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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug. 

Currently, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug, the most restrictive federal category that includes heroin and LSD.

Under this change, it moves to a Schedule III drug, putting it in the same group as some common prescription painkillers such as Tylenol with codeine. 

The White House is stressing that this change makes it easier for scientists to study marijuana, especially around its potential to treat chronic pain and other conditions

“The executive order the President will sign today is focused on increasing medical research for medical marijuana and CBD,” a senior administration official told ABC News ahead the signing.

“The President is very focused on the potential medical benefits, and he has directed a commonsense approach that will automatically start working to improve the medical marijuana and CBD research to better inform patients and doctors. That’s the primary goal,” the official added.

The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to expedite the completion of the process of rescheduling marijuana, according to a senior White House official, who outlined the order on a background call with reporters on Thursday. 

“Nearly one in four U.S. adults have chronic pain; more than one in three U.S. seniors and six of 10 people that use medical marijuana report doing so to manage pain,” the official said. 

By making medical marijuana more accessible, healthcare providers are also hopeful that patients will discuss the risks and benefits and especially what is known about how marijuana may interact with other medications or supplements.

“It’s very important for seniors, especially many of them are on multiple medications, and only 56% of seniors that are using medical marijuana have ever discussed it with their doctor, highlighting a big gap in the quality of care for patients.” 

For the first time at the federal level, the order means the government formally recognizes that marijuana could have medical value. 

“His intent is to remove barriers to research. The president has heard from so many people who have talked about the potential benefits of medical marijuana and CBD use, but he’s also heard from patients and from doctors that there’s not enough research to inform medical guidelines that many patients are using these products without talking to their doctor about them,” the White House official said. 

While this move does not fully legalize marijuana, it could mean some important practical changes, including easier medical access and fewer legal gray areas for consumers and businesses. 

The officials said that this executive order makes good on Trump’s campaign promise. Trump first announced his support for this change in federal policy back on the 2024 campaign trail as he tried to win over young voters. 

Trump has said he’d support research on the medical benefits of marijuana and that individuals should not be arrested or incarcerated for small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

However, this change still means that marijuana is illegal to possess under federal law, the senior official clarified. Changing the federal law would require Congressional approval.

“Anyone possessing marijuana would be in violation of the CSA (Controlled Substances Act) and still remain subject to arrest under federal law. The schedule III change is not changing federal policy regarding that,” the official said.

To date, evidence on how safe or effective marijuana may be for medical purposes is limited due to research restrictions, but nearly all states currently allow some medical use of the drug.

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(NORTH CAROLINA) — Former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and members of his family died when a small plane crashed and caught fire during landing at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina on Thursday, according to the family and officials.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol said it is awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner, but “it is believed that Mr. Gregory Biffle and members of his immediate family were occupants of the airplane.”

Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell told ABC News five adults and two children died on the Cessna C550.

“This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words,” the Biffle, Grossu, Dutton and Lunders families said in a statement.

“Greg and Cristine were devoted parents and active philanthropists whose lives were centered around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter Emma,” the statement said. “Emma was a wonderful human being with a kind soul who was loved by many people. Ryder was an active, curious and infinitely joyful child.”

“Dennis Dutton and his son Jack were deeply loved as well, and their loss is felt by all who knew them,” the statement continued. “Craig Wadsworth was beloved by many in the NASCAR community and will be missed by those who knew him.”

NASCAR said in a statement that it is “devastated by the tragic loss of Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, son Ryder, Craig Wadsworth and Dennis and Jack Dutton.”

“Greg was more than a champion driver, he was a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many,” NASCAR said. “His passion for racing, his integrity, and his commitment to fans and fellow competitors alike made a lasting impact on the sport.”

“Heartbreaking news out of Statesville,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein wrote on social media. “Beyond his success as a NASCAR driver, Greg Biffle lived a life of courage and compassion and stepped up for western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. My heart goes out to all those who lost a loved one in this tragic crash.”

The cause of the crash is not known, said John Ferguson, manager of the airport in Statesville, about 50 miles north of Charlotte.

The airport is closed for further notice, Ferguson said, noting that it will take time to get the debris off the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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LONDON — U.S. Southern Command announced on Wednesday that American forces struck another alleged drug vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people the command described as “narco-terrorists.”

Wednesday’s strike was the 26th since such operations began on Sept. 2. The total death toll as reported by the Pentagon now stands at 99 people.

SOUTHCOM said the “lethal kinetic strike” was launched at the direction of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Joint Task Force Southern Spear.

“Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the statement added. “A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no U.S. military forces were harmed.”

A video posted alongside the statement showed a vessel in motion before it was hit by an explosion. The video then cut to show a stationary vessel on fire.

