| Interactive map: Where weed is legal in the U.S. Posted: 17 Apr 2017 02:50 AM PDT  Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have now legalized medical marijuana. And eight states — including Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska — plus D.C. have passed laws legalizing recreational marijuana.
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| After 7 years in prison, a small-time pot grower will reunite with his daughter Posted: 17 Apr 2017 02:39 AM PDT  Corinna Fields, a second-grader, sent former President Barack Obama a letter last year outlining all the things she wanted to do with her dad if he got out of prison. On his last day in the White House, the president granted Corinna her wish, including her father, Paul, among the 310 drug offenders who received clemency as he prepared to leave office. In his two terms, Obama pardoned or commuted the sentences of nearly 2,000 people, mainly nonviolent drug offenders, who he believed were serving sentences that were overly harsh.
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| Cleveland Shooter Disowned By Family On Twitter Posted: 16 Apr 2017 10:27 PM PDT  Cleveland Police issued an aggravated murder warrant against Steve Stephens who has been accused of homicide of an old man that he streamed on Facebook Live.
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| Pictured: Boy, 5, Killed After Freak Accident at Rotating Restaurant Posted: 17 Apr 2017 07:10 AM PDT  His head reportedly became stuck.
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| Entrepreneurial Couple Sees Selling Weed as Social Justice Posted: 17 Apr 2017 02:58 AM PDT  When Wanda James' brother Rick was 19, he was arrested for possession of 4.5 ounces of marijuana – and sentenced to 10 years in prison. According to Wanda, the Texas prison system used him as slave labor, compelling him to pick cotton in order to buy his freedom, while the profits of his work went to corporate interests. Since then, Wanda and her husband, Scott Durrah, have been on a mission to reframe the conversation by capitalizing on the same drug that put her brother away.
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| Golan Druze march for Syrian independence day Posted: 17 Apr 2017 08:02 AM PDT  Hundreds of Druze on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights marched Monday for Syrian independence day, carrying portraits of President Bashar al-Assad and chanting anti-Israel slogans. "God save Syria!" they shouted as they rallied in the town of Masada. Israeli officials say there are about 20,000 Druze on the strategic plateau seized by the Jewish state from neighbouring Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.
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| Turkey's Erdogan declares referendum victory, opponents plan challenge Posted: 16 Apr 2017 03:39 PM PDT  By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Humeyra Pamuk ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan declared victory in a referendum on Sunday to grant him sweeping powers in the biggest overhaul of modern Turkish politics, but opponents said the vote was marred by irregularities and they would challenge its result. Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast and its three main cities, including the capital Ankara and the largest city Istanbul, looked set to vote "No" after a bitter and divisive campaign. Erdogan said 25 million people had supported the proposal, which will replace Turkey's parliamentary system with an all-powerful presidency and abolish the office of prime minister, giving the "Yes" camp 51.5 percent of the vote.
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| 3 Reasons Not to Fear Retirement Posted: 17 Apr 2017 06:45 AM PDT ![3 Reasons Not to Fear Retirement]( "3 Reasons Not to Fear Retirement") Many people are scared of retirement and worry about what life will be like without a paycheck. Preparing for retirement can at times seem like a daunting task. If you've managed to find and keep a job, get married and raise a couple of kids or buy and maintain a house for 40 years, then retirement should not seem like the impossible goal that some people believe it is.
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| A look back at the Virginia Tech shootings: 10 years after shooting that killed 32 Posted: 16 Apr 2017 11:17 AM PDT ![A look back at the Virginia Tech shootings: 10 years after shooting that killed 32]( "A look back at the Virginia Tech shootings: 10 years after shooting that killed 32") In one of America's worst school attacks, a mentally ill student fatally shot 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech before taking his own life, April 16, 2007. College senior Seung-Hui Cho opened fire in a Virginia Tech dorm and then, two hours later, shot up a classroom building across campus. The shooting at Virginia Tech was, at the time, the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history.
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| Cleveland police searching for suspect who broadcast killing on Facebook Posted: 16 Apr 2017 03:20 PM PDT  The suspect is considered armed and dangerous.
