News | Legalizing Marijuana is “Throwing Gasoline” on Addiction…

Former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick Kennedy spoke with GoLocal LIVE on Wednesday about efforts in Rhode Island once again to legalize marijuana – and what he said is the country’s crisis of addiction, and why he is opposed to marijuana legalization. “We’re going though an epidemic of addiction and depressionand we’re in the midst of the rollback the biggest expansion of healthcare coverage that benefits people with mental illness [and] addiction, and this was the first time the ever got coverage,” Kennedy told GoLocal’s Kate Nagle on Wednesday.

Valley congressman leads the charge for more funding to fight drug abuse

Congressman Tim Ryan is leading a bipartisan coalition of 23 members of Congress calling on President Donald Trump to include full funding of $9.3 billion to fight the opioid and prescription drug epidemic in the United States. “This epidemic is costing our nation $700 billion nationally in health, crime and lost productivity costs, but that is nothing compared to the toll it is taking on our families and friends.

Bono thanks Pence for support in combating AIDS crisis in Africa

The two men met at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday after Pence pledged “unwavering” commitment to NATO and vowed that President Trump will “hold Russia accountable.” Bono, who called the Vice President “the second busiest man on Earth,” thanked Pence for voting twice to pass the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – once in 2003 when introduced by George W. Bush and then to renew it in 2008.

NY Post Writer Avoids Mentioning Wilson’s Contribution to…

The New York Post though usually perceived as a right-leaning newspaper, has room for columnists from the “other side” – including selective and truth-challenged ones like Jennifer Wright. Wright’s February 11 column covers “some of the most gruesome plagues” in human history, in the process promoting a new book that is quite a departure from her previous ventures ” covering sex and dating .”

Violent protesters block Berkeley talk by Breitbart editor

The University of California at Berkeley is bracing for major protests against Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos on the last stop of a tour aimed at defying what he calls an epidemic of… Protesters hurled smoke bombs, broke windows and started a bonfire prompting University of California at Berkeley officials to cancel a talk Wednesday by a polarizing editor of Breitbart News out of safety concerns Some Maine sixth-graders are pushing state lawmakers to pass a bill that would make it easier for residents to keep hedgehogs as pets Some Maine sixth-graders are pushing state lawmakers to pass a bill that would make it easier for residents to keep hedgehogs as pets The handlers of Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog are set to announce whether the rodent will predict an early spring or six more weeks of winter The handlers of Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog are set to announce … (more)

New Jersey set to hand over millions in tobacco cash

Gov. Chris Christie has dedicated his final year in office to addressing the opioid epidemic, but the state’s failure to spend on smoking cessation efforts when thousands of people still die annually from tobacco-related illnesses has drawn derision from advocates and public health officials. Instead of spending millions from a landmark 1998 settlement with the tobacco industry on smoking cessation efforts, New Jersey this year will begin repaying hundreds of millions of dollars to bondholders after converting the settlement money into $90 million to fill a budget hole in 2014.

Guilford Mom Shines Spotlight On Opioid Epidemic

Sue Kruczek didn’t know that when she began talking a year ago about how her son died of a drug overdose at the age of 20 that she would become one of the go to spokespeople on the opioid epidemic plaguing the state of Connecticut. She was at the side of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy last May when he signed landmark legislation placing a 7-day cap on opioid prescription, a law sponsored by Guilford State Rep. Sean Scanlon, another politician that Kruczek has spent much of the past year with at events concerning the opioid crisis.

Youngstown CEO to host presidential party

A Valley businessman is invited to take part in President Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities in Washington D.C. After Trump takes his oath on Jan. 20, Bruce Zoldan, CEO and president of Phantom Fireworks, will be ready to party with the president. Zoldan also mentioned tweets from both Trump and his wife Melania Trump about how excited they are about the party.

Bill to jumpstart research, speed up treatment options

A bill signed by President Barack Obama recently is looking to bring medical breakthroughs and tackle some of the largest health challenges facing Americans. Now a law, the 21st Century Cures Act will speed up the federal review process while reducing bureaucracy needed to approve new medical treatment options.