State House of Representatives passes bills seeking to increase fight against opioids

The Washington House passed measures Friday that require drug manufacturers and doctors to do more to fight opioid abuse, part of an effort to save the lives of hundreds of state residents who die as result of overdose every year. House Bill 1047 was passed by an 86-12 vote, while House Bill 2489 received unanimous approval.

US Navy probes alleged drug use by sailors in Japan

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating Yokosuka-based sailors for alleged drug use and distribution," the 7th Fleet said, referring to its home base southwest of Tokyo. "The Navy has zero tolerance for drug abuse and takes all allegations involving misconduct of our sailors, navy civilians and family members very seriously," it said in a comment emailed to AFP.

U.S. Navy Probes Suspected Drug Selling, Use Among Sailors in Japan

Military is investigating at least a dozen sailors for suspicion of buying, selling, and using LSD, ecstasy and other drugs WASHINGTON-The U.S. Navy is investigating at least a dozen U.S. sailors based in Japan, some serving aboard the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, for suspicion of buying, selling, and using LSD, ecstasy and other drugs, U.S. Navy officials said Friday.

Koh: I can bring change locally, nationally

The Dan Koh who participated in a Tuesday forum alongside other 3rd Congressional District candidates was polished and performative, offering brief snippets of opinion within sound-bite criticism of the Trump administration. Two days later, the Dan Koh who sat down with The Sun's editorial board was still critical of the president, but spoke in a measured, cerebral manner, explaining and holding firm to specific positions on health care, immigration and more.

Illinois governor denies clemency for veteran facing deportation

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has denied clemency for a Chicago veteran who is facing deportation after serving two tours in Afghanistan with the US Army, CNN affiliate WLS reported. "It's not appropriate to go into detail on reason for a decision, but we take every review of clemency and pardon very seriously," Rauner told WLS.

Opioid makers gave $10M to advocacy groups amid epidemic

Companies selling some of the most lucrative prescription painkillers funneled millions of dollars to advocacy groups that in turn promoted the medications' use, according to a report released Monday by a U.S. senator. The investigation by Missouri's Sen. Claire McCaskill sheds light on the opioid industry's ability to shape public opinion and raises questions about its role in an overdose epidemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of American lives.

West Virginia AG announces proposal to crack down on opioids abuse

West Virginia's Attorney General Patrick Morrisey on Tuesday proposed a five-point strategy to rein in opioids abuse in his hard-hit corner of Appalachia, from an "enforcement surge" of 150 state troopers to limiting certain fills of pain pills to just three days. The legislative package would shield prescribers who decline to prescribe opioids - so doctors don't put economic incentives over safe care - tighten up prescribing practices under the state Medicaid program and force doctors to crosscheck a prescribing database every time they write a script for opioids, instead of just once a year.

Analysis: Amid powerful images, Trump offer few solutions

President Donald Trump claps at his first State of the Union address in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol to a joint session of Congress Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 in Washington. President Donald Trump claps at his first State of the Union address in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol to a joint session of Congress Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 in Washington.

Former Gang Members Offer Advice on How to Combat MS-13

October, 2013, a drug dealer in Los Angeles nicknamed Dreamer organized an international conference call with members of MS-13, the Salvadoran-American street gang. There are roughly ten thousand MS-13 members in the United States, and some fifty thousand spread throughout Central America, but the gang is diffuse and disorganized, grouped in a loose patchwork of local chapters known as cliques.

Report: Honduras’s new top cop helped cartel move coke

In this Jan. 15, 2018 photo, Honduras' new national Police Chief Jose David Aguilar Moran, center, leaves after a ceremony that transferred command to him in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. When Aguilar took over as Honduras' new national police chief, he promised to continue reforming a law enforcement agency stained by corruption and complicity with drug cartels, but a confidential government security report obtained by the Associated Press says Aguilar himself helped a cartel leader pull off the delivery of nearly a ton of cocaine in 2013.

Utah Representatives: We don’t support recreational marijuana – but…

Red tape, bureaucratic hurdles and arbitrary roadblocks are pervasive in Washington, D.C. These obstacles not only result in irritation and inconvenience, but also have the capacity to cause great harm to the health and happiness of those suffering from painful disorders and diseases. Barriers to medical-grade marijuana research may be resulting in the preventable and unnecessary pain of countless Americans.

Coast Guard to Offload $721 Mln of Seized Cocaine

The U.S. Coast Guard will offload more than 47,000 pounds of cocaine worth over $721 million Thursday at 9:30 a.m., which was seized in 23 separate interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean by U.S. and Canadian forces operating in international waters off the coast of Central and South America. Senior U.S. and Canadian officials will be at the offload to discuss new tactics used by transnational organized crime groups and to highlight international cooperation in combating the threat posed by these dangerous groups.

Congress members urge Trump to ease off legalized pot states

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Colorado Rep. Jared Polis are leading a bipartisan push urging President Donald Trump to reinstate an Obama-era policy discouraging federal prosecutors from targeting individuals involved in the marijuana trade in states that have legalized the drug. The Democrats and 52 other members of Congress have written a letter dated Thursday to Trump, after Attorney General Jeff Sessions lifted the policy earlier this month.

NJ marijuana: Old Bridge Council looks to bana

Township officials are hoping to come up with an ordinance that, if approved by the council, would ban the sale of recreational marijuana in Old Bridge, should it be legalized in the state. CIA Director Mike Pompeo says the intelligence agency is bolstering efforts to help interdict shipments to the North Korea regime, which he said is moving "ever closer" to putting Americans at risk with its nuclear weapons.