Category Archives: War On Drugs

From an iconic English singers farewell tour to musicals and comedy shows, these are the best things to do in Dallas this weekend (and early next week).

Extend your weekend until Tuesday night with Elton Johns performance at American Airlines Center. On his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, John will perform two shows in Dallas: January 25 and 26 at 8 pm. The show was originally scheduled for June 2020, but the English icon will finally be coming to town next week. As the shows title suggests, this will be the singers final tour, so get your tickets now.

Head to Irvings Toyota Music Factory this Friday night to catch indie rock band The War On Drugs. Founded in Philadelphia in 2005, the band is known for hits like Holding On and Under the Pressure. The group now consists of Adam Granduciel, David Hartley, Robbie Bennett, Charlie Hall, Jon Natchez, Anthony LaMarca, and Eliza Hardy Jones. Tickets are available here.

Beginning this week and going through January 30, Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown will be performing at Winspear Opera House. The 2020 Grammy Award-winner for Best Musical Theater Album tells the story of two intertwined mythic tales. One of Orpheus and Eurydice, and the other of King Hades and his wife Persephone. Dont miss the 2019 Best Musical from singer-songwriter Anas Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin while its in town. Get your tickets here.

Comedian and actor Heather McMahan is heading to Dallas Majestic Theatre this weekend on her Farewell Tour. Recently seen in the new Netflix film Love Hard, McMahan will be performing on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. The stand-up comedian also co-created the upcoming Peacock show, Good Grief, currently in development. Tickets are available for her stint at the Majestic here.

Remember Fluffy? The stand-up comedian is back on tour at American Airlines Center this Saturday at 8 pm. Most recently, Iglesias specialOne Show Fits Alldebuted on Netflix in 2019. Before that, he had five other specials on Comedy Central and more platforms. His first TV special,Hot and Fluffycame out in 2007. Tickets are available here.

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The Best Things To Do in Dallas This Weekend (And Next Week!) Elton John Is Coming to Town - PaperCity Magazine

Harsher sentencing on drugs leads to record numbers of incarceration, yet data shows that the current system has no impact on addictionnor the reduction of illicit drugs that are available.

There has to be a better way, a new series on Roku wonders.

The Roku Channel will debut an all-new Roku Original The Fix, on Friday, January 21. Actor Samuel L. Jackson narrates the eight-part docuseries, which is based on the New York Times bestselling book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, written by Johann Hari. The book was translated into 15 languages as his second best-seller. Hari joined the project as an executive producer.

If Haris name sounds familiarhis popular TED Talk Everything You Know About Addiction is Wrong might ring a bell. Why is itthat most people who are given powerful opioids out of surgery dont turn into junkies? What really causes addiction? Is it the substances that are actually the problem, or something else?

Hari, who graduated from Cambridge with flying colors, argues that locking people up in prison does nothing to solve addiction at the root cause, nor does the system work. The series was directed by Jeremiah Zagar, along with Nathan Caswell, Cassidy Gearhart and Josh Banville, and produced by Public Record, Jeff Hays Films and Story Syndicate. Hari, along with Jeff Hays, Jeremiah Zagar, Jeremy Yaches, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin, Liz Garbus, Geralyn White Dreyfous served as executive producers.

What if the script we know so well hasnt actually kept us safe? Jackson proposes in the trailer.

Almost everything that we, as society, think we know about drugs is false, The Fix Director Jeremiah Zagar said in a statement. The United States has fought the war on drugs for decades, but the painful consequences of addiction continue to rampantly impact our communities. Roku Original The Fix boldly tackles this topic by debunking common misconceptions about drugs and highlighting alternative approaches to addiction. Audiences will walk away from The Fix with a clearer understanding of how we can combat this complex crisis.

The War on Drugs hasnt made us any safer, the series argues. The murder rate has actually gone up, since the War on Drugs began, one commenter says during the trailer.

