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Federal health officials recommend reclassifying cannabis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

(The Hill) – The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sent its findings on marijuana to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as part of the Biden administration's efforts into possibly altering marijuana's status in the U.S.In October 2022, President Joe Biden requested that the HHS Secretary and the Attorney General conduct a review of how marijuana is currently scheduled under federal law. Marijuana is currently classified as Schedule I controlled substances, meaning the DEA considers it a drug "with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." Which Colorado cities have the highest sales tax rates? HHS on Tuesday confirmed it sent its findings to the DEA this week."Following the data and science, HHS has expeditiously responded to President Biden’s directive to HHS Secretary Becerra and provided its scheduling recommendation for marijuana to the DEA on August 29, 2023," an HHS spokesperson said.The spokesperson did not specify what the de...

Former Miami Gardens Police officer sentenced to 30 days in jail following 2020 rough arrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

A former Miami Gardens Police officer learned his fate after being found guilty of battery during a rough arrest that was caught on camera.On Wednesday, Jordy Martel faced Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez as she announced the sentence.“This is a case of abuse of authority,” she said.Martel, 33, was sentenced to 30 days in jail. He must also complete 250 hours of community service by speaking at schools, followed by 18 months of probation. After a two-day trial back in June, in which Martel was accused of placing his knee on a woman’s neck, he was found guilty of one count of battery with a Taser and one count of trespassing.The victim in the case, Safiya Satchell, was in court Wednesday.“He changed me as a person, mentally and physically, and I’ve accepted, due to his actions, I’ll never be the same,” she said.The case stemmed from a Jan. 14, 2020 takedown outside Tootsie’s Cabaret.Martel was called there after a repor...

Body of 73-year-old Wrentham man found in lake in Hamilton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

The body of a 73-year-old man was pulled from a lake in Hamilton Wednesday, days after officials said he accidentally drove into the water. Wrentham police identified the driver as Steve Perry and said he was found dead inside his car. Crews had been busy searching Chebacco Lake area Wednesday and were later seen towing Perry’s dark blue Cadillac away after finding Perry’s body.“You could hear the cranking metal noise and so, we looked over and you could see a car that they were pulling out of the water,” said Laura Ricker, who watched the recovery mission. Wrentham police asked for the public’s help after they said Perry failed to return home from a trip to visit a local restaurant Saturday afternoon. Speaking with 7NEWS on Wednesday, Wrentham Police Chief Bill McGrath said this case is personal. “He knew from the time I was a little kid,” McGrath said. “And he was friends with my dad.”McGrath had just helped Perry find housing after falling on tough times...

Truck crash in Auburn causes delays, downs electrical pole

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

A truck crashed in Auburn, causing delays in the area of Rochdale Street.Auburn police said on social media Wednesday afternoon that the street was closed from the intersection of Rochdale and Leicester Street to the area of 314 Rochdale.Police said the site would take a while to clear and that school buses were notified.In images shared by the Auburn police, an electrical pole with wires was hanging low over the street.No one was injured.

Hurricane Franklin fires off waves in Rhode Island, sending surfers flocking to the water

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

POINT JUDITH, R.I. — Hurricane Franklin kicked up major surf here, providing New England surfers the first healthy set of waves this hurricane season.Surfers in and around Boston rely heavily on storms to bring in solid sets, something that belies the constant West Coast waves that East Coast rippers constantly dream of at night.Waves pounded Point Judith, Rhode Island all day with sets topping out at head-high or 2 feet overhead, according to Surfline, a forecasting site for surfers.New Hampshire and Maine saw some surf but the action was down south, where surfers also packed Narragansett Beach and Scarborough State Beach.But surfers north of Boston were likely anxiously looking at the forecast for the rest of the week, which showed a potential for waves on Thursday and Friday in the Granite and Pine Tree states.Hurricane Franklin was “well off-shore” of New England, too far away to impact weather in Boston, said National Weather Service meteorologist Bryce Williams.But...