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| Small pot farmers in California fear Trump — but Big Business could be a bigger threat Posted: 17 Apr 2017 02:15 AM PDT  Brad bends down to inspect one of his medical marijuana plants on the farm. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Brad and Katherine live a simple life on 120 acres with two dogs, three cats, a goat, some chickens, three alpacas — and just under 2,000 square feet of marijuana plants. Katherine, 31, never smokes pot — though she does bake medical marijuana dog treats for the arthritic family dog, Jake.
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| National search launched for alleged 'Facebook killer' Posted: 17 Apr 2017 04:13 PM PDT  US authorities launched a nationwide manhunt Monday for a gunman who shot and killed an elderly man, and then posted a video of the seemingly random attack on Facebook. Police in Cleveland, Ohio working on the case with help from investigators at the FBI and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), have offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Steve Stephens, the accused shooter. Stephens, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio, who was described as armed and dangerous, was also placed on the FBI's Most Wanted list, a designation officials hope will help raise public awareness about the case.
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| The family that smokes together Posted: 17 Apr 2017 02:42 AM PDT  It was Thanksgiving afternoon in Madison, Conn., four years ago, and the Cecchi family was getting ready for dinner. Just before the turkey was served, Paige Cecchi, then an 18-year-old college freshman, gave her older sister, Lauren, "the look," Paige remembers. "Then we realized Dad had caught 'the look,'" she says of her father, Mike, who is now 66.
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| Army declares loyalty to Maduro as Venezuela braces for giant demo Posted: 17 Apr 2017 03:23 PM PDT  Venezuela's defense minister on Monday declared the army's loyalty to President Nicolas Maduro, who ordered troops into the streets ahead of a major protest by opponents trying to oust him. Venezuela is bracing for what Maduro's opponents vow will be the "mother of all protests" Wednesday, after two weeks of clashes between police and demonstrators protesting against moves by the leftist leader and his allies to tighten their grip on power. The center-right opposition has called on the military -- a pillar of Maduro's power -- to turn on the president amid an economic and political crisis that has triggered severe food shortages, riots and looting.
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| The Latest: Pope decries 'vile' attack on Syrians in address Posted: 16 Apr 2017 05:21 PM PDT  VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Latest on Pope Francis' Easter message. (all times local):
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| Syrian army regains key town in north Hama province Posted: 16 Apr 2017 11:19 AM PDT ![Syrian army regains key town in north Hama province]( "Syrian army regains key town in north Hama province") The Syrian army regained the strategic town of Soran near the city of Hama in the central part of western Syria on Sunday with an assault backed by heavy Russian air strikes, rebels and residents said. "There was hysterical bombing that targeted the town and the whole area and rebels fought fierce battles until they were forced to pull out," said one rebel, a member of the Jaish al Izza group, which has a strong presence in Hama province who requested anonymity. The stronghold of Soran is the army's northern gateway to the city of Hama, the provincial capital.
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| This Is Your Teenager's Brain on Pot Posted: 17 Apr 2017 03:04 AM PDT  A series of studies point out that vulnerable, still-developing adolescent brains don't mix so well with marijuana, but definitive research is elusive.
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| 8 clarifications Sean Spicer would like to make from his Easter children's book reading Posted: 17 Apr 2017 11:29 AM PDT  Press Secretary Sean Spicer has pretty notorious foot-in-mouth syndrome. Recently, he's gotten some heat for saying Hitler never never used chemical weapons on his own people, and then immediately referred to concentration camps as "Holocaust centers." He is, at this point, a sentient facepalm. SEE ALSO: Read the White House Easter Bunny's resignation letter Well, Spicer's talking woes only continued today when he was tasked with reading books to some children during the White House's Easter Egg Roll and he would like to make the following clarifications: 1. Peter Rabbit does not necessarily "embody the spirit of Josef Stalin." Image: Getty Images 2. In See Spot Run, Spot is not "running from the Assad regime." Image: Getty Images 3. They do not say goodnight to "the benevolent President Trump" in Goodnight Moon. Image: Getty Images 4. The Giving Tree does not represent "what's wrong with socialism." Image: Getty Images 5. The wolf is not "in the right" in The Three Little Pigs. Image: SHAWN THEW/EPA/REX/Shutterstock 6. Goldilocks should not have "brought a gun with her." Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock 7. He would like to apologize for being too scared to finish There's A Monster At The End Of This Book. Image: Getty Images 8. Brown Bear does not see "Trump making America great again for me" in Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Image: Getty Images WATCH: The first teaser for 'The Last Jedi' is here and OMG
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| For African-American families hit hard by the war on drugs, pot comes out of the shadows, but slowly Posted: 17 Apr 2017 04:21 AM PDT  Jesce Horton is the owner of Panacea Valley Gardens, a cultivation center and boutique edibles line serving cannabis patients in Portland, OR. Jesce Horton still remembers the advice his father often imparted to him while he was growing up. Marijuana, said the 34-year-old Horton, was always a big part of those conversations.