Weve known the War on Drugs was a failure in solving the problem of addiction for over 10 years. Arresting and incarcerating tens of millions of these people in recent decades has filled prisons and destroyed lives and families without reducing the availability of illicit drugs or the power of criminal organizations, the Global Commission on Drug Policy 2011 report concludes. Most people know that U.S. drug policy heavily influences global policies via the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

The team at Roku hopes to become part of the conversation as the U.S. slowly takes a look at drug reformnotably seen in cannabis reform legislation.

Brian Tannenbaum is Head of Alternative Originals at Roku. We strive to deliver bold storytelling that both entertains and informs our audience, Tannenbaum said. Roku Original docuseries like The Fix do just that by peeling back the curtain and teaching viewers something new about the most relevant cultural topics. We look forward to bringing the eye-opening stories in The Fix to audiences this January.

Some families with drug-addicted family members think that sending them to jail will force them to get clean. Not necessarily. The Marshall Project highlighted the overdose crisis in U.S. prisons. Thats rightthey still have access to drugs once they get in. So, it begs the questionwhat exactly is the point of locking up drug addicts?

Also check out Haris book Stolen Focus, which critics deemed dangerous.

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The Fix on Roku Debunks the Lies Perpetuated by the War on Drugs - High Times

As SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia joined the latest SIT investigation in the drugs case on Wednesday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a separate matter issued a notice to the state Election Commission seeking its response on ensuring a drugs free election.

What both developments, barely hours apart, underscored was that the states rampant narcotics problem continues to loom large over its politics despite frequent promises of a clean-up.

Even while struggling to make neighbourhoods narcotics-free, one thing that Punjabs unending war on drugs has undeniably achieved is evermore sharp political rhetoric on the matter.

In the current poll season, the matter was again pushed to the front-burner by the Congress that booked SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia under the NDPS Act on December 20 last year and threatened to arrest him.

While an interim bail from the High Court on January 10 brought relief to the SAD leader, it gave enough ammunition to Congress political opponents to gun for the Charanjit Singh Channi governments lack of courage in putting Majithia behind bars.

Capts promise and initiatives It was during the 2017 poll campaign that Capt Amarinder Singh tilted the political scales in Congress favour with a pre-poll promise to wipe the menace in four weeks and took a vow of the holy Gutka Sahib.But despite his governments initiatives, the opposition remained critical of the Congress government on the issue. Amarinder, who had to unceremoniously quit as CM in September last year, was under attack on the matter not only from his opponents, but also his colleagues.

After he became CM, Amarinder was quick to constitute an anti-drug Special Task Force (STF). The STF under ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu introduced initiatives like drug abuse prevention officers and buddy programmer as part of governments three pronged strategy of enforcement, de-addiction and prevention (EDP), apart from Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centres across the state.By September last year, over 7 lakh patients were registered for treatment where opioid dependent people are administered de-addiction medicine, a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. There were 202 government-run OOAT centres, including 11 in jails, set up where medicine was given free-of-cost. In addition, the state has over 50 government and more than 200 private de-addiction and rehabilitation centres.

The buddy programme was introduced to form group of five classmates in educational institutions to prevent the vulnerable adolescents from falling into the trap of drugs. More than 43 lakh students enrolled for the scheme. Further, the drug abuse prevention officers were supposed to raise awareness and identify users, high-risk people and vulnerable sections. DAPOs were categorised into two official volunteer (OV) and citizen volunteer (CV). As per the recent data, 6.28 lakh drug abuse prevention officers (DAPO) have already contacted over 11.33 lakh people to make them aware of ill effects of drugs and provided literature on the subject.

The case against Bikram Majithia But while separate initiatives ad probes in various drugs cases have continued, political parties have often trained their guns on Majithia while accusing him of having links with drug racket kingpins. It is an allegation that both Majithia and SAD have denied.

