Marijuana laws, Walmart health centers, and living on a train.

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Big Stories

US could ease marijuana restrictions

The DEA is planning to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I (most dangerous drugs) to Schedule III (less dangerous drugs).

• The proposal follows a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services and would recognize marijuana for its medicinal uses and acknowledge that it has less potential for abuse than other mainstream drugs in the US.

• The move is supported by President Biden and many lawmakers, reflecting growing public acceptance of marijuana. It could also benefit the marijuana industry by reducing taxes and easing research restrictions. However, some feel that marijuana should be de-scheduled entirely and treated like alcohol.

• Rescheduling won’t legalize marijuana and some federal restrictions will remain. It will also come with several challenges. Notably, the DEA may struggle to handle the 15,000 dispensaries needing registration, and international treaties requiring marijuana criminalization could hold up the approval in court.

Binance founder sentenced to 4 months in prison

After years of US investigations, Changpeng Zhao (CZ) — the CEO of the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange Binance, was sentenced for failing to implement proper anti-money laundering (AML) controls.

• CZ pleaded guilty to a Bank Secrecy Act violation and received a 4-month prison sentence, a lighter punishment than prosecutors sought. Despite this setback, Binance continues to dominate the crypto exchange market, boasting over 100 million users and significant daily trading volume.

• Before a substantial $4.3 billion settlement involving US criminal and civil charges, CZ maintained an aggressively innocent stance and dismissed any potential legal troubles. However, he expressed remorse in court and assured that Binance has since implemented robust AML safeguards.

• While CZ was not forced to relinquish his ownership stake in Binance, he is prohibited from running the company for the next three years.

• The price of Binance's token increased slightly following the sentencing news, highlighting the cryptocurrency market's volatility and sometimes counterintuitive reactions.

Newspapers sue OpenAI

Eight newspapers have sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement.

• The newspapers, including The New York Daily News and The Chicago Tribune, claim that OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, copied millions of their articles without permission or payment. The companies argue that using these articles to train ChatGPT competes with their business and tarnishes their reputation by potentially misattributing information.

• OpenAI argues it’s protected by the "fair use" doctrine, which allows limited use of copyrighted material for purposes like criticism or education. Microsoft has not commented on the lawsuit.

• The newspapers' lawsuit demands a halt to the alleged copyright infringement and unspecified monetary damages. However, achieving this could be quite complex. AI models are intricate, and experts say filtering copyrighted material would be extremely difficult. It might even require rebuilding the entire model, which would cost hundreds of millions to billions of dollars.

Little Stories

• Walmart is shutting down its health centers and virtual care service launched in 2019. The company had 51 clinics across five states but decided it couldn't make the healthcare business model work. (More)

• House Democrats have pledged to support Republican Speaker Mike Johnson against any potential removal attempts by fellow Republican lawmakers. Johnson faced criticism from some within his party for advancing aid to Ukraine through an emergency spending package. (More)

• Former President Trump was fined $9,000 by a judge overseeing his New York criminal trial for violating a gag order. The judge warned of incarceration if Trump continued to breach the order. Trump was also directed to remove seven social media posts and two campaign website posts that “offend” the order by 2:15 pm ET. (More)

• An Oregon hatchery program that helps young Chinook salmon survive by raising them in a controlled environment suffered a major setback after a man allegedly poisoned nearly 18,000 fish with bleach. The suspect, 20-year-old Joshua Alexander Heckathorn, was arrested on charges of burglary, trespassing, and vandalism. (More)

• Gibson Farms recalled its shelled walnut products sold in bulk at Whole Foods and other natural food stores across 19 states. These walnuts are linked to an E. coli outbreak that has caused illness in 12 people, with some requiring hospitalization. (More)

Extra Credit

An online price error helped a man score $14,000 Cartier earrings for $14. 

A guide to all movies coming to theaters and streaming this summer.

How long it would take for a hacker to crack your password. 

Meet the German teen who lives on a train full time.