Top prospects Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells to be called up: report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

The Yankees’ youth movement is set to continue, with top prospects Jasson Dominguez and Austin Wells slated to be called up.Dominguez, a 20-year-old outfielder, and Wells, a 24-year-old catcher, are expected to join the team Friday for the team’s series in Houston against the Astros, according to the YES Network.Both will be making their MLB debuts.The call-ups come less than two weeks after the Yankees added 22-year-old outfielder Everson Pereira and 23-year-old infielder Oswald Peraza to their MLB roster.The Yankees are in last place in American League East and entered Wednesday 11 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. ()

Battenfeld: Michelle Wu doesn’t need an ‘acting mayor’ to replace her on vacation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

Michelle Wu doesn’t need to hand off the reins of power to a fake mayor every time she steps out of the city.She can still preside over City Hall and keep in touch with top aides whenever she wants to take her kids to the beach. The wheels of government don’t stop when she’s gone.The century old city charter language that says the council president takes power in case of a mayoral absence or “vacancy” wasn’t intended to apply to short-term absences from the city or non-emergencies.It was designed to put an acting mayor in charge if the elected mayor resigns or is gone for a long-term leave of absence, which has happened before – most recently when Marty Walsh resigned to become Secretary of Labor.That’s when an acting mayor is needed to fill the void in power. But even then the powers of the acting mayor are limited – “only in matters not admitting of delay,” according to the charter.Do you think former Mayor Tom Menino let the council president take power as “action may...

Boston City Council won’t vote on Mass and Cass tent ban until October

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

Ignoring the mayor’s pleas to “take swift and urgent action,” the Boston City Council likely won’t vote on an ordinance that would give police the authority to clear out homeless encampments in the Mass and Cass zone until October.The ordinance, filed by Mayor Michelle Wu as part of her new three-tiered plan for tackling crime in the troubled area, was referred to the Council’s committee on government operations with little discussion at the body’s Wednesday meeting.City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, who chairs the government operations committee, said he’s targeting the last week of September or first week of October for a hearing, which typically occurs before the Council votes on a policy matter.“One of the things that could happen is at the hearing there could be issues about legality that are identified, or ways in which we can strengthen or loosen certain aspects of the ordinance,” Arroyo said. “A hearing is making the case for it or against.”Based on what comes out of that hearin...

B.C. posts $704-million budget surplus after multi-billion-dollar swings in forecasts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

VICTORIA — British Columbia finished last fiscal year $700 million in the black, after forecasts swung between multi-billion-dollar deficits and surpluses.Finance Minister Katrine Conroy said despite global uncertainty and inflation the province’s bottom line showed a surplus due to economic and job growth and increased revenue from income taxes and natural resources.She acknowledged the government’s forecasts for 2022-2023 had been on an up-and-down ride for the past two years. A $5.5-billion deficit was predicted in February last year, before that was revised to a surplus of almost $6 billion, then downgraded to a $3.6-billion surplus.The final audited public accounts for the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2023, released Wednesday, show a surplus of $704 million.Conroy had forecast three years of consecutive deficits last March, with the current 2023-2024 budget projected to bring a deficit of $4.2 billion.The minister said the government’s most recent financia...

Residents of West Kelowna, B.C., offered bus visits to their homes destroyed by fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:17:54 GMT

People whose homes were destroyed by the wildfire in and around West Kelowna, B.C., are being contacted to schedule escorted bus visits to view the damage.Only people whose properties are completely destroyed or damaged to the point they’re uninhabitable will be invited to participate at this time, the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations Centre said in a statement on Wednesday.The process is aimed at ensuring people who have lost their homes “have the privacy, time and space to be the first to see their properties,” it said.Bus visits are being offered before officials lift any further evacuation orders in neighbourhoods ravaged by wildfire nearly two weeks ago, the centre added.People must remain on the bus during their visit, and not all properties will be visible from the bus, such as those with a long driveway, the statement noted.Regional staff, as well as RCMP and mental health professionals, will be present during visits to offer support to property owners...