The case against Majithia was registered on the directions of then officiating Punjab DGP Sidhharth Chattopadhyaya and on the basis of the STFs 2018 report. The STF probe was further based on the money laundering investigations carried out by the ED into a set of drug cases from the end of 2013 to 2016.Majithia is alleged to have had an association with those involved in a multi-crore drug scam with dismissed Punjab Police DSP and Arjuna awardee Jagdish Bhola as a kingpin.In February 2019, Bhola was sentenced in three cases 12 years in one, ten years in another and two years in the third case. He was acquitted in other three cases.

Also, 23 of the 54 accused named in the FIR against Bhola were also sentenced after being held guilty under various offences.

These cases were registered during the erstwhile SAD-BJP alliance government in which Majithia was a Cabinet minister.

Over five years later, Majithia is out of power but still at the Centre of political attacks over the narcotics issue. While nothing has been proved in the court of law so far, the allegations cost the SAD heavily in 2017 polls as the party was reduced to its worst every performance in the Assembly with just 15 MLAs.

Even as spotlight has returned to Majithia before the present polls, Congress continues to face criticism for being soft on him and SAD continues to cry vendetta politics. Former CM Amarinder Singh termed it wrong parcha registered due to vendetta, while PPCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu termed the registration of case against Majithia as first step ensure justice in the cases of drug menace.And while the police cases drag and evidence of drugs still being freely peddled in villages continue to surface, the political parties are once again busy trying to out-do each other in promises of a post-poll clean-up.

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War on drugs drags, politics on it rages on - The Indian Express

The War On Drugs have dropped their support acts from their US tour amid continued concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID.

The band are set to begin a run of dates behind 2021 album I Dont Live Here Anymore next week (January 19), and in a message posted to their website, Adam Granduciel also asked fans to wear masks throughout the performance.

Granduciel began the message by revealing that the bands shows in Toronto on February 5 and 6 have been cancelled due to restrictions on the capacity of indoor events in the Canadian state of Ontario.

Weve always loved playing for you in Toronto and have had some of our most memorable nights as a band there, the message said. Were so disappointed to be doing this, but we promise well make it up to you in 2022 (and beyond). Wheels are already in motion as they say

The War On Drugs Adam Granduciel CREDIT: Gus Stewart/Redferns

Going on to discuss the remaining tour dates, and new plans that are being put in place, Granduciel added: Were also requesting that as many of you as possible wear a mask when you come see us play this tour especially if youre in the first few (50) rows. I know were all over masks but for one, it makes me more at ease cuz now I dont get self conscious (and dark) when I see yall yawn out there but also because we want our fans, our crew and our band to stay healthy so we can honour the commitments weve made to every city on this tour. Seriously, we would really appreciate it.

Of support acts, he added: Second, due to this latest Covid surge and our need to exist within the tightest possible tour bubble, there will be no support acts on this run. We know how excited all of the opening acts were for this tour and we sincerely appreciate them being so fn understanding.

A host of gigs have been cancelled worldwide due to the surge in Omicron cases. Most recently, Rina Sawayama cancelled her upcoming European tour and Wolf Alices UK run of dates is also off.

For shows that have been going ahead, a number of acts have been relying on specially trained dogs to sniff outCOVIDbefore a show needs to be cancelled.

As reported byRolling Stone, Eric Church,Tool,MetallicaandThe Black Keyshave brought dogs on board that are able to sniff for traces of the virus in anyone involved backstage, including members of their crew and entourage. If they detect the virus after sniffing peoples hands and feet, they sit down.

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The War On Drugs drop support acts from US tour due to Omicron - NME

This is an audio transcript of the FT News Briefing podcast episode: US shifts from the war on drugs

Marc FilippinoGood morning from the Financial Times. Today is Tuesday, January 11th, and this is your FT News Briefing.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The Federal Reserves second-in-command has resigned. Companies kicked off the new year with a frenzy of bond issuances. And US banks are set to report, yup, more record profits. Plus, the US waged a war on drugs for five decades, now its shifting to a softer approach.

Jamie SmythI think whats driven this shift in, this pivot in US policy at state and federal level towards harm reduction is really the extent of the crisis here.

