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Senate panel seeks independent state agency to oversee recreational cannabis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

After nearly three hours of review and debate, the Senate Finance Committee approved a heavily amended bill to regulate Maryland’s soon-to-be legalized cannabis industry Monday evening, setting up a showdown with the House of Delegates over some of the language.Finance voted to change a proposed graduated sales tax — initially seen as ranging from 6% to an ultimate 10% in Fiscal 2028 — to a flat 9% tax, once sales are legalized July 1 for adults, in keeping with voters’ approval of the measure last November.The committee also voted to create an independent Maryland Cannabis Administration separate from the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, as was called for in the original legislation and the House bill, both of which proposed it becoming a division within a new Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission.With the 7-2 approval, Finance sent Senate Bill 516 to the Budget and Taxation Committee for its consideration and recommendations, before the legislation is passed out to the floor of ...

Country rocker Lukas Nelson, son of Willie Nelson, plays Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

Hear our full conversation on my podcast “Beyond the Fame.” toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews Lukas Nelson at Hollywood Casino (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); He’s deftly followed in his father’s footsteps, making distinct tracks from those iconic outlaw boots by crafting his own career of country-rock music, including writing many of the tunes for the movie “A Star is Born” (20...

Nicolas Batum hits 8 3-pointers, Clippers beat Bulls 124-112

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nicolas Batum got all of his season-high 24 points on eight 3-pointers, and Eric Gordon added 22 points in the Los Angeles Clippers’ comfortable 124-112 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.Kawhi Leonard scored 22 as the Clippers rebounded from an embarrassing loss to New Orleans with 20 3-pointers in an impressive outside shooting display led by Batum. The Frenchman replaced ailing Marcus Morris in the starting lineup and produced a spectacular game from the perimeter, hitting eight of his first nine 3-point attempts while Los Angeles ran away in the first three quarters.“It was nothing crazy, just really open shots,” said Batum, who finished one shy of his career high in 3s, set 11 years ago. “I didn’t have to take a dribble on any of those shots. I just had open shots, and my teammates made some good passes. It was just good basketball.”Gordon had his biggest scoring performance since returning to the Clippers in a trade last month, and Ru...

Former Taiwan leader Ma views Sun Yat-sen tomb in China tour

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

NANJING, China (AP) — Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou began a 12-day tour of China with a symbolism-laden visit to the mausoleum where the founding father of both China and Taiwan is entombed.Ma visited the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, the capital when Ma’s Nationalist Party (Kuomingtang) ruled China in the early part of the 20th century. The party claimed to be the legitimate ruler of China for decades and is seen as more sympathetic to integration or unification with the mainland than the ruling Democratic People’s Party.There, he paid tribute to Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Republic of China and the Nationalist Party, giving a short speech and then bowing in front of the memorial. “The people of both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the Chinese nation, are children of Yandi and the Yellow Emperor,” he told a group of Chinese and Taiwanese reporters who had been allowed to follow him on the trip, referring to mythical emperors revered as founders of China’s ...

Israel tensions ease as Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s political factions opposed to embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began setting up negotiating teams Tuesday after he paused a controversial judicial overhaul plan that had set off unprecedented street protests and a spiraling domestic crisis.But compromise seemed elusive as the standoff remains over the fundamental issue of what kind of country Israel should be — and positions only appear to have hardened. Three months of demonstrations against the overhaul plan intensified this week and Israel’s main trade union declared a general strike, leading to chaos that shut down much of the country and threatened to paralyze the economy. Netanyahu in a prime-time speech on Monday night acknowledged the divisions roiling the nation and announced a monthlong delay for the legislation.He said he wanted “to avoid civil war” and would seek a compromise with political opponents. Netanyahu spoke after tens of thousands of people demonstrated outside the pa...

