NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ Obama Might Just End The War On Drugs Just one day after US President Barack Obama criticized the “War on Drugs” policy, he announced that he will shorten the prison sentences of 61 drug offenders. The federal prisoners who will receive reduced sentences had been convicted during a time when the government was taking aggressive steps to prosecute drug users, a tactic that disproportionately targeted men of color. Criticizing earlier drug policies, Obama stated, “For too long we’ve viewed drug addiction through the lens of criminal justice.”
GOOD READ: Ta-Nehisi Coates On ‘The Black Family In The Age Of Mass Incarceration’
‘Missile And Talk’ Is The Iranian Version Of ‘Netflix And Chill ‘Ayatollah Khamenei tried to appease both the hardline and moderate factions of Iran by declaring they must advance their missile capabilities while also pursuing diplomacy… or as he likes to call it, “Missile and Talk.” The strategy is meant to woo world powers with a 1-2 punch of strength with warmth; machismo with softness. Khamenei’s defense of the “Missile and Talk” strategy was a response to Ban Ki-moon’s recent statement that ballistic missile testing is cause for alarm. Khamenei insists that the country is ready to get down to business with negotiations, but it’s still important to carry protection.
An Important First: Organ Transplants From An HIV-Positive Donor Doctors at Johns Hopkins have successfully performed the first liver and first kidney transplants from an HIV-positive donor. The recipients of these two transplant surgeries were both HIV-positive patients who had been on extensive waiting lists to receive organs. With more than 122,000 people on the donor waiting list, this medical first brings a new hope to patients living with HIV. One study predicted that with HIV-positive people able to enter the donor pool, there could be an additional500 to 600 more potential organ donors a year in the system.
Keeping Our Eye On… - Myanmar: A draft bill by Myanmar’s new government will create a role similar to prime minister for the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Although her National League for Democracy party won landslide elections last year, she has been barred from the presidency.
- Sea Levels: The UN’s climate science body had once predicted up to a meter of sea level rise this century, but it turns out they low-balled that number. Arecent study points out that the data forgot to take into account collapsing ice sheets in the Antarctic, which are expected to double sea-level rise to two meters by 2100 if carbon emissions are not cut.
- Boeing: The aircraft maker said it will cut 4,000 jobs to reduce costs as it battles rival Airbus. Current employees may not have to worry though: Boeing says they can pull this off by voluntary buy-outs and leave open positions unfilled.
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