Nov 19, 2019

Biden clarifies stance on marijuana

Photo: David Becker/Getty Images

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the sole top 2020 Democrat to oppose the federal legalization of marijuana, clarified his stance on the drug Monday.

Driving the news: Biden was criticized over the weekend for saying he opposes the federal legalization of marijuana because "there's not nearly been enough evidence that has been acquired as to whether or not it is a gateway drug." He argued to leave it to the states, but he supports legalizing medical marijuana and does not believe possession of the drug should be a crime.

Marijuana legalization has been a near-universal "yes" among 2020 Democrats.
Many argue that criminalizing the drug has placed unfair penalties on communities of color and that its symptoms are not serious enough to justify its legal repercussions.

What he's saying: Biden outlined his stance on the issue in a tweet:

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Charging Alabama state troopers pass by fallen demonstrators in Selma on March 7, 1965. Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images

The ways Americans capture and share records of racist violence and police misconduct keep changing, but the pain of the underlying injustices they chronicle remains a stubborn constant.

Driving the news: After George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked wide protests, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said, “Thank God a young person had a camera to video it."

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28 mins ago - Health

Lessons from the lockdown — and what comes next

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

We are nowhere near finished with the coronavirus, but the next phases of our response will — if we do it right — be more targeted and risk-based than the sweeping national lockdown we’re now emerging from.

Why it matters: Our experience battling this new virus has taught us a lot about what does and doesn’t work. We’ll have to apply those lessons rigorously, and keep adapting, if we have any hope of containing the virus and limiting the number of deaths from here on out.

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Updated 46 mins ago - Politics & Policy

George Floyd protests: Unrest continues for 6th night across U.S.

A protest near the White House on Sunday night. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Most external lights at the White House were turned off late Sunday as the D.C. National Guard was deployed and authorities fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters nearby, per the New York Times.

What's happening: It's one of several tense, late-night standoffs between law enforcement and demonstrators in the United States over the death of George Floyd and other police-related killings of black people.

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