Drug recriminalization, Lebron James, and best dog cities.

Adam Rogers
March 04, 2024

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Big Stories

Oregon passed a bill on Friday that recriminalizes the possession of small amounts of drugs.

House Bill 4002 reverses a key aspect of the state's first-in-the-nation drug decriminalization law. Currently, local governments and law enforcement agencies are struggling to control the deadliest overdose crisis in US history.
In 2020, Oregon voters approved Ballot Measure 110, which decriminalized personal-use amounts of drugs and aimed to redirect marijuana tax revenues into drug treatment and harm reduction programs. However, the promised improvements in the state's care network didn’t materialize, and Oregon is still struggling with high rates of substance abuse and limited access to treatment.
Under House Bill 4002, possession of small amounts of drugs like heroin or methamphetamine will be considered a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail. However, drug treatment will be offered as a substitute for criminal penalties. Critics argue that this approach replicates failed strategies of the past and disproportionately impacts marginalized communities.

Lebron James and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark added to their impressive point records over the weekend.

Lebron on Saturday became the first NBA player tor each 40,000 career points with a layup in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets.
At 39 years old, James continues to defy Father Time in his 21st NBA season. Despite being the oldest player in the league, he is averaging 25 points per game. No one else, 36 or older, is averaging more than 10. James has won four NBA championships, four MVP awards, and four Finals MVP awards.
Caitlin Clark is now the leading scorer in Division I college basketball history, men’s or women’s, after passing LSU legend “Pistol Pete” Maravich. She finished Sunday’s game with 35 points, 9 assistsn, and 6 rebounds in No. 6 Iowa’s 93-83 vicotry over No. 2 Ohio State. Her career total is 3,685.

Homeowners and auto insurance premiums are skyrocketing across the US.

Despite living in areas without typical risks, cusotmers are facing steep hikes in their insurance bills, reflecting a nationwide trend of surging costs in home and auto insurance.
Insurance companies attribute the jump in premiums to significant losses over the past few years, with payouts exceeding collected premiums. Inflation is a main contributers to the losses, which has driven up the costs of repairs and replacements for damaged homes and cars. Additionally, natural disasters are getting stronger, happening more often, and spreading outside disaster-prone regions which is fruther straining insurers’ resources.
Some peope are considering scaling back coverage or even going without insurance. Shopping around may offer some relief, but insurance companies largely dictate pricing. And state regulators usually can’t control steep hikes due to fear of insurers withdrawing coverage.

A recent poll by The New York Times and Siena College found that 65% of voters believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, with 43% feeling that President Joe Biden's policies have personally harmed them. The poll suggests unhappiness among Democratic groups like women, Black, and Latino voters. Meanwhile, Trump seems to have more support within his party. (More)

Lawmakers in Pakistan's National Assembly elected Shehbaz Sharif as the country's new prime minister amidst protests from allies of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan, who alleged rigging in last month's election. Sharif took office following Khan's ouster in a no-confidence vote in April 2022. (More)

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis vowed to continue targeting British ships in the Gulf of Aden after sinking the UK-owned vessel Rubymar with an anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18. Hussein al-Ezzi, deputy foreign minister in the Houthi-led government, warned of further attacks on British ships and accused Britain of supporting American actions in Yemen and Gaza. (More)

Malaysia's government may restart the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 following a proposal from US technology firm, Ocean Infinity. The company has suggested a new search in the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have crashed a decade ago. Ocean Infinity's proposal, based on a "no find, no fee" basis, aims to expand the search area beyond their previous efforts in 2018. (More)

Armed gangs raided Haiti's main prison in Port-au-Prince, resulting in the escape of the majority of the about 4,000 inmates, including those involved in President Moïse's killing. Gangs now control 80% of the capitol and are aiming to remove Prime Minister Ariel Henry. (More)

Best cities for dogs in 2024.

The US national debt is rising by $1 trillion every 100 days.

A woman with a tongue “wider than a soda can” breaks world record.

There’s more golf courses than McDonald’s in the US.

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