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| Fugitive Mexican ex-governor arrested in Guatemala Posted: 15 Apr 2017 05:48 PM PDT  A fugitive former governor of Mexico's Veracruz state suspected of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars has been detained in Guatemala after six months on the run, officials said Saturday. Javier Duarte was arrested arond 8:00 pm at the reception of a luxury hotel in the tourist resort town of Panajachel, Guatemalan police said. Duarte had been staying at the four-star hotel for at least two days, where he paid with cash used a false name and was accompanied by his wife, Stu Velasco, deputy director of Guatemala's police, told Milenio television.
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| Trump attacks lead Democrat in Georgia congressional race Posted: 17 Apr 2017 02:11 PM PDT  ALPHARETTA, Ga. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday attacked his political enemies seeking an upset in Georgia's special congressional election, blasting the leading Democratic candidate as a "super liberal" who "wants to protect criminals, allow illegal immigration and raise taxes!"
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| President Trump tweets response to protesters demanding to see his taxes Posted: 17 Apr 2017 10:38 AM PDT  "The View" co-hosts discuss the continuing interest in the president's tax returns.
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| Cannabis Gives 4-Year-Old a Shot at Life After Family's Cross-Country Move Posted: 17 Apr 2017 02:51 AM PDT  Maggie Selmeski, 4, and her family are "medical marijuana refugees," as they came to Colorado from Tennessee in pursuit of pot. It is the only effective treatment for Maggie's epilepsy, which can cause 500 seizures a day.
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| Suspect in Washington state mall shootings found dead in cell Posted: 17 Apr 2017 01:32 PM PDT  The gunman accused of killing five people during a shooting rampage last year inside a Washington state shopping mall has been found dead in his jail cell, a local official said on Monday. Arcan Cetin, who was being held on five counts of aggravated murder, was found hanging in his cell at the Snohomish County jail on Sunday night, according to Rosemary Kaholokula, a prosecutor with the Skagit County prosecutor's office. Cetin, 20, a Turkish-born legal U.S. resident, confessed to police investigators that he had brought a .22-caliber rifle into a department store at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington, on Sept. 23, 2016, and shot five people.
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| Will Tesla Do to Cars What Apple Did to Smartphones? Posted: 17 Apr 2017 07:50 AM PDT  The company's fate rides on the answers to three unresolved questions about the auto industry's future: driven or self-driving? Electric or gas? Private or shared?
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| Lawsuit: Wells Fargo banker fired for not scamming customers Posted: 17 Apr 2017 07:40 AM PDT ![Lawsuit: Wells Fargo banker fired for not scamming customers]( "Lawsuit: Wells Fargo banker fired for not scamming customers") NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey woman has sued Wells Fargo Bank, saying she was fired for refusing to participate in a scheme to manipulate accounts and sell products that weren't in customers' best interest.
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| Bank of America Earnings: BAC Looks to Shake Off the Bears Posted: 17 Apr 2017 07:17 AM PDT ![Bank of America Earnings: BAC Looks to Shake Off the Bears]( "Bank of America Earnings: BAC Looks to Shake Off the Bears") After all, BAC stock has run up some 35 percent since the November presidential election, running circles around the Standard & Poor's 500 index, which is up 12 percent since then. Bank of America, as a result, finds itself entering its first-quarter earnings report in a double-digit slide since its early March highs that has eaten all but 1 percent of its gains in 2017, versus a respectable 4 percent performance by the broader market. The headline numbers: Wall Street has some pretty optimistic views of what Bank of America will bring to the table for Tuesday's first-quarter earnings report.
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| What happened today in France's presidential race Posted: 16 Apr 2017 10:43 AM PDT  A week before France's presidential election, President Francois Hollande warned the candidates against scapegoating Europe, and self-styled revolutionary Jean-Luc Melenchon tore into scandal-hit conservative Francois Fillon. Commemorating the World War I battle of Chemin des Dames in northern France, Hollande credited Europe with "having protected us against war".