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(WASHINGTON) — One day before the deadline for the Justice Department to release its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Thursday publicly disclosed another batch of photographs provided by the late financier’s estate in response to Congressional subpoenas.

The cache of about 70 photos includes include heavily redacted photos of women’s passports, images of famous men who associated with Epstein, and “concerning text messages about recruiting women for Jeffrey Epstein,” according to a statement from Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on the committee.

“Oversight Democrats will continue to release photographs and documents from the Epstein estate to provide transparency for the American people,” Garcia said in the statement. “As we approach the deadline for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession. We must end this White House cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now.”

The photos released Thursday are from a larger batch of more than 95,000 images turned over last week by the Epstein estate. The photos were provided to Congress without context, timing, or locations. The images are therefore “presented as received,” the Democrats said.

One image shows billionaire Bill Gates standing with a woman — whose face is concealed — in what appears to be a hotel lobby.  Another shows the philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky aboard an airplane chatting with Epstein.

The appearance of the men in the photos is not evidence of wrongdoing.

Another photo shows a woman’s lower leg and foot on what looks like a bed, with a paperback copy of Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” in the background.  On the woman’s foot is a handwritten quote from the controversial 1955 novel about a professor’s obsession with a young girl.

“She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock,” the quote reads.

Other images include a heavily redacted Ukrainian passport of a woman, with all the identifying information covered with black boxes to protect her identify.  After Epstein’s 2006 arrest and jail sentence in Florida for solicitation of a minor, he was alleged to have turned his focus to recruiting young women from Eastern European countries.

Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019.

A screenshot released Thursday of a text message chat — whose participants are not revealed — seems to involve a discussion about recruiting an 18-year-old woman to meet Epstein.

“I will send u girls now,” the message says.  “Maybe someone will be good for J?”

A redacted description lists the woman’s name, age, height, weight and physical measurements. The message indicates the woman would be traveling from Russia.

Last week, House Democrats made public another selection of photos from the Epstein estate.

The House Oversight Committee is conducting a broad inquiry into the federal government’s handling of investigations into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.  The committee’s efforts are separate from — though at times overlapping — the new law that requires the DOJ to make public its files on Epstein by Friday.

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(NEW YORK) — The evidence suppression hearing in the case against accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione concluded Thursday after the defense signaled it would call no witnesses.

“The defense rests,” defense attorney Karen Agnifilo said after prosecutors indicated they, too, rested.

The nine-day hearing will determine what evidence will be used against Mangione when he goes on trial on charges of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk last year.

The defense has argued the officers violated Mangione’s constitutional rights against illegal search and seizure because they lacked a warrant when they searched his backpack after Mangione was apprehended in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s five days after the shooting.

New York Judge Gregory Carro gave the defense until Jan. 29 to make its final argument about the evidence in writing.  Prosecutors have until March 5.  The defense then has two weeks after that to submit a reply.

Carro said he expected to issue his decision about what, if any, evidence to exclude on May 18, at which point he would also set a date for trial.

Prosecutor Joel Seidemann pushed for the case to move toward trial, noting that Thompson’s mother is 77 years old and is waiting for the case to reach a conclusion.

The suppression hearing included testimony from 17 witnesses and produced new information about the case that the Manhattan district attorney’s office is building against Mangione.

Higher-quality surveillance video of Thompson’s murder that was played in court shows Thompson buckling against the side of the Hilton facade, the suspect calmly walking by the victim and bystanders pointing in the suspect’s direction.

Multiple body-worn camera videos of the hour-long encounter at the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, show officers approaching Mangione, placing him under arrest and searching his backpack.

The body camera footage shows officers collected more evidence from Mangione than previously known, including handwritten notes that prosecutors characterized as a “to-do” list, as well as possible “escape routes.” One of the notes included a reminder to “pluck eyebrows.”

Prosecutors played several 911 calls, and Pennsylvania correction officers testified that Mangione made statements about health care, how he was being perceived in the media, and about a 3D-printed gun.

Defense attorneys highlighted how Mangione was not read his rights until 19 minutes after officers first approached him. Officers testified they believed Mangione was the suspect in the New York shooting and were trying to confirm his identity without raising his suspicions because they were under a “high level of threat.”

Altoona Patrolman Stephen Fox testified that Mangione saw the crowd of media gathered outside for his arraignment and quoted him saying, “All these people here for a mass murderer, wild.”

Fox also testified that Mangione, after tripping on his shackles, said, “It’s OK, I’ll have to get used to it.” 

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(DEDHAM, Mass.) —Brian Walshe was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a Massachusetts jury found him guilty of killing and dismembering his wife, the mother of their three children, with the judge calling his acts “barbaric and incomprehensible.”

His wife, Ana Walshe, went missing on Jan. 1, 2023, at the age of 39. Her body has not been found.

