Three news stories summarized & contextualized by analytic journalist Colin Wright.
Flash floods and landslide kill at least 45 in central Kenya
Summary: Flash floods that were initially blamed on a burst dam, but which were later confirmed to have been caused by a river tunnel becoming blocked by debris, and a landslide have killed at least 45 people and injured more than 100 others in central Kenya.
Context: This new wave of flooding brings the total death toll attributable to heavy rains and flooding in Kenya to more than 140 people since last month, and more than 185,000 have been displaced by those floods over the same period; flooding isn’t unusual in this part of the world during its annual rainy season, but flooding has become more irregular and powerful in recent years due to shifts in the climate.
—Reuters
US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it’ll remain a controlled substance
Summary: The US Drug Enforcement Agency will reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, according to sources familiar with the government’s plans.
Context: Marijuana is currently a Schedule I drug, alongside substances like LSD and heroin, and this reclassification would put it in the same category as some types of anabolic steroid and ketamine—substances that are often used for various sorts of therapies, but which are still controlled and require a prescription; this change in classification could have a dramatic impact on marijuana’s status at the state level, as it would reduce the penalties for possession and could make it easier for marijuana-oriented businesses to work within the banking system; recent polls found that 70% of US adults support legalizing marijuana, up from just 30% in 2000.
—The Associated Press
Florida’s six-week abortion ban is now law, with political implications
Summary: A ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy came into effect in Florida on Wednesday, marking a major policy shift in the state.
Context: This new ban dramatically reduces a woman’s options when it comes to abortions, as most women don’t know they’re pregnant at six months, and most neighboring states also have abortion bans on the books, which means traveling to get one performed might require a significant and expensive trip; this ban could complicate things for the Republican lawmakers who passed it in November, as while abortion restrictions and bans remain a key focus for some components of the party, public opinion polls in Florida indicate broad, bipartisan opposition to strict abortion bans, and every time abortion bans have been on the ballot following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, folks have voted against them, even in deeply conservative parts of the country.
—The New York Times
New data show that the Consumer Price Index (one measure of inflation) rose 3.5% in the US in March, compared to the previous year, but auto insurance in the country was up 22.2% during the same period, marking the largest increase since the 1970s (and representing a big headache for car owners).
—Reuters
2035
Year by which the G7 group of wealthy industrialized countries has committed to have completely phased-out coal, with a little bit of leeway left for Japan, which is highly reliant on the fuel.
That’s a big commitment, but still falls short of the target recommended by the IPCC which would require coal is phased-out by 2030 and their economies are completely decarbonized by 2035.
—The Associated Press
One Sentence News / May 2, 2024