Trump’s mixed record on cannabis laws clouds the industry’s future
As the calendar flips to 2025 and President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take back the Oval Office, the cannabis industry is wondering whether it’ll be high times ahead or whether the new administration will weed out some of their biggest plans.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration took steps to reclassify cannabis, which would not only lessen the criminal penalties for its use and possession but also allow the Food and Drug Administration to approve various other cannabis products, such as hemp and CBD.
However, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s slow progress on the rule means the Trump administration will now have the final say.
“We put out a statement that we can live with the marijuana,” Trump told podcaster Lex Fridman in September. “It’s got to be a certain age –– got to be a certain age to buy it. It’s got to be done in a very concerted, lawful way.”
From his first administration until now, though, the president-elect has had a mixed record on cannabis legislation.
Trump’s notable actions supporting cannabis
In 2018, Trump said he would “probably” support a bill to drop all federal marijuana and cannabis laws, leaving its regulation to the states. However, that bill did not pass.
The same year, he signed the annual farm bill. It included provisions that removed some cannabis products from the list of controlled substances for the first time.
More recently, on the campaign trail, Trump said he supported the Biden administration’s reclassification of cannabis.
Trump’s notable actions restricting cannabis
In 2018, the Trump administration reversed a policy made under President Barack Obama. The policy instructed federal prosecutors not to prosecute marijuana cases in states that legalized marijuana.
His 2021 budget proposal removed a rule that had protected state medical marijuana laws from Justice Department interference.
A second Trump administration may be more open to cannabis legalization as voter attitudes are changing. A Pew Research poll from this spring found more than half of Republicans under 50 support legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana.
But some of the most prominent opponents of loosening cannabis laws are Republicans on Capitol Hill, including incoming Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.
Biden regrets appointing Merrick Garland as attorney general: Report
President Joe Biden is quietly expressing regret about appointing Merrick Garland as attorney general. According to a report in The Washington Post, Biden believes Garland was slow to prosecute Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and allowed for an aggressive prosecution of his son Hunter.
The change in attitude is significant, considering Biden said Garland was going to restore “the honor, the integrity, the independence” of the Justice Department when his administration began.
Biden also regrets dropping out of the presidential race after his widely criticized debate performance. He believes he would have defeated Trump had he stayed in. However, many Democrats say Harris lost because Biden didn’t drop out sooner.
“Biden ran on the promise that he was going to be a transitional president, and in effect, have one term before handing it off to another generation,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told the Post.
“I think his running again broke that concept — the conceptual underpinning of the theory that he would end the Trump appeal, he would defeat Trumpism and enable a new era,” Blumenthal added.
Members of the Biden administration are not blaming Harris for the loss. They’re also trying to put a positive spin on his time in office.
“The president has been operating on a time horizon measured in decades, while the political cycle is measured in four years,” Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told the Post.
Behind the scenes, Biden reportedly admitted that he made mistakes during the last four years. He said he “screwed up” during the debate and was “stupid” for not putting his name on COVID-19 economic relief checks like Donald Trump did.
Biden, Trump, former US presidents pay tribute to Carter
Tributes are pouring in for former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away in Plains, Georgia, at 100 years old Sunday. And 179 people are dead after a plane crash in South Korea. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Dec. 30, 2024.
Former President Jimmy Carter dies at 100
Former President Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia, who served as the 39th president of the United States and the longest-lived president in American history, died Sunday, Dec. 29, at 100 years old.
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The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization founded by the former president and his wife, said there will be public observances in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., followed by a private interment in Plains, Georgia. President Joe Biden issued a proclamation Sunday evening declaring Jan. 9 a National Day of Mourning.
Biden, Trump, former US presidents pay tribute to Carter
Over six decades, Jill and I had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend.
But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. pic.twitter.com/irknhZ6CJY
Tributes from around the world poured in after the news of Carter’s death hit Sunday afternoon. Biden, President-elect Donald Trump and other former presidents were among those who paid tribute to Carter.
Biden delivered remarks in a live broadcast Sunday evening, calling Carter a “remarkable leader” and a “dear friend.”
“What I find extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people all around the world, all over the world, feel they lost a friend as well, even though they never met him, and that’s because Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words but by his deeds. Just look at his life, his life’s work. He worked to eradicate disease, not just at home, but around the world. He forged peace, he advanced civil rights, human rights, promoted free and fair elections around the world. He built housing for the homeless with his own hands, and his compassion and moral clarity lifted people up and changed lives and saved lives all over the globe. We may never see his like again. You know, we can all do well to try to be a little more like Jimmy Carter.”
President Joe Biden
Trump released a statement saying, “The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Former President Bill Clinton also issued a statement, saying, “From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as president to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at habitat for humanity—he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world.”
Former President George W. Bush called Carter a man of “deeply held convictions.” Bush added, “His efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.”
Former President Barack Obama highlighted Carter’s single term as president, saying, he “believed some things were more important than reelection — things like integrity, respect, and compassion.” Obama added, “Jimmy Carter believed, as deeply as he believed anything, that we are all created in God’s image.”
179 killed, 2 survive plane crash at South Korean airport
More details emerged from a fiery plane crash in South Korea that left 179 people dead in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters. It happened Sunday at Muan International Airport, 180 miles south of Seoul.
The jetliner skid off the runway into a concrete fence and burst into flames after its landing gear possibly failed to deploy. Only two people survived. South Korean officials said the survivors were crew members and did not appear to have any life-threatening injuries.
Not long before the crash, the control tower issued a warning about birds and gave the crew permission to land in a different area. The pilot reported a bird strike, but the exact cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Officials said the crew also sent out a distress signal shortly before the crash.
South Korean transportation officials said it could take months to figure out exactly what happened.
The plane that crash-landed was a Boeing 737-800, marking the latest incident involving the company. Boeing’s 737-800 is in a different class than its 737 Max jets, which were involved in fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.
At least 4 killed by storms that spawned tornadoes across the Southern US
A least four people are dead after a storm system tore across the Southern U.S. over the weekend. National Weather Service meteorologists received dozens of reports of tornado damage across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. Crews are conducting surveys to assess the damage.
The NWS confirmed at least five tornadoes hit near Houston, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 28, killing one woman and destroying or damaging dozens of homes. A man in North Carolina died in what a state trooper described as a “freak accident” after a tree fell on the pickup truck he was driving.
The storms also killed two people in Mississippi, while at least 10 other people were injured across the state.
2 men found dead after failing to return from Sasquatch search
Two Oregon men were found dead in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwestern Washington on Saturday after they disappeared last week while searching for Sasquatch. Sasquatch, also known as “Bigfoot,” is a mythical creature said to inhabit forests in North America.
A relative reported the men missing Christmas Day after they failed to return from their search.
Authorities said the men appear to have died from exposure and were not prepared for the “brutally cold weather”. They have only been identified as a 37-year-old and a 59-year-old from Portland.
‘Mufasa,’ ‘Sonic’ battle for top spot at holiday box office
It was a battle at the box office over the holiday weekend between a fast-moving hedgehog and a brave lion. In the end, Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” overtook Sony’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” on the Christmas box office leaderboard.
The “Lion King” prequel edged out the “Sonic” sequel over the five-day stretch, bringing in nearly $64 million. “Sonic” garnered just under $60 million.
However, according to traditional weekend box office numbers, it was “Sonic” that came out on top $38 million to $37 million.
Trump asks Supreme Court to pause potential US TikTok ban
Donald Trump is continuing to engage in the legal battle over a possible TikTok ban. In a brief filed Friday, Dec. 27, the president-elect said the court should block the law from taking effect on Sunday, Jan. 19, one day before he takes office.
Trump’s brief is unusual because it does not comment on the case’s merits. TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is suing the U.S. government, alleging a violation of its First Amendment rights.
Instead, Trump’s brief signaled his opposition to the ban and asked that he have the opportunity to resolve the issue, citing his election win as a factor.
“Through his historic victory on Nov. 5, 2024, President Trump received a powerful electoral mandate from American voters to protect the free-speech rights of all Americans –– including the 170 million Americans who use TikTok,” the brief states.
Earlier this year, Congress passed a law forcing TikTok to sell its U.S. operations or face a potential ban. The law set the deadline for ByteDance to sell or close TikTok one day before the next president took office.
The Biden administration is defending the law in court. They allege the app’s parent company operates primarily from headquarters in China. The company’s ties to China and its ruling Communist Party, they say, pose a grave threat to U.S. national security.
While Trump’s brief may not change much legally, it offers a clear signal that he opposes the ban. This could open the door to TikTok negotiating a deal to save its U.S. operations before the deadline.
