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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Libby Casey. The Trump administration is easing rules on medical marijuana after years of discussion about changing its classification. NPR's Bill Chappell says it's potentially a game changer for the medical marijuana industry.
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It could be huge. Cannabis firms that have been registering in medical marijuana programs would get a huge tax relief. And in the past, most financial institutions just haven't have refused to provide even basic banking services to state authorized marijuana businesses because of potential liability. And companies have largely been operating in cash.
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Marijuana has been a Schedule 1 drug for decades, under strict control alongside heroin and LSD. But now medical marijuana will be moved to Schedule 3, which includes some prescription painkillers. Israel and Lebanon are set to hold a second round of talks in Washington this afternoon. A 10 day ceasefire that pauses fighting between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be holding. NPR's Cat L. Lansdorf reports from southern Lebanon.
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Looking south from a hill atop the village of Majd Alzun, you can see an Israeli flag waving in the wind over the neighboring Lebanese village. Israel is still occupying a large swath of land in Lebanon south, including dozens of towns and villages. Hezbollah spokesperson Salman Harb tells NPR that the Iran backed group does not agree with direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon. But if the result of the negotiations is that Israel will withdraw from the Lebanese land, Harb says, then we're fine with that. But on the other hand, he says, if the land remains occupied, it's our right to resist that occupation. Kat Lahnsdorf, NPR News. Majd Al Zun in southern Lebanon, the
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latest campaign finance reports show Democratic enthusiasm in key House and Senate races. But national Republican groups have far more in the bank to potentially spend down the road. NPR's Stephen Fowler reports on the midterm fundraising landscape.
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Democratic Senate candidates like Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff, former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and James Talarico, vying for a Texas seat, reported raising tens of millions of dollars in the first three months of the year. This as the party seeks to regain control of both chambers of Congress in November. At the same time, national Republican groups have hundreds of millions more in the bank they can use to defend important seats. Only a handful of the more than 470 House and Senate seats on the ballot are viewed as competitive. Stephen Fowler, NPR News.
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The Justice Department's inspector general says it will investigate whether DOJ is complying with the law to release all of its files related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Members of Congress had urged an audit from DOJ's watchdog, saying the department did not meet a deadline of mid December to release all files in its possession. Lawmakers also questioned the redaction made to photos and other documents. This is NPR News in Washington. Environmental advocates say recent changes to Colorado river management could seriously harm threatened fish in the Grand Canyon. Alex Hager from member station KJZZ reports. They're concerned the native humpback chub could be exposed to invasive species.
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The chub only lives in the Colorado river system now. Advocates warn that changes to the amount of water released from Lake Powell could let invasive fish into a critical habitat. Taylor McKinnon with the center for Biological Diversity says efforts to address the shrinking river haven't done enough to consider wildlife.
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As the states have fought and failed to come up with an agreement about how much water each state gets. The Colorado River's ecosystems and endangered species have really fallen by the wayside.
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Newly announced federal plans will keep hydropower equipment running at the nation's second largest reservoir. But McKinnon says those same plans could erase decades of work for fish in the Grand Canyon. For NPR News, I'm Alex Hager in Phoenix.
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A chemical leak at a West Virginia silver Recovery business killed two people yesterday and sent about 30 others to hospitals. Local authorities say seven ambulance workers were injured responding to the leak. It occurred at the catalyst refiners about 10 miles west of Charleston, West Virginia. Officials say workers were in the process of shutting down the site and cleaning when a chemical reaction occurred, releasing poisonous gas. Shareholders of Warner Brothers have overwhelmingly approved a merger with Paramount Skydance. The deal is worth more than $110 billion. It must still be approved by federal regulators. This is NPR News.
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