Feb 11, 2019

Kamala Harris supports marijuana legalization: It "gives a lot of people joy"

Sen. Kamala Harris. Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images

Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Kamala Harris, a junior senator from California, declared her support for legalizing marijuana at the federal level Monday on the syndicated radio show "The Breakfast Club."

Why it matters: In detailing her advocacy, Harris, who admitted in the interview that she had smoked a joint "a long time ago," joins a growing field of Democrats who back marijuana legalization.

Last May, Harris championed the Marijuana Justice Act introduced by Sen. Cory Booker, another 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.
Harris' comments follow those of Booker's, who kicked off his campaign earlier this month, calling for legalizing marijuana as a critical component of criminal justice reform.
Marijuana is presently legal in 10 states, while 33 states have legalized the substance for medicinal use and several additional states are considering legalization in 2019.

Go deeper: Kamala Harris officially launches 2020 bid

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Jacob Knutson

Trump acknowledges lists of disloyal government officials to oust

Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump on Monday acknowledged the existence of assembled lists of government officials that his administration plans to oust and replace with trusted pro-Trump people, which were first reported by Axios' Jonathan Swan.

What he's saying: “I don’t think it's a big problem. I don’t think it's very many people,” Trump said during a press conference in India, adding he wants “people who are good for the country, loyal to the country.”

Go deeper35 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Dion Rabouin

Coronavirus only part of the story behind the Dow’s drop

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

As someone has certainly told you by now, the Dow fell by more than 1,000 points yesterday, its worst day in more than two years, erasing all of 2020's gains. Most news headlines assert that the stock market's momentum was finally broken by "coronavirus fears," but that's not the full story.

What's happening: The novel coronavirus has been infecting and killing scores of people for close to a month and, depending on the day, the market has sold off or risen to record highs.

Go deeper56 mins ago - Economy & Business

David Nather

Bernie's historic Jewish fight

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Sen. Bernie Sanders would be the first Jewish presidential nominee of a major American political party — but that history-making possibility is being overshadowed by his conflicts with America's Jewish leaders and Israel's leadership.

The big picture: That's partly because we're all focusing on the implications of Democrats nominating a self-described democratic socialist. It's also because a candidate's religion no longer seems to matter as much to voters or the media, making the potential milestone of a Jewish nominee more of a non-event.

Go deeper3 hours ago - Politics & Policy