An overwhelming majority of Americans now supports the legalization of cannabis, but hundreds of thousands are arrested for marijuana violations each year.
President Biden recently pardoned all federal offenders charged with simple possession. That turns out to be a tiny number. But as Paul Armentano explains, it signals the highest-level recognition yet that cannabis prohibition needs to end. And it puts pressure on Congress and the states to follow suit.
Also this week. Jim Hightower exposes the CEOs who’ve been literally bragging about gouging their consumers while blaming inflation. And Sarah Baron argues that if that’s what’s driving inflation, then raising interest rates and putting workers in jeopardy is the wrong solution. Instead, we need corporate taxes that penalize those price hikes.
Finally, cartoonist Khalil Bendib offers a lovely tribute to the Iranian women protesting the regime’s often brutal attempts to control their personal decisions. (Feels inspiring for good reason!)
New This Week…
Biden’s Marijuana Pardons Are a Seismic Shift | Paul Armentano
The immediate impacts are modest, but the order marks a top-level recognition that 100 years of cannabis prohibition were a mistake.
Raise Corporate Taxes, Not Interest Rates | Sarah Baron
To protect working families, policymakers should directly address the problem of corporate price gouging.
CEOs Are Literally Bragging About Raising Prices | Jim Hightower
“A little bit of inflation is always good in our business,” said Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen.
Unraveling Theocracy | Khalil Bendib
Iranian women strike a blow against dictatorship.
In Case You Missed It…
Safe Tap Water Should Be a Human Right | Farrah Hassen
But from Michigan to Mississippi to tribal communities in the West, millions of Americans don’t have it.
Revive the Child Tax Credit. Our Children Deserve Nothing Less. | Maureen Bowling
Those monthly payments made the American Dream possible for millions of families, including mine.
Democrats and Republicans Agree on One Thing: Democracy Is In Crisis | Mitchell Zimmerman
But we’re polarized on what the crisis is — and one side’s dead wrong.
The Collapse of Local Newspapers Helps Hacks Spread Lies | Jim Hightower
“Critical race theory” panic owes its rise to thousands of fake websites filling the gaps left by real, independent newspapers.
