Extra, Extra
Drug Test: “Voters passed the pioneering decriminalization law, Measure 110, with 58% support in 2020. But Democratic legislators who championed it as a way to treat addiction as a public health matter, not a crime, are now contending with one of the nation’s largest spikes in overdose deaths, along with intensifying pressure from Republicans and growing calls from a well-funded campaign group to overhaul it.” Our crazy drug laws have been wreaking havoc for decades. Trying to undo that with law changes isn’t going to happen overnight. With Oregon facing rampant public drug use, lawmakers backpedal on pioneering decriminalization law.
+ House Arrested: You think you’re frustrated with our joke of a Congress? Imagine how Ukrainian soldiers feel. Powerful weapons the US sent to Ukraine are breaking down — but the Pentagon says it can’t help fix them. There were no survivors on plane Russia says was carrying 65 Ukrainian PoWs. (It’s still unclear who shot down the plane. But every death in this war is on Putin.)
+ Deja Coup: “Former President Donald Trump’s victory in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday dealt a blow to the hopes of his strongest challenger and strengthened Trump’s hold on his party’s nomination. Biden’s reelection team took Trump’s win over Nikki Haley as the starting gun for what will now be the longest and most grueling general election campaign in modern American political history.” After Trump’s NH win, Biden gets the opponent he wants.
+ GOP’s Gender Bender: “Ohio has banned gender-affirming care for minors and restricted transgender women’s and girls’ participation on sports teams, a move that has families of transgender children scrambling over how best to care for them. The Republican-dominated Senate voted Wednesday to override GOP Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto.” (What a sad, small era we live in.)
+ The Weekly Show: It’s only gonna be one night a week, but… Jon Stewart Returns to ‘The Daily Show’ as Host. If American democracy is being driven into the bowels of hell, I suppose we might as well enjoy the ride?
+ Credit Report: “Credit Taylor Swift. Credit a close ballgame in doubt until the final minutes. Credit two of the NFL’s marquee franchises for absolutely delivering in the clutch. Credit a nasty weather pattern that kept most of the United States huddling indoors. Wherever you want to direct the credit, the result is the same: Sunday night’s divisional-round playoff game between the Chiefs and Bills was an absolute ratings monster, the most-watched program on American television since last year’s Super Bowl.” (Like most kids who shopped the husky section, I credit Jason Kelce.)
+ HBD, BFF: “As the Mac turns 40, it’s never been more successful — or more irrelevant to Apple’s bottom line. It’s undergone massive changes in the past few years that ensure its survival but also lash it to a hardware design process dominated by the iPhone. Being middle-aged can be complicated.” The Mac turns 40 — and keeps on moving.