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| White House Easter Egg Roll highlights Posted: 17 Apr 2017 09:21 AM PDT  The Trump family hosted its first Easter Egg Roll with thousands on the South Lawn. First lady Melania Trump read to the children, and both she and President Trump kicked off the roll.
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| Buying weed for Grandpa Posted: 17 Apr 2017 04:20 AM PDT  Somewhere in a suburban New York basement there is a small, unused bag of marijuana, a last attempt to help an elderly father in his final days. One day last spring, in one of his series of hospital rooms, his family — a wife and four grown children — argued over what straws they might grasp to build his strength. Pot could help with that, said his son.
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| Police: Woman wearing pajama bottoms robs 6 Utah banks Posted: 17 Apr 2017 12:30 PM PDT  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah woman has been arrested after she was identified as the pajama-wearing robber in at least six bank robberies in the Salt Lake City area, including five in less than two hours on Saturday morning, police said Monday.
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| Sweet dad cheers up embarrassed daughter with an 'accident' of his own Posted: 17 Apr 2017 09:53 AM PDT  Dads can be so embarrassing sometimes, but they can also make you feel better about your own embarrassments. When kindergartener Valerie had an 'accident' last week, she was embarrassed and asked to go home early. But when her dad showed up to take her home, he made her feel better by revealing a secret of his own. My little sis had an accident today at kindergarten & this is how my dad left to pick her up so she wouldn't feel so sad/embarrassed ❤️ pic.twitter.com/veHMFO4QHr — Lucinda Sowards (@LucindaSowards) April 14, 2017 Before leaving the house, he splashed water on himself to make it look like he'd had accident, as well, so she wouldn't feel so self conscious about it. Valerie's older sister Lucinda told Mashable that, "when he arrived to pick her up, he told her 'honey I need to use your back pack to cover up my accident if we are gonna get out of here.'" SEE ALSO: Best father ever creates unbelievable cardboard armor for his son Valerie, laughing, handed over her backpack and they "snuck out" of the school. Lucinda said that Valerie felt like she got away with it, and the stunt helped her, "learn to laugh about it." Luckily, Valerie's accident happened at the beginning of recess, so none of the other kids noticed. With her dad making light of the situation too, there was nothing left to be embarrassed about. Valerie's family also fosters children regularly, Lucinda considers herself a "foster advocate." In fact, the family adopted four foster children on Monday. Based off this story, it seems safe to say they're an ideal family to be taking in these kids, and the internet seems to agree: people on Twitter adored this story, calling him "dad of the year." It's gained more than 200k likes since being posted last week. @LucindaSowards @woahkennedy That's called being a great father. I did the same thing, before. — The MFC Truth (@mfc_truth) April 15, 2017 Others pointed out the similarity to a classic scene from Billy Madison. @LucindaSowards pic.twitter.com/kqHb8PdI32 — Trevor Latta (@LattaTrevor) April 15, 2017 Some people seemed to think it was even more embarrassing. @LucindaSowards @mzneath That's just double the embarrassment! — TheGM ⚡️Westbrook!⚡️ (@Jamigreen23) April 15, 2017 Based off what Lucinda had to say, as long as he's dad of the year in their house, it was a success. WATCH: These awkward shirt suspenders are the garter belts for dads
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| Erdogan slams criticism of disputed Turkey poll Posted: 17 Apr 2017 04:15 PM PDT  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday angrily rejected criticism by international monitors of a referendum granting him extra powers that was disputed by the opposition and exposed bitter divisions in the country. The referendum was seen as crucial not just for shaping Turkey's political system but also the future strategic direction of a nation that has been a NATO member since 1952 and a European Union hopeful for half a century. Showing no sign of pulling his punches, Erdogan said Turkey could hold further referendums on its EU bid and re-introducing the death penalty.
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| BP says crews brought leaking Alaskan well under control Posted: 17 Apr 2017 11:26 AM PDT  BP Plc said workers on Alaska's North Slope had brought under control a company-operated well that spewed oil and gas over the weekend. The leak was discovered on Friday and a team from BP, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and local government was brought in to coordinate efforts. A BP spokesman said details of what caused the loss of control were not available.
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| Twitter Inc (TWTR) Stock Headed For New All-Time Lows Posted: 17 Apr 2017 03:00 AM PDT ![Twitter Inc (TWTR) Stock Headed For New All-Time Lows]( "Twitter Inc (TWTR) Stock Headed For New All-Time Lows") Twitter Inc (ticker: TWTR) may have delivered some much-needed user growth in the first quarter, but the stock remains a risky bet for long-term investors. According to a new report by Aegis Capital analyst Victor Anthony, Twitter's road to success is getting narrower by the day in the face of growing competition from Facebook ( FB) Alphabet ( GOOG, GOOGL) and Snap ( SNAP). Twitter's growth struggles are common knowledge among investors, but Aegis' user growth checks suggest Twitter will report incrementally positive growth user in the most recent quarter.
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| Easter bunnies at Coachella and more: April 16 in photos Posted: 16 Apr 2017 02:25 PM PDT ![Easter bunnies at Coachella and more: April 16 in photos]( "Easter bunnies at Coachella and more: April 16 in photos") Coachella Easter bunnies; Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany steers his car during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix, at the Formula One Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain; Men riding decorated horses are mirrored in a puddle during the traditional Easter procession of Sorbs in Klein Radden, eastern Germany. These are some of the photos of the day.
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| Top US official McMaster visits Afghanistan after bomb attack Posted: 15 Apr 2017 05:44 PM PDT  US National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster arrived in Kabul on Sunday days after the American military dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State group hideouts in eastern Afghanistan, killing nearly a hundred militants. On his first visit to the country as President Donald Trump's envoy, McMaster said on Twitter he was set to hold "very important talks on mutual cooperation" with President Ashraf Ghani and other top officials. A statement from Ghani's office later said McMaster discussed security issues and counter-terrorism efforts as well as reforms aimed at tackling corruption.
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| Bank of America settles racial discrimination case from 1993 Posted: 17 Apr 2017 01:27 PM PDT ![Bank of America settles racial discrimination case from 1993]( "Bank of America settles racial discrimination case from 1993") RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Bank of America settled a decades-old case that accused its predecessor company of systematically discriminating against black applicants for entry-level jobs in Charlotte, the U.S. Labor Department said Monday.
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| Arkansas clears 2 major legal hurdles to execution plan Posted: 17 Apr 2017 05:04 PM PDT  VARNER, Ark. (AP) — State and federal courts lifted the two primary obstacles Arkansas faced Monday in its plan to execute eight inmates before the end of April, but the executions of the first two inmates scheduled to die remained in limbo.
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| Your Home Décor: How to Tricks for Making an Old Room Feel New without Spending a Lot Posted: 17 Apr 2017 02:21 PM PDT ![Your Home Décor: How to Tricks for Making an Old Room Feel New without Spending a Lot]( "Your Home Décor: How to Tricks for Making an Old Room Feel New without Spending a Lot") Planning to improve your décor in a affordable and simple method? Paint stripes, provide an accent wall, paint furnishings pieces, pots for plants, image frames, anything you can come up with that will include a little excitement. If you've made your own drapes or pillows and your material is still in store then you're lucky, go purchase fabrics in the same loved ones and provide some interest in matching but contrasting materials.
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| PM says Britain uniting around Brexit Posted: 16 Apr 2017 03:48 AM PDT  Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday that Britain was beginning to unite behind Brexit, 10 months after the divisive referendum that saw the country narrowly vote to leave the European Union. "This year, after a period of intense debate over the right future for our country, there is a sense that people are coming together and uniting behind the opportunities that lie ahead," May said in her Easter message. May backed remaining in the EU but is spearheading Britain's drive to the departure gates.
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| China's Tianjin port cracks down on coal in Beijing's war on smog: notice Posted: 17 Apr 2017 02:57 AM PDT  China's Tianjin Port Co Ltd will impose measures to curb the trucking and storage of coal months earlier than expected, as one of the nation's busiest ports complies with government orders in its war on smog, a customer notice shows. In March, Beijing called for a ban on transporting coal in Hebei, China's top steel producing province, and the city of Tianjin by the end of September, forcing consumers, miners and traders to use the railroad. A Tianjin based trader estimated that a couple million tonnes of coal has been sitting at logistic facilities at Tianjin port.
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