Brian Walshe, 50, pleaded guilty last month to improperly disposing of her body and lying to police following her disappearance. He had changed his plea on the two charges before jury selection got underway for the trial, while maintaining that he did not kill her.

A Norfolk County jury found Brian Walshe guilty of first-degree murder on Monday, after deliberating for approximately six hours over two days.

He faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of first-degree murder.

Judge Diane Freniere said that the sentence, the only appropriate sentence under the law, is “immensely appropriate and just, given your murderous acts and the life trauma that you’ve inflicted upon your own children.”

She said that because of his lies to police, “thousands of hours of investigative resources were wasted, diverted from other deserving cases,” and that his “acts in dismembering your wife’s body and disposing of her remains in multiple area dumpsters can only be described as barbaric and incomprehensible.”

“You had no regard for the lifelong mental harm that your criminal acts inflicted on your then 2-, 4- and 6-year-old sons,” she said, noting that they will “never being able to properly grieve that loss to say goodbye to their mom.”

She handed down consecutive sentences on the three counts, with up to 20 years for lying to police and up to three years for illegally conveying his wife’s body.

Ana Walshe’s sister addressed the court ahead of sentencing, saying the “incomprehensible act” has left her and their mother with an “unbearable emptiness.”

Her sister, Aleksandra Dimitrijevic, asked the court to consider the “long-lasting” impact her murder will have on her children in handing down the sentence.

“The most painful part of this loss is knowing her children must now grow up without their mother’s hand to hold,” she said. “They now face a lifetime of milestones, big and small, where her absence will be deeply and painfully felt.”

The Commonwealth argued that each of the three charges “calls for a harsh penalty” and asked that he be sentenced consecutively, while the defense responded that consecutive sentences would be “inappropriate and inhumane.”

Prosecutor Greg Connor suggested the word inhumane “describes the defendant’s actions and the depravity of his actions, of murdering his wife, dismembering her and getting rid of her remains by throwing her away like garbage.”

Connor said those actions deprived Ana Walshe’s family of a grave and memorial.

The judge said she had received and reviewed sentencing memorandums from prosecutors and the defense, as well as multiple written victim impact statements. One submitted on behalf of Ana Walshe’s children from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Family Services relayed the “devastating impact on her children,” the judge said.

“It’s clear to me that Ana was a bright light in the lives of many people. She lifted people up,” the judge said.

Freniere said she also considered a letter submitted by Brian Walshe’s mother on his behalf, but she said she “simply cannot reconcile the person Diana Walshe describes in her letter with the person who stands before me for sentence.”

“Mr. Walshe, you will live with the guilt and burden of Ana Walshe’s death for the rest of your life,” Freniere said before sentencing him to life in prison.

Brian Walshe did not testify during the two-week trial in Dedham, and the defense did not call any witnesses.

Defense attorneys said during the trial that Brian Walshe did not kill his wife but found her dead in bed on New Year’s Day in 2023 — calling her death sudden and unexplained — and then panicked and lied to police as they investigated her disappearance.

Prosecutors said Brian Walshe premeditatedly murdered and dismembered his wife, then disposed of her remains in dumpsters. The internet history on his devices on Jan. 1, 2023, included searches such as “best way to dispose of a body,” “how long for someone to be missing to inherit,” and “best way to dispose of body parts after a murder,” prosecutors said.

Evidence presented during the trial included surveillance footage of a man believed to be Brian Walshe buying tools and other supplies at a Lowe’s on Jan. 1, 2023. A receipt showed that items, including a hacksaw, utility knife, hammer, snips, Tyvek suit, shoeguards, rags and cleaning supplies, totaling $462, were purchased with cash.

Additional surveillance footage presented in court showed someone throwing out trash bags at dumpsters on multiple days in early January 2023.

Several blood-stained items recovered from dumpsters by investigators — including a hacksaw, a piece of rug, a towel and hairs — and an unknown tissue were linked to Ana Walshe through DNA testing, a forensic scientist from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory testified during the trial.

Ana Walshe was reported missing by her employer on Jan. 4, 2023. Brian Walshe told police at the time that she had a “work emergency” at her job in D.C. and left their Cohasset home on New Year’s Day, according to audio of his interview played in court.

Jurors heard testimony, including from a D.C. man with whom Ana Walshe was having an affair, that the mother of three was upset about being away from her young children so much — who were 2, 4 and 6 at the time — and there was stress in the marriage.

At the time, Brian Walshe and their three children were living in Massachusetts while he was awaiting sentencing in a federal fraud case after pleading guilty to a scheme to sell counterfeit Andy Warhol paintings. He was ultimately sentenced to 37 months in federal prison in that case.

Freniere said Thursday it is her understanding that the federal sentence will run concurrent with the one she imposed.

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