Marijuana pardons affect just a sliver of those swept up in the war on drugs
President Joe Biden’s decision last month to pardon thousands of people who had been convicted of marijuana possession under federal law was an acknowledgment that his administration does not see possession of cannabis, with no intent to sell or distribute, as a public safety threat. But such people represent just a sliver of those swept up in the decadeslong war on drugs. A majority of marijuana convictions have been state crimes, which Biden does not have the authority to pardon. And while many advocates welcomed the presidential act of forgiveness, they say far too many people — many of them Black and Latino — are not eligible for the pardons.
Ga. Senate runoff between Warnock, Walker has bitter closing
The extended Senate campaign in Georgia between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, football legend Herschel Walker, has grown increasingly bitter ahead as their Dec. 6 runoff nears. With Democrats already assured control of the Senate, it’s a striking contrast from two years ago, when the state’s twin Senate runoffs were mostly about which party would control the chamber in Washington. Warnock casts Walker as unqualified and unfit for office. Walker mocks Warnock as a hypocrite beholden to President Joe Biden. The broadsides reflect the candidates’ furious push in the four weeks between the Nov. 8 general election and runoff to persuade their supporters to cast another ballot.
Pockets of shelling across Ukraine as wintry warfare looms
Officials say shelling by Russian forces has hit several areas in eastern and southern Ukraine overnight as utility crews scramble to restore power, water and heating from widespread strikes. With persistent snowfall blanketing the capital, Kyiv, on Sunday, analysts predicted that wintry weather could have an increasing impact on the conflict that has been raging since Russian forces invaded Ukraine more than nine months ago. State power grid Ukrenergo said electricity producers are now supplying about 80% of demand, up from 75% a day prior. Russian rockets hit unspecified railroad facilities in Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, on Sunday. No injuries were immediately reported.
US Soccer briefly scrubs emblem from Iran flag at World Cup
The U.S. Soccer Federation briefly displayed Iran’s national flag on social media without the emblem of the Islamic Republic. The federation described the move as a show of support for protesters in Iran ahead of the two nations’ World Cup match Tuesday. The federation says in a statement Sunday that it decided to forego the official flag on social media accounts to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.” The move comes as nationwide protests challenging Tehran’s theocratic government continue in Iran.
Newborn among 7 dead in landslide on Italy’s Ischia island
Search teams have recovered seven dead, including a three week-old infant, buried in mud and debris that hurtled down a mountainside and through a densely populated port city on the resort island of Ischia, officials said Sunday. The Naples prefect confirmed that five people remained missing, and feared buried under the debris of an enormous landslide that struck Casamicciola before dawn on Saturday. Its force collapsed buildings and pushed vehicles into the sea. Luca Cari, the spokesman for Italian firefighters told RAI state TV that the risks of landslides remained in the highest part of the town, near where heavy rainfall loosened a chunk of mountainside, requiring search teams to enter by foot.
Kim’s daughter appears again, heating up succession debate
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter made a public appearance again, this time with missile scientists and more honorific titles as her father’s “most beloved” or “precious” child. She’s only about 10, but her new, bold photos released Sunday by state media are deepening the debate over whether she’s being primed as a successor. She took group photos with scientists and others involved in what the reports called the test-launch of its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile earlier this month. South Korea’s spy service said last week that she is Kim’s second child, Ju Ae, who is approximately 10 years old.
By wire sources