The law allows a president to issue a 90-day extension if significant progress toward a sale exists.
TikTok has suffered at least one defeat along the way. An ideologically mixed three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit voted unanimously to reject TikTok’s challenge.
Mexico developing app allowing citizens to send alert if detained in US
Mexico said that it is creating a cellphone app that its citizens can use to alert their families and local consulate if they have been detained by U.S. immigration authorities. The move announced on Friday, Dec. 27, is in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to start mass deportations after he is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025.
Mexican officials said the app is undergoing small-scale testing and is “working very well.”
The app would reportedly allow users to press a tab that sends a notification to pre-selected relatives and the nearest Mexican consulate.
U.S. law enforcement is already required to give notice to a migrant’s country of origin when a person is detained.
The Mexican government also noted that it has a 24-hour call center to answer questions migrants may have. The country has also reportedly added consular staff in preparation for deportations and to help migrants with the legal process.
Some have reportedly compared the app to a panic button for migrants.
The app could also potentially serve as a replacement for the CBP One app, which Trump has promised to end.
The CBP One app, developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), allows migrants to schedule an appointment with U.S. immigration officials for potential asylum.
China levels sanctions on 7 companies over US military aid to Taiwan
Beijing announced on Friday, Dec. 27, that it is leveling sanctions against seven companies and their senior executives over U.S. military assistance to Taiwan. Among the companies sanctioned are Boeing subsidiary Insitu Inc., RTX Inc’s Raytheon Canada and Raytheon Australia.
The sanctions reportedly freeze the companies’ and executives’ assets in China and bar them from trading or collaborating with Beijing.
China said the move is retaliation for U.S. military sales and aid to Taiwan. Washington D.C. recently approved more than $570 million in defense support to the independently governed island and gave the green light to weapons sales worth around $385 million.
China has long claimed Taiwan as its own and has never ruled out force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan said that it is a sovereign nation, and the U.S. is required by law to defend the country.
Earlier this month, Taiwan said that China sent dozens of military vessels to blockade the island, which Taipei said threatens peace and stability as well as trade in the Indo-Pacific region.
China’s sanctions are also reportedly in response to the approval of the U.S’ annual defense spending bill, which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) said “includes multiple negative sections about China.”
The defense bill also reportedly directs more resources toward a more confrontational approach toward Beijing, while expanding a ban on U.S. military purchases of Chinese products, such as drone technology.
China claims the U.S. is using the “so called” threat from Beijing to rationalize boosting its military budget.
North Korean troops suffer significant losses fighting in Russia
North Korea is reportedly losing a significant number of soldiers while supporting Moscow’s war with Ukraine. Ukraine and South Korea both reported the deaths of North Korean soldiers despite North Korea denying sending troops or weapons to assist Russia.
The total number of reported deaths varies. South Korea’s military officials said at least 1,100 North Korean troops were killed or wounded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyyposted on X Monday, Dec. 23, saying that Ukrainian forces killed or wounded more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers.
Zelenskyy also warned that Pyongyang could send more personnel and equipment for Moscow’s army.
I held a meeting of the Staff.
We thoroughly analyzed our work with Syria after the fall of Assad and his escape.
Today, the intelligence services presented their reports—the Foreign Intelligence Service and the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine—as well as the Ministers of…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 23, 2024
Ukraine, South Korea and the United States all say North Korean soldiers started arriving in Moscow in October 2024, more than two and a half years after Russia’s alleged special military operation began.
Biden vetoes bipartisan bill that would have let Trump appoint more judges
President Joe Biden vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have created 63 permanent federal judgeships to account for an increased population and caseload. If Biden had signed the Judges Act, President-elect Donald Trump would have been able to fill 22 of the new positions.
The legislation passed the Senate unanimously and passed the House 236-173.
Biden said in a statement that the legislation was passed “hastily”.
“The House of Representative’s hurried action fails to resolve key questions in the legislation, especially regarding how the new judgeships are allocated, and neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate explored fully how the work of senior status judges and magistrate judges affects the need for new judgeships,” Biden said.
When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., learned Biden planned to veto the bill, he offered this rebuke.
“It’s hard to imagine a justification for blocking the JUDGES Act that doesn’t smack of naked partisanship,” McConnell said. “It’s almost inconceivable that a lame-duck president could consider vetoing such an obviously prudential step for any reason other than selfish spite.”
