC and President Cyril Ramaphosa were among those conveying their condolences to the loved ones of veteran photographer, Masana Samuel “Sam” Nzima, 83. |
Water and sanitation Minister Gugile Nkwinti was spitting fire, demanding answers from the authorities as to why Limpopo communities still lived in abject thirst – despite government having spent R3.5-billion on the Presidential Giyani Emergency Water Intervention, which was initially supposed to cost only R502-million... |
Regional HIV/Aids activists are demanding an in-depth independent investigation into the alleged culture of silence – and victimisation – within the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (Unaids) organisation. |
The faster and cheaper that gene sequencing gets, the better things start to look for Seattle-based Geospiza. This small angel-backed company has stuck to its guns for 13 years, many of them lean, arguing that biologists need better software to make sense of the digital mountains of DNA being created every day. |
Geospiza—knock wood—has now won over enough customers that it is operating on a consistent cash-flow positive basis, says president Rob Arnold. It’s a modest milestone, but an important lesson in perseverance for a little operation with about 20 employees. Arnold says Geospiza has built a roster with “hundreds” of payi... |
Gene sequencing has been on a torrid pace of innovation over the past few years, as the established toolmakers like Illumina, Life Technologies, and Roche have been racing to lower the cost of sequencing an entire human genome to as little as $10,000. Others, like Mountain View, CA-based Complete Genomics say they can ... |
The sequencing instruments themselves can cost as much as $500,000. So quite a few researchers over the years have figured they could get by on the cheap by dumping their data into old Microsoft Excel spreadsheets that were never designed for this kind of thing, or whipping up their own “home-brew” software for custom ... |
Geospiza has long argued that it can do better. It now offers a Web-based product in which it charges $30,000 a year to provide its genomic data service to researchers, plus another $2,500 a year for each researcher who wants to analyze the data from the lab. The system is supported by Geospiza’s cloud computing infras... |
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently removed language in its policy manual relating to freedom of the press and racial gerrymandering as part of a broader overhaul of the document, according to BuzzFeed News. |
The news outlet reported Sunday that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Rod Jay RosensteinKellyanne Conway: Mueller didn't need to use the word 'exoneration' in report Impeachment? Not so fast without missing element of criminal intent Collins: Mueller report includes 'an unflattering portrayal' of Trump MORE order... |
"The purpose of that review is to identify redundant sections and language, areas that required greater clarity, and any content that needed to be added to help Department attorneys perform core prosecutorial functions," DOJ spokesman Ian Prior told The Hill in a statement. |
"The [manual] is not meant to be an exhaustive list of constitutional rights, statutory law, regulatory law, or generalized principles of our legal system," he added. "It is also not the primary source of guidance on employment and administrative matters, among others." |
BuzzFeed compared some of the updated language with the previous version listed on the Internet Archive. |
In addition, a new section lays out DOJ policy on whistleblowers, including a reminder that it is illegal to share classified information with someone not authorized to receive it. |
The Trump administration has sought to crack down on government leaks since President Trump Donald John TrumpThorny part of obstruction of justice is proving intent, that's a job for Congress Obama condemns attacks in Sri Lanka as 'an attack on humanity' Schiff rips Conway's 'display of alternative facts' on Russian el... |
Comey has insisted his decision to release memos he wrote about his interactions with Trump does not qualify as a leak and that the memos were never classified to begin with. |
In addition to altering its media policies, the DOJ manual also includes an updated section on civil rights. There are no longer direct references to redistricting or racial gerrymandering, BuzzFeed reported. |
However, the updated manual includes references to other voting rights topics, including literacy test bans, poll taxes and other barriers to voting, according to the news outlet. |
The procedure being tested is designed for adults who have Type 2 diabetes and who are overweight or obese but not morbidly obese. Millions of Americans have Type 2 diabetes and most are overweight. |
Involving surgery to the small intestine and stomach, the procedure, which is called an ileal transposition with sleeve gastrectomy, is intended to improve or resolve Type II diabetes. It will be performed at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. |
Type 2 diabetes is a serious health problem and can lead to blindness, limb amputation and heart disease. It is characterized by an elevated blood sugar level associated with the body’s inability to produce enough insulin and/or to use it properly. |
The researchers’ goal is to enhance the ability of a person with Type 2 diabetes to maintain a normal blood sugar level by moving a section of intestine closer to the stomach and reducing the size of the stomach. |
Currently, many with Type 2 diabetes must take medication on a daily basis to keep sugar levels in check. |
The surgical procedure has been associated with encouraging results in clinical research conducted abroad. If the procedure proves effective, it could allow some people with Type II diabetes to cut back or quit their medications. |
The objectives of the study include evaluating the safety of the procedure and determining its effectiveness compared to dietary and medical management of Type 2 diabetes. |