Marc FilippinoIm Marc Filippino, and heres the news you need to start your day.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Fed vice-chair Richard Clarida is stepping down from his post just as his boss, Jay Powell, is set to appear before US lawmakers. Claridas departure comes after recent disclosures show hed been more active in financial markets at the beginning of the pandemic than he had previously divulged. Clarida is the third senior Fed official to resign in the past few months. They all came under scrutiny for personal trades they made as the central bank was actively loosening monetary policy back in 2020. Clarida will leave the Fed on Friday, just weeks from the formal end of his four-year term. Jay Powell is scheduled to appear before Congress today over his renomination as head of the US central bank.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Companies are eager to raise money before central banks raise interest rates. In the first week of this year, they raised more than $100bn on global bond markets. Its not a record though, its still trailing behind last years blockbuster start, but US deals reached a record pace. Most have been banks and foreign financial institutions issuing in the US, but bonds are also issued by blue-chip names like MetLife and heavy machinery maker Caterpillar. In the lower-rated junk bond market, cruise operator Royal Caribbean launched one of the first deals this year with a $1bn bond.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

US banks are starting to report earnings, and were likely to see more of the stellar performance weve seen throughout the pandemic. Profits for 2021 are set to hit record highs thanks to a surge in investment banking fees. Banks have also been releasing the financial cushions theyve set aside at the start of the pandemic in case of mass loan defaults. That money boosted profits as well. Our US banking editor Josh Franklin says earnings are expected to slow a bit this year, but Wall Street remains bullish.

Joshua FranklinAnd the biggest reason for that is because of the rising interest rate environment that were anticipating for 2022. So this will really mean that banks will be able to make loans at higher rates than they have been able to do. And thats something that banks are eagerly anticipating for sure. During the pandemic, because there was all of this kind of rush of stimulus from the Fed and from the government, bank deposits really did swell during the pandemic. I think in the last two years, JPMorgan, which is Americas biggest bank, saw its number of deposits increase by more than 50 per cent to almost $2.5tn towards the end of 2021. So banks really do like to, you know, use these deposits to make loans, but they havent been able to do that nearly to the degree and at the rates that they would have liked to. So theyre really geared towards being able to make loans in a rising interest rate environment.

Marc FilippinoSo Josh, what else are you looking out for as US banks start to report this week?

Joshua FranklinTwo areas Id flag, one is just on loan demand. So because companies have been able to borrow and raise so much money during the pandemic, because markets were so accommodating, they havent needed to take out as many loans from banks in 2021. But theres an expectation that that will improve in 2022, so corporate lending is gonna pick up. So what banks saw in the fourth quarter and what theyre expecting to see in 2022 is going to be interesting there. And then also just on compensation, you know, it really was a a banner year for investment banking fees, and a lot of that money is going to go into the pockets of the investment bankers, so they will be expecting to get paid big bonuses this year. So itd be interesting to see kind of how the rise in compensation tracks with the rise in investment banking fees overall.

Marc FilippinoJosh Franklin is the FTs US banking editor.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The US government has waged a war on drugs for five decades. Through that time, overdose deaths soared. Last year, they hit a record 100,000. The war was all about enforcement and incarceration. But the US is shifting away from that. Were seeing states legalise marijuana and adopt other strategies. One new effort has become especially contentious. The FTs US pharmaceutical correspondent Jamie Smyth joins me now to talk more about this. Hey, Jamie. Welcome to the show.

Jamie SmythHi.

Marc FilippinoSo Jamie, youve been writing about something called supervised injection sites. Can you tell us a little bit more about this?

Jamie SmythYes. So supervised injection sites are really a key part of this harm reduction strategy. And what they do is they provide a safe location where drug users can attend, they can bring their stash of typically an illegal drug, they can get it tested to see whats in it, and they can consume these drugs in a monitored setting with often health professionals or people present who are able to intervene and reverse overdoses if they, you know, if they happen. In Canada, for instance, they say that since they started introducing these sites several years ago, they have intervened and saved thousands of lives, you know, through reversing these overdoses. So theyre a very important sort of new policy which the US is looking to introduce.

