deerstalker
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York state on Monday decriminalized recreational marijuana use, meaning possession of small amounts of the drug will be punished with fines rather than jail time, a step short of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s goal of legalizing pot.
Cuomo said the measure would also allow a mechanism for clearing the records of people who had been criminally convicted of possessing small amounts of marijuana.
Eleven U.S. states plus the District of Columbia have fully legalized recreational marijuana use since Colorado first did so in 2014, according to the Marijuana Policy Project lobbying group. Another 15 states including New York have decriminalized it.
“By providing individuals who have suffered the consequences of an unfair marijuana conviction with a path to have their records expunged and by reducing draconian penalties, we are taking a critical step forward in addressing a broken and discriminatory criminal justice process,” said Cuomo.
Over 360,000 people were arrested for possession of marijuana in the state of New York from 2008 to 2017, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Democratic governor said in December that legalizing recreational marijuana use was one of his top legislative priorities for 2019, a reverse from his position on the issue during his previous two terms. He argued that revenue from taxing the drug could help address a number of needs, including New York City’s troubled subway system, which is desperately in need of major repairs and upgrades. A state report at the time estimated the legal market for marijuana at between $1.7 billion and $3.5 billion annually.
New York lawmakers’ efforts to legalize marijuana collapsed in June amid disagreement among Democrats on how to regulate the industry, prompting the introduction of the decriminalization bill.
The failure to legalize marijuana fully highlights a split among New York Democrats, who control both of the state‘s legislative chambers after capturing the state senate in November’s elections.
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. During the administration of former President Barack Obama, the U.S. government largely permitted states to determine how to handle the issue on their own, but the Justice Department under President Donald Trump has allowed prosecutors to enforce federal law even in states where marijuana is legal.
(Reporting by Matthew Lavietes; Editing by Scott Malone, David Gregorio, and Dan Grebler)
I am a fan of Domestic Tony Stark. Call me a sucker for a good father/daughter relationship, but the minute that Morgan H. Stark appeared in Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, I was a goner. So now, Marvel has decided it’s time to drive the knife in deeper and continue to give us content that we want and need in our lives: Tony Stark just existing with Pepper Potts and Morgan.
In this scene, there’s just, like, a deer outside, they have an alpaca somewhere, and Morgan Stark is running around in this farmland dream with her Rescue mask on. Is this the world I’m going to pretend Tony Stark still exists in? You betcha!
The thing about this family dynamic is that it was a shock for many fans, because Tony Stark’s idea of “domestic” life had been buying Pepper a giant stuffed animal and nearly killing her. So to see him suddenly a doting father who figured out time travel and then went to have a juice pop with his kid? A great change of pace.
The scene is simple: Pepper and Tony are making lunch together while Morgan is outside playing; they’re talking about Tony’s alpaca and how he keeps getting Pepper’s gojis. When the time comes, Tony goes outside to get Morgan for her lunch. (So, assume this takes place right before the Avengers show up.)
So, of course, I fell in love with Gerald. An alpaca that we don’t actually see, he’s just there, eating their things, and making Pepper’s life that much more difficult, because when is being with Tony Stark anything easy? Gerald is a great character—just an alpaca, living his life, wanting to be part of the family and get his gojis.
More importantly, though, this scene gave us this little tidbit:
Who runs the Stark household? Not Anthony Edward Stark or Virginia Pepper Potts. No, that title goes to Morgan Stark, whose parents call her “Madam Secretary” and who clearly gets to be a spoiled kid because Tony Stark wants to shower her with the love that he never really got from his father.
I understand why this is a deleted scene. Part of me agrees with the decision to cut it, but now that I have knowledge of Gerald the alpaca, I want nothing more than to see Tony Stark tending to his pets and letting Morgan run around with them. (Also, did you know that Robert Downey Jr. actually owns alpacas?)
There’s going to be a lot more Avengers: Endgame content coming our way with the home release, and honestly, give it to me. Let me cry some more about these superheroes and live in my fanfiction dream that Tony Stark ended up fine and is watching Peter Parker and Morgan Stark try to feed his alpacas. You can’t take that away from me!
(image: Marvel Entertainment)
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Words: David Andry / Art: Alejandro Aragon / Colors: Jason Wordie / Letters: Deron Bennett / Vault Comics
I will always have room in my heart, and on my reading list, for apocalyptic stories. There is this fascination with the human experience in settings where the world has gone to proverbial and literal feces. This first issue of Resonant opens on Paxton in just such a situation. He’s father to three kids — Bec, Stef and Ty — and they’ve made their home out somewhere in the woods. It’s been some ten years since the “big crisis” that has reshaped the world.
Resonant centers on a phenomenon called “The Waves” which bring out the worse of humanity’s impulses. That could explain why Paxton and his family are out here in the sticks, safely away from large crowds of people. It is hinted that these Waves have different impacts on different people, causing some to turn to self harm. So a heads up, that may be a trigger warning for later issues.
Writer Andry has his work cut out for him as he’s telling an apocalyptic story with a family, and children, involved. Within this issue he sets up the family dynamic of Paxton, a man, a protector, a father who is on a mission in a unforgiving world, ever hopeful. The youngest of his children, Ty, is coming to the end of his supply of medicine that he needs to survive. Paxton must venture out and leave his beloved children alone. They will have to fend for themselves and protect themselves while he’s gone.
I’m most interested in Bec, the oldest of the crew. She’s not only featured on the cover, she’s the first person in the opening pages and one of the last persons we see on the last page. Paxton has left her in charge. She’s a bit of a pessimist to her father’s optimism: she doesn’t think he’ll find what he’s looking for out there and wishes he’d be more real with the younger, more frail member of their family. She’s easy to spot and follow along the pages with her brown skin, mass of curly hair, and forearm crutches. It’s not often we get a disabled little Black girl in a comic so she’s piqued my interest. I’m especially loving the opening pages of young Bec outdoors planting a seed of some kind, promising to return. There’s a few more sequences that take your breath away, detailing the most mundane things.
Artist Aragon sketches out this new world left in a bad way with ease: Paxton and his family eek out their lives in a secluded place. The scenery is beautiful. The artwork turns frantic when “The Waves” hit. It’s a glorious mess of art that fills the pages with a red tinge. It is terrifying. Shout out to colorist Wordie for complimenting the art along with letterer Bennett. Their skills make the moments when the Waves hit more impactful with their skills. The moments get more intense and it is more visually jarring and horrifying as it plays out — this is art that is benefiting of the narrative.
Issue #1 of Resonant gives us a taste of a family separated in a world cruel and disparate and it has crawled under my skin with an uneasy, creepy feeling that there’s more horror to come. Pick this one up if you like apocalyptic stories and comics that speak to something dark and creepy in all the worst ways, even in the light.
8.9 Tension Filled Moments Upon Meeting Another Person On A Highway When The World’s Gone to Shit Out of 10
See our other reviews of Vault Comics here.
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The post Resonant #1 Is Right For Fans of Post-Apoc Comics appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.