December 5, 2020 News Summary
US Politics and Economics
The U.S. House of Representatives has voted on the issue of decriminalizing cannabis for the first time. In a 228-164 vote, the lower chamber of Congress voted in favor of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which decriminalizes cannabis at the federal level, and also expunges certain marijuana-related criminal records. States, however, still have the power to pass their own laws and regulations regarding marijuana. The vote was split on party lines, with all but 6 Democrats voting in favor of the bill and all but 5 Republicans voting against it. Despite the House vote, it is unlikely to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, criticized Democrats for voting on the subject of drugs when a COVID Relief Package bill remains to be voted on. House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler said that the legislation would “reverse the failed policy of criminalizing marijuana on the federal level,” referring to policies and movements such as the War on Drugs. Currently, 36 states and Washington DC have legalized medical cannabis, and 15 states have legalized it for recreational use.
Texas Politics
In Corpus Christi, seven Magellan Midstream Partners employees were injured when a storage tank exploded. Manager Mark Calhoun states, “...we don't really know just yet what happened, what caused the fire. We will absolutely fully cooperate with the investigation ... and Magellan will also complete a thorough internal investigation as well.” Gov. Greg Abbott declared, “The state is ready to deploy additional resources to respond to this event and keep the community safe. Cecilia and I ask all Texans to join us in prayer for those injured in this explosion, for our first responders, and for the safety of those in the area."
Health
According to, CDC’s COVID Data Tracker, as of December 5, 2020, 12:32 PM, there are 14.25 million cases nationwide and 277k deaths. Currently, Texas leads with 1.32 million cases, while California follows with 1.28 million cases.
(CNN) Hospitals across the US are continuously put under great pressure due to the record-breaking amount of cases. Dr. Megan Ranney, a CNN medical analyst and director of the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health at Brown University in Providence, states, "We're seeing day-by-day increasing numbers of patients with Covid-19, both those who are a little bit sick and those who are really sick."
Southeast US Weather
(Atlantic)There are currently no disturbances or storms in the area because of the cold fronts moving into the Caribbean sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Visit here for more information.
(Pacific) Despite the cold fronts, there are a few possible high-pressure areas located south of Mexico’s east coast that may form into a disturbance.
(Local) Temperatures today are cold and will reach a low of 45 degrees Fahrenheit and a high of 70 degrees in the next week. On Friday, there’s a 55% chance of rainfall.
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Writers:
US Politics and Economics: Dylan, Miranda, Caleb, and Annabelle
Texas Politics: Stephanie, Vicki, and Megan
Health: Matthew, David, and Owen
Southeast US Weather: Simon
Editor: VIA
(All writers and editors are in middle to high school)