Free Republic

Cannabis stocks jumped on Friday as the White House prepared to significantly ease federal restrictions on marijuana. President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order as soon as Monday that would allow for reclassification of weed, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC. Such a move would allow cannabis companies to fall under different tax regulations and encourage investment.Cannabis stocks took a leg up in Friday’s midday trading following CNBC’s report. The Washington Post first reported on Thursday that Trump was expected to use an executive order to instruct federal agencies to reclassify marijuana as a less...

The massacre happened in Uruapan, in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, on Monday, according to the state’s attorney general’s office. Four people walked into the amusement arcade, asked questions of some patrons and began firing with military-grade weapons, the attorney general’s office said in a statement. The attackers were apparently searching for specific targets, but then opened fire indiscriminately on customers, the Associated Press reported.

The panic over the mutated H1N1 flu strain in the Ukraine has reached epic proportions. Over 450 people have died from the strain and nearly 2 million people have been infected: FTO: The new statistics and numbers show that 41 659 people got infected since the day before yesterday. That means that almost 100 000 people got infected in two days. Today's statistics are not there yet but looking at what happened from the 2nd to the 3rd we see that 452 people have now died in the Ukraine because of this plague / H1N1 spreading there. The total of...

The mysterious Ukrainian mutant flu we reported on earlier is now in full swing as eastern Europe buckles down for its potential spread into neighboring countries. Over 1.4 million people are now infected. 12 people have died in the past 24 hours even. Ria: The death toll from the flu epidemic in Ukraine has reached 328, with 12 deaths registered over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Wednesday. Last week, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) chief, Raisa Bohatyryova, said there were "constitutional prerequisites" for a state of emergency amid the flu epidemic, which has left...

Poll results released late Tuesday show most Ohioans favor a smoking ban that exempts bars, bowling alleys, private clubs and restaurants that reserve separate rooms for smoking. The Ohio Licensed Beverage Association polled 600 voters and found Ohioans would reject a total smoking ban by a 52 percent to 46 percent margin. But a majority of those polled support a modified ban, and 62 percent believe business owners should be allowed to determine their own smoking policies. Locally, the city of Centerville implemented a smoking ban that went into effect last spring. Except for a handful of bars, restaurants...

A young police detective who spent nearly 500 hours sifting through rubble at Ground Zero has died of a lung disease connected to his cleanup efforts, police union officials said yesterday. James Zadroga, 34, who died Thursday at his parents' New Jersey home, retired from the NYPD in July 2004 because of his deteriorating health. He is the first emergency worker to die from constant exposure to the Sept. 11 wreckage at the World Trade Center, said Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives' Endowment Association. A high-ranking police source said the department does not have the medical authority to link...

Of all the Democratic complaints about the presidential election, the most interesting and ironic came from Lawrence O'Donnell, a leading party strategist and former aide to Sen. Pat Moynihan. He complained on MSNBC that, "The segment of the country that pays for the federal government is now being governed by the people who don't pay for the federal government." Mr. O'Donnell added for good measure, "Ninety percent of the red states are welfare client states of the federal government." It hardly seems either consistent or politically "on message" for Democrats to talk about "welfare client states" when describing Social Security...

<p>Word is that Senate Republicans will soon attempt to revive their bid to solve the asbestos litigation mess. But before they agree to create a new asbestos trust fund, we think someone should remind them of the other times the government has gotten into this fool's game.</p>