Shattered: Catholic community confronts its founder’s lies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

ROCCA DI PAPA, Italy (AP) — The findings of an initial expert report were astonishing: One of the 20th century’s revered Catholic leaders, who built an international movement of community care for people with intellectual disabilities, perverted Catholic doctrine about Jesus and Mary to justify his own sexual compulsions and abuse women. The findings of a second report were even worse: The movement he created had at its core a secret, mystical-sexual “sect,” and was founded for the precise purpose of hiding the sect’s deviant activities from church authorities.The two rounds of revelations about Jean Vanier and the L’Arche federation he founded have rocked the group to its core, all the more because L’Arche itself commissioned independent scholars to investigate after receiving a first complaint from a victim a few years before Vanier died in 2019. It’s the latest case of a Catholic giant, considered a living saint by his admirers and eulogized as a “great” Christian by Pope F...

French PM offers to meet opposition and unions amid pension crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

Elisabeth Borne (pictured), the French prime minister, plans to meet with opposition leaders and trade union representatives, in an effort to end weeks of protests against a new French pension law, her office announced on Sunday (26 March).After the government passed the legislation without a final vote, protests against the pension reform which will raise retirement age by two years turned violent.President Emmanuel Macron has ruled it out. He also tasked his prime minister with finding new support in parliament after the government failed get enough votes to pass the bill.Borne will meet with leaders of political parties and also wants to restart dialogue between unions about labour issues, her office stated. However, she did not mention the pension bill.Interview with AFP: Prime Minister added that meetings with union leaders and opposition leaders would be held in the week beginning April 3.She also promised not to use her constitutional power to adopt legislation without a seco...

CHP closes I-5 north at Grapevine Road for shooting investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

Traffic was backed up for miles after northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway were closed at Grapevine Road for a shooting investigation, officials with the California Highway Patrol confirmed late Monday night.  Officers responded to reports of a man that was brandishing a gun on the side of the freeway at around 7:30 p.m. The suspect was also accompanied by a woman, Fort Tejon CHP Officer Willams told KTLA.  While details are limited, authorities say the driver of a semi-truck that pulled over was shot after getting into an altercation with the suspect.  The truck driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital in Bakersfield, authorities said.  The suspect, described as a white male wearing all black, along with an unarmed Hispanic female who was also wearing black, fled the scene on foot. Authorities are unsure if the pair might have gotten into another vehicle to get away but said that they are investigating all possibilities....

Prep roundup: Willow Glen freshmen power upset over Mitty – “These two girls are the future”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

Willow Glen 2, No. 2 Archbishop Mitty 0A few hours after the final out, second-year Willow Glen softball coach Don Spingola succinctly summed up how his first-year pitchers performed against a loaded Archbishop Mitty lineup. “In all honesty, our two freshman pitchers lit it up,” Spingola said. The precocious duo of Lea Crawford and Alanna Clincy combined to allow one hit in Willow Glen’s 2-0 victory at crosstown rival Archbishop Mitty. Not only did Willow Glen hand Mitty its only loss of 2023, the Rams were also the first Bay Area public school to defeat the storied private school since Foothill in 2020.“These two girls are the future of Willow Glen,” Spingola said. “We need to make sure we’re throwing them against the best competition.” Sophomore Sienna Wilson and senior McKenna Campbell each drove in a run during the sixth inning to put Willow Glen on top. However, it could be argued it was a defensive play in the second inning that was Wilson’s most important contribution. “It wa...

UAB plays Utah Valley in NIT matchup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:54 GMT

Utah Valley Wolverines (28-8, 15-3 WAC) vs. UAB Blazers (28-9, 14-6 C-USA)Paradise, Nevada; Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. EDTBOTTOM LINE: The UAB Blazers and the Utah Valley Wolverines meet in the National Invitation Tournament.The Blazers’ record in C-USA play is 14-6, and their record is 14-3 against non-conference opponents. UAB is the C-USA leader with 11.7 offensive rebounds per game led by KJ Buffen averaging 2.8.The Wolverines are 15-3 in WAC play. Utah Valley ranks third in college basketball with 37.5 rebounds per game led by Aziz Bandaogo averaging 10.3.TOP PERFORMERS: Eric Gaines is averaging 11.6 points, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals for the Blazers. Jordan Walker is averaging 22.5 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 39.2% over the past 10 games for UAB.Trey Woodbury averages 1.9 made 3-pointers per game for the Wolverines, scoring 13.7 points while shooting 40.6% from beyond the arc. Justin Harmon is averaging 16 points over the last 10 games for Utah Valley.LAST 10 GAMES: B...