“No one has compared this surgery directly to medical therapy in a randomized, prospective study like this,” said Brad Snyder, M.D., the principal investigator of the study and an assistant professor of surgery at the UTHealth Medical School. |
The UTHealth doctors plan to treat 10 people with Type 2 diabetes surgically and 10 medically. Participants will be followed over a two-year period and their outcomes compared. |
“If we can get patients into remission and off their medications, then we could open the door for people who want to pursue careers as firefighters, police officers and commercial pilots who may at times be limited by this disease,” Snyder said. |
An estimated 26 million people in the United States have diabetes, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In adults, Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90 -95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Also known as adult onset diabetes and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, Type 2 diabetes is a... |
“This disease takes a terrible toll on both patients and their families,” said Erik Wilson, M.D., a study investigator and an associate professor of surgery at the UTHealth Medical School. |
The ileum is the final section of the small intestine and transposition means to change place. Human studies have shown that when you place the ileum closer to the stomach, food from the stomach enters the ileum quickly and stimulates hormones that help regulate diabetes. |
In the procedure, surgeons remove a section of the ileum that is about 5 feet in length and reattach it. In addition, they remove about 80 percent of the stomach. It is a “band-aid” procedure that is performed through tiny incisions on the abdomen. As with surgical procedures, there is a risk of complication and the ri... |
The procedure is similar to a treatment for morbid obesity – metabolic and bariatric surgery, which can involve surgery on the stomach and intestines. Research shows that oftentimes Type 2 diabetes improves or resolves in morbidly obese patient following gastric bypass surgery. |
“We’re not completely sure why people with morbid obesity and Type 2 diabetes experience this improvement following surgery,” Snyder said. It could be a combination of the different metabolism of food, the improvement of insulin action or the improvement in insulin secretion, he said. |
“This research will help us find some answers and could lead to future treatments,” Snyder said. |
Metabolic and bariatric surgery is typically limited to people with a body mass index of 40 kg/m² or more, or a BMI of 35 kg/m² or more with an obesity-related condition in accordance with National Institutes of Health (NIH) parameters for bariatric surgery. BMI is a calculation based on height and weight. |
This pilot study for the surgical management of Type 2 diabetes is restricted to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 34 kg/m², which includes people who are overweight or obese. Participants must be between 21 and 55 years of age and being treated for Type 2 diabetes. |
The clinical trial team includes Philip Orlander, M.D., a professor of medicine and director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the UTHealth Medical School, who medically treats people with Type 2 diabetes. When treating patients, Orlander often begins by recommending they lose weight through ... |
Frank Moody, M.D., a professor of surgery at the UTHealth Medical School with a longtime interest in the surgical treatment of digestive system diseases, is assisting the research team and said the study could shed light on hormones involved in the metabolic process. “The team will be looking at the impact of surgery o... |
Snyder, Wilson and Orlander are collaborating on the clinical trial with Kelly Wirfel, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the UTHealth Medical School. Snyder and Wilson are members of a UT Specialty Surgery Center called Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Texas (MIST) and are on the medical staff of Memorial Herma... |
The study is titled “A Surgical Approach to the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Patients with a BMI between 25-34 kg/m².” The study was approved by the UTHealth Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects and is anticipated to take about three years to complete. |
People interested in learning more about the eligibility requirements for the study can contact Anna Tenorio by phone at 713-486-1350 or by email at Anna.Cecilia.S.Tenorio@uth.tmc.edu. |
This Sunday, October 1 marks the start of colder weather so it’s no surprise this day is also National Coffee Day. After all, there is little better than curling up on an autumnal afternoon with a relaxing, warming drink. |
In celebration of this event, Botanic-based cafe, Town Square has put a local twist on its coffee serve. The difference? A dash of Bushmills Black Bush. |
Rich and fruity to taste with a velvety-smooth finish, Bushmills Black Bush is the ideal whiskey to complement the intense flavour of coffee. |
Town Square will be serving this impressive Irish Coffee this weekend and throughout the coming months. |
Coat a warmed, glass coffee mug with the chocolate syrup. Add your favourite coffee, freshly brewed. Pour into the glass until 3/4 full. Blend in the Black Bush and Frangelico. Float the lightly whipped cream on top over the back of a spoon and serve. |
For more whiskey-inspired ideas and local info on Bushmills Irish Whiskey, visit @BushmillsUK on social or answerthecall.co.uk. |
A fire broke out on the 50th floor of the Trump Tower in New York City, killing one man and injuring six firefighters on Saturday, said the NYC Fire Department. |
Authorities identified the victim as 67-year-old Todd Brassner, a resident of the building's 50th floor. |
He died of his injuries at the hospital, said Angelica Conroy, a spokeswoman for the Fire Department. |
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