Marc FilippinoJamie, what are the economics of harm reduction strategies versus something like enforcement, you know, police arrests, incarceration and things like that.

Jamie SmythI think what the last 50 years has proven is that vast sums of money that are spent on policing and particularly in terms of incarceration of people in prisons just havent worked. So I think what were seeing is that state authorities and federal authorities are beginning to look at high prevention, education and harm reduction can cut costs. And there have been some studies done which show that for every dollar spent on supervised injection sites, its more than two dollars return. In terms of the fact that you dont have to spend so much money on health, you know, these interventions, emergency interventions to save people from overdosing, the chronic health problems that they develop if they have an episode or an overdose. So I think its a bit of a no brainer in terms of education and prevention and even harm reduction that its actually going to save money.

Marc FilippinoSo why is this strategy politically controversial?

Jamie SmythYes. So whats happened is that some Republican politicians have targeted these sites and said that they actually encourage drug use. This came to a head a couple of years ago when, under the Trump administration, the attorney-general in Pennsylvania took a case against a Safe House Philadelphia project, which was planning to set up the first legally sanctioned supervised injection site in the US. That lawsuit was successful. So that really set back the whole prospect of introducing these supervised injection sites in the US. However, what weve seen is that in New York, theyve opened two supervised injection sites, which city authorities have backed. They are operating, and they say theyve reversed already over 50 overdoses. So these sites are operating at present. However, theyre operating under a grey area because theyre actually contrary to federal law to ban it. So its brewing into a big battle.

Marc FilippinoHow about the White House, Jamie? Where does it stand on all this?

Jamie SmythThis puts the Biden administration in a bit of a tricky spot because the Biden administration has really embraced harm reduction strategies, and it has begun to look at whether supervised injection sites should be funded and introduced on a national scale, but it hasnt taken a decision on this yet. And really, what were looking to see is will the Biden administration embrace these supervised injection sites or is it too much of a political risk to do so, because its likely to face a very strong backlash from conservative Republican elements.

Marc FilippinoJamie Smyth is the FTs US pharmaceuticals correspondent. Thanks, Jamie.

Jamie SmythThank you.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Marc FilippinoYou can read more on all of these stories at FT.com. This has been your daily FT News Briefing. Make sure you check back tomorrow for the latest business news.

This transcript has been automatically generated. If by any chance there is an error please send the details for a correction to: typo@ft.com. We will do our best to make the amendment as soon as possible.

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US shifts from the war on drugs - Financial Times

Here are our top picks among live music options in the Austin area for Jan. 13-19. Check venue websites for COVID-19 protocols and any possible pandemic-related postponements or cancellations.

KVN, Jake Lloyd, Eimaral Sol at Mohawk outdoor. KVN (pronounced Kevin) is a triple-threat, indie-pop supergroup that combines the talents of Austin artists Dossey, Primo the Alienand Lady Heartwing. Bonding over a shared love of 90s R&B and pop girl groups and modern dance music, the ultra-blonde trio began collaborating on upbeat dance-pop numbers with tight harmonies in the summer of 2020. For the second installment of their monthlong residency at the Mohawk, the group presents Jake Lloyd (rapper, R&B artist and half of the ATX hip-hop power duo, Geto Gala) and sultry soul singer Eimaral Sol along for the ride. $10. 7 p.m.mohawkaustin.com. D.S.S.

Anglica Rahe at 3Ten.The Spanish American singer-songwriter released her excellent solo debut album, Reina, in February 2020 right before the world shut down. Two years later, shes still plotting the tour that will introduce the project to the world, but in her down time, shes been hard at work on the follow-up. She plans to debut a new song or two at this show, which will be her last Austin appearance before she showcases at the South by Southwest Music Festival in March. She also produced and engineered the upcoming debut EP for recent Dallas transplant Cameron Cloud, who opens the show. