Jesus Malverde
Jesus Malverde's JournalObama Admin Wins Over Key Hawk on Iran Nuclear Talks
Following a round of high-stakes talks on Iran's nuclear program in Geneva, the Obama administration is seeking to reassure lawmakers it won't give away the house in its negotiations with Tehran. On Friday, its chief nuclear negotiator Wendy Sherman won over a key Iran hawk, Rep. Eliot Engel, during a round of calls to the Hill.
"Under Secretary Sherman told me that the Iranians appeared serious in the recent nuclear talks in Geneva, but cautioned that the devil's in the details, and made clear that U.S. negotiators will remain clear-eyed as they seek to negotiate a deal to end Iran's nuclear weapons program," Engel, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Cable.
A congressional aide said Sherman's assurances dispelled concerns that the White House would scale back its sanctions regime against Iran any time soon. "She was very quick to assuage any concerns that the administration was going to start unilaterally waving sanctions," said the aide. "She made very clear that the sanctions won't be moved until we see verifiable progress. The fears expressed earlier that the administration was going to give away the store don't seem to be well-founded."
The administration is also coming to the Hill with a second message: Hold off on all sanctions. A State Department official tells The Cable the administration wants to stave off new sanctions in the Senate designed to choke off almost all of Iran's remaining international oil sales. But it's unclear how receptive Congress will be.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/10/18/obama_admin_wins_over_key_hawk_on_iran_nuclear_talks
Air marshal accused of taking photos under skirts
A federal air marshal has been arrested and accused of taking cellphone photographs underneath women's skirts as they boarded a plane at Nashville International Airport.
Assistant Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge Michael Pascarella told The Associated Press that Adam Bartsch was immediately removed from duty and is in the process of being suspended or fired.
Nashville police say Bartsch was on duty on Southwest Airline Flight 3132 on Thursday when a witness noticed he was taking the photos and grabbed his cellphone. Police say the witness notified a flight attendant and Bartsch was taken off the flight and charged with disorderly conduct.
Pascarella says TSA is assisting with the investigation.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Air-marshal-accused-of-taking-photos-under-skirts-4906062.php
State Pot Officials Can Exhale - Washington State
In a unanimous vote Wednesday, state officials charted the course for an experiment that seeks to undercut illegal dealers and launched the next leg of the journey: licensing a recreational-pot industry serving customers with 334 retail stores.
Adults will be able to walk into stores between 8 a.m. and midnight beginning next year to buy small amounts of marijuana products, including buds and brownies produced with state-certified safe levels of pesticides and other chemicals.
“The Washington state Liquor Control Board just built the template for responsible legalization of marijuana,” said Alison Holcomb, chief author of the legal-pot law. Holcomb is traveling to England, Poland and the Netherlands in coming weeks to discuss Washington’s law and rules, and is part of a new panel studying the idea in California.
http://www.cannabisnews.org/state-pot-officials-can-exhale/2013/10/18/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CannabisNews-MedicalMarijuanaMarijuanaNewsHempCannabis+%28Cannabis+News+-+Medical+Marijuana%2C+Marijuana+News%2C+Hemp%2C+Cannabis%29
Childproof packaging will be required for edible products. All packages will contain warning labels saying marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Labels will warn consumers of health risks, particularly the risks for pregnant women.
They also will show potency, as measured in percentage of THC, the key psychoactive chemical in pot.
Labels will disclose all pesticides used in the growing of the product. Consumers can ask retailers for full test results of chemicals and foreign matter found in products.
State-regulated pot can’t be labeled organic, Simmons said, because the federal government bestows that standard and it still considers marijuana a dangerous drug. But the state is using federal standards for organic products as a model for its rules, he said.
Prices in stores will be determined by the market, not state officials. But state consultants have written about scenarios in which prices could range between $6 and $17 per gram depending on wholesale farm prices and markups.
Consumers will be able to buy pot grown under the sun in outdoor farms, as well as weed grown indoors, which uses more electricity and has a larger carbon footprint.
The rules give an advantage to indoor growers, Simmons acknowledged. That’s because rules limit all farms to a maximum of 30,000 square feet and indoor farms can produce four harvests a year compared with two for outdoor growers in Washington state.
Simmons believes demand will increase in time, and when the state expands its supply that will provide an opportunity for outdoor growers to make up ground.
State officials believe the 334 pot stores, which are allocated similarly to the state’s defunct liquor stores, will be enough. But Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes has asked the state to consider allocating more stores to the city than the 21 it has planned.
Detroit on the edge
CALIFORNIA CANNABIS HEMP INITIATIVE 2014 - Volunteers needed
CALIFORNIA CANNABIS HEMP INITIATIVE 2014 - (The Jack Herer Initiative)AN INITIATIVE OF THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA TO END HEMP PROHIBITION IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Legalizes cannabis hemp. Creates and funds new cannabis hemp based industries and jobs.
Permits the use of marijuana by adults 21 and older and licenses, regulates, enforces, and taxes recreational marijuana sales just like beer and wine.
Requires that 50% of excise taxes collected from sales of recreational cannabis be made available to be used for the development, promotion, and assistance in the creation of industrial, nutritional, and medicinal cannabis hemp industries.
Prohibits any and all taxation of medicinal cannabis, and expands the accessibility of medicinal cannabis used in accordance with Proposition 215. Prohibits cities and counties from imposing discriminatory, excessive, or prohibitive zoning requirements and fees on cannabis outlets.
Allows farmers to grow industrial hemp and hemp seed, and allows industries and entrepreneurs to use the crop for the many uses and applications that hemp provides, both historically and modern. Restricts the use in California of genetically modified Cannabis seeds.
Eliminates the unfair practice of drug testing for Cannabis metabolites, which can be retained in the human body for months. Impairment testing for non-metabolized cannabis, a more effective and accurate measurement for impairment or recent usage, would replace the metabolite test.
Mandates that the state establish performance based standards, similar to those established for alcohol, to determine levels of impairment for safe operation of motor vehicles and other equipment.
Allows for the release and discharge of people currently being punished for non – violent marijuana offenses, saving taxpayers millions of dollars annually and freeing up jail space, judicial and crime fighting resources.
Removes Cannabis from the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, which currently allows the Federal Government to Regulate Cannabis as a Schedule I drug. Prohibits California Law enforcement from assisting Federal Drug agents attempting to enforce federal laws that are no longer illegal by reason of this legislation.
Allows for personal use and possession of Cannabis grown for personal consumption. Caps the excise tax for commercial sales at 10% of retail price. Caps the license fees for commercial production, distribution, and sales at $1000.
Allows a physician to approve or recommend medicinal cannabis without fear of repercussion to all patients, regardless of age.
www.cchi2014.org
CALIFORNIA CANNABIS HEMP INITIATIVE 2014
CALIFORNIA CANNABIS HEMP INITIATIVE 2014 - (The Jack Herer Initiative)AN INITIATIVE OF THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA TO END HEMP PROHIBITION IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Legalizes cannabis hemp. Creates and funds new cannabis hemp based industries and jobs.
Permits the use of marijuana by adults 21 and older and licenses, regulates, enforces, and taxes recreational marijuana sales just like beer and wine.
Requires that 50% of excise taxes collected from sales of recreational cannabis be made available to be used for the development, promotion, and assistance in the creation of industrial, nutritional, and medicinal cannabis hemp industries.
Prohibits any and all taxation of medicinal cannabis, and expands the accessibility of medicinal cannabis used in accordance with Proposition 215. Prohibits cities and counties from imposing discriminatory, excessive, or prohibitive zoning requirements and fees on cannabis outlets.
Allows farmers to grow industrial hemp and hemp seed, and allows industries and entrepreneurs to use the crop for the many uses and applications that hemp provides, both historically and modern. Restricts the use in California of genetically modified Cannabis seeds.
Eliminates the unfair practice of drug testing for Cannabis metabolites, which can be retained in the human body for months. Impairment testing for non-metabolized cannabis, a more effective and accurate measurement for impairment or recent usage, would replace the metabolite test.
Mandates that the state establish performance based standards, similar to those established for alcohol, to determine levels of impairment for safe operation of motor vehicles and other equipment.
Allows for the release and discharge of people currently being punished for non – violent marijuana offenses, saving taxpayers millions of dollars annually and freeing up jail space, judicial and crime fighting resources.
Removes Cannabis from the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, which currently allows the Federal Government to Regulate Cannabis as a Schedule I drug. Prohibits California Law enforcement from assisting Federal Drug agents attempting to enforce federal laws that are no longer illegal by reason of this legislation.
Allows for personal use and possession of Cannabis grown for personal consumption. Caps the excise tax for commercial sales at 10% of retail price. Caps the license fees for commercial production, distribution, and sales at $1000.
Allows a physician to approve or recommend medicinal cannabis without fear of repercussion to all patients, regardless of age.
www.cchi2014.org
Could you pass a US citizenship test?
In order to become a US citizen, immigrants must pass the Naturalization Test. American citizenship bestows the right to vote, improves the likelihood of family members living in other countries to come and live in the US, gives eligibility for federal jobs, and can be a way to demonstrate loyalty to the US. Applicants must get 6 answers out of 10 in an oral exam to pass the test. According to US Citizenship and Immigration services, 92 percent of applicants pass this test.
You must get 58 or more of these test questions correct in order to pass.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0104/Could-you-pass-a-US-citizenship-test/Who-signs-bills
Answered 89 of 96 questions correctly for a total score of 93%.
Walmart U.S. to use supercenters as distribution hubs
Wal-Mart Stores Inc plans to use some of its large U.S. stores as distribution centers for nearby smaller stores, a move that could help the chain keep goods in stock and cut costs, Walmart U.S. Chief Executive Bill Simon said on Tuesday.
The plan is being tested and will roll out in the first of three unnamed markets in March, Simon said at the company's meeting with investors and analysts in Arkansas on Tuesday. The meeting was also webcast.
The world's largest retailer sees the economy as "tough" and "unpredictable" around the world, Chief Executive Officer Mike Duke said.
In the United States, the government shutdown is on the minds of the company's customers, Duke said. While Wal-Mart has not yet given specific details of how the shutdown is affecting its business, it was blunt that it is seeing an impact.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/wal-mart-says-u-government-shutdown-customers-minds-132111163--business.html
Seems like the supercenter concept is dead.
Scrap metal thieves grab fire hydrants in Irvine
Scrap metal thieves have grabbed a pair of fire hydrants from the streets of Irvine.
Though it's still a rare crime in the Orange County city, it's the second time in three weeks that hydrants were unbolted.
The Orange County Register reports (http://bit.ly/191bqrm ) that hydrants can fetch more than $300 at recycling yards.
Many cities have been hit by thieves eager to take advantage of relatively high metal prices.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Scrap-metal-thieves-grab-fire-hydrants-in-Irvine-4894277.php
another three hydrants were reported stolen Sept. 19.
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Name: Jesus MalverdeGender: Male
Hometown: SF
Current location: Japan
Member since: Fri May 17, 2013, 11:44 PM
Number of posts: 10,274