The number of federal judgeships has not expanded significantly in 35 years. Since that time the U.S. population has increased by about 100 million people, with federal case filings rising by 40%. The bipartisan sponsors of the bill said the increase has led to delays and overburdened judges.
The bill would have added 10 or 11 new seats every odd numbered year from 2025 to 2035. The new positions were targeted to the busiest regions by spreading out the judgeships across 13 states.
“(The bill) would create new judgeships in States where Senators have sought to hold open existing judicial vacancies,” Biden said. “Those efforts to hold open vacancies suggest that concerns about judicial economy and caseload are not the true motivating force behind passage of this bill now.”
If the bill was signed into law, Trump would have been able to appoint 11 additional judges in 2025 and 11 more in 2027. Those 22 seats span the country; there are six in California, four in Texas and three in Florida. The rest are dispersed in smaller states.
National security watchdog punts $15B steel deal decision to Biden
The future of Nippon Steel’s $15 billion bid for U.S. Steel is in the hands of President Joe Biden. The president now has 15 days to decide whether to block the deal or do nothing, effectively approving it.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which reviews deals involving foreign entities in the U.S. for national security risks, sent the deal to Biden’s desk after it failed to reach an agreement on its recommendation.
Last week, CFIUS signaled this could be the case in an email sent to Nippon Steel.
“The Committee has not yet reached consensus on whether the mitigation measures proposed by the Parties would be effective… or whether they would resolve the risk to U.S. national security arising from the Transaction,” the national security watchdog said in an email.
CFIUS had a deadline of Monday, Dec. 23, to approve the deal, extend its review or recommend the president reject the deal.
“We received the CFIUS evaluation and the President will review it,” White House Spokesperson Saloni Sharma confirmed in an email to Straight Arrow News.
President Biden has reportedly been ready to block the deal since September. While he said he would let the CFIUS review play out, he has been open about his opposition.
The mayors and other local leaders from 20 communities that rely on the steel industry wrote a letter to President Biden to express their support for the deal.
“Our communities in the Mon Valley of Pennsylvania as well as Gary, Indiana, are made up of working-class American men and women whose identity and livelihood depend on the success of U.S. Steel,” they wrote. “As such, they overwhelmingly support the vision and commitments that Nippon Steel has introduced to ensure that their jobs are protected and that their local facilities stay open.”
The letter also claims the United Steelworkers Union, which opposes the deal, hasn’t acted in good faith as part of the negotiations.
While the president can let time run out to let the deal move forward or choose to kill it, it wouldn’t fare much better under President-elect Donald Trump.
“I will stop Japan from buying United States Steel,” Trump said in October. “We have a foreign country that wants to purchase one of our greatest.”
If the deal doesn’t clear this latest hurdle, Nippon Steel would owe a $565 million penalty to U.S. Steel. Nippon has previously said it would sue the U.S. government if the deal fails to be completed.
Biden approves another offshore wind farm amid industry challenges in 2024
In the final days of the Biden administration, the White House announced its approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project. This offshore wind farm will generate up to 2.4 gigawatts of energy, powering more than 840,000 homes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
“The approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project today demonstrates the strength of our collaborative process to deploy offshore wind,” said Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Elizabeth Klein in a statement. “As we mark this achievement, we look forward to the meaningful economic opportunities the SouthCoast Wind Project will bring to this region, both during construction and throughout the project’s lifetime.”
Spanning nearly 130,000 acres, the project includes the construction of up to 141 wind turbines. To mitigate environmental concerns, six originally planned turbine positions have been removed to reduce potential impacts on marine wildlife.
The SouthCoast Wind Project marks the 11th commercial-scale offshore wind energy development approved under President Joe Biden. His administration gave a green light for 19 gigawatts of offshore wind power. That’s enough power to supply energy to more than 6 million homes.
Despite the sector’s growth under Biden-era policies, offshore wind has faced significant challenges in 2024. Rising material costs and supply chain disruptions have led to project cancellations. These cancellations have eliminated over half of the previously planned installed capacity.
As a result, Siemens Energy, the world’s largest offshore wind turbine manufacturer, is projecting $2.2 billion in financial losses for the year.
Environmental concerns have also increased following a blade failure at the Vineyard Project over the summer. The incident bolstered local opposition to offshore wind in some regions.
With the Trump administration set to take office and the president-elect pledging to end offshore wind energy on day one, the future of this industry in the U.S. remains uncertain.
