News Roundup 09/17/19
California Just Banned Private Prisons, Including ICE Detention Facilities
A bill banning all for-profit prisons and immigrant detention centers has just passed in California. It is rumored that these facilities could disappear by the beginning of 2020. Bill AB32, which was passed on Wednesday, would shut down private facilities that are holding inmates with criminal convictions as well as those that are run for immigrants. What brought attention to this issue was the public scrutiny these facilities have come under due to the poor conditions immigrants have experienced, such as over-crowding. According to the National Immigrant Justice center, about 52,000 migrants are held in ICE custody, and around 71% of them are housed in privately-operated prisons.
This Startup Says It's Making Odorless Weed
Last week, Canada’s CannabCo Pharmaceutical Corp. announced that a scentless cannabis would soon be coming to dispensaries. CannabCo has partnered with an unknown tech company to create “Purecann”, which is an odorless type of marijuana.
It will spark up like normal marijuana, only the typical smell of it will go undetected.
The point of this product is to give people more options. “A number of users, and people that are around cannabis smokers, complain about the smell especially in enclosed areas, condos, and apartments, and this technology addresses those concerns," Mark Pellicane, the CEO of CannabCo Pharmaceutical Corp., explains. This type of cannabis will also create a more respectful environment, preventing those who cannot tolerate the smell of marijuana from being bothered by it.
New York's Governor is Taking Executive Action to Ban the Sale of Flavored E-Cigarettes
Andrew Cuomo, New York’s governor, has begun to work towards banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes within the state. During a press conference on Sunday, Cuomo explained that all cigarette flavors, aside from menthol and tobacco, will be prohibited. For the past few years, there has been a drastic increase in youth vaping, and the recent outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses are what really brought attention to this topic. Andrew Cuomo also announced that he will attempt to get the very deceptive marketing of e-cigarettes towards children and teens banned. The first step of this process will take place in New York on November 13th with the age to buy e-cigarettes increasing from 18 to 21-years-old.
Nashville school Bans "Harry Potter" Series, Citing Risk of "conjuring evil spirits"
Dan Reehil, the reverend at Saint Edwards Catholic School, has banned the entire “Harry Potter” series from the school due to the possibility of “evil spirits” being conjured if the book is read by a human. This action was actually suggested by several exorcists located in both the U.S. and Rome after being consulted by Reverend Dan Reehil. “The curses and spells used in the books are actual curses and spells,” says the reverend in regards to the popular novels. It is believed that the “Harry Potter” franchise could seduce children away from their religion and introduce them to various occult practices. Believe it or not, the Catholic Church does not have an official opinion on the magical book-to-movie series, but pastors have the right and authority to decide what is best for their school(s).
How My Boyfriend Made Me Fall in Love with Gaming
For years, there has been a debate between whether or not video games have a negative or positive impact on someone’s life. Eve Peyser believed that video games were draining the minds of young men and kept them from bonding with real people. There are even more stigmas regarding video games and those who play them.
The president, the Texas lieutenant and even the House minority leader continue to believe that video games are to blame for the shootings that have been occurring lately, but there is no direct link between enjoying a video game and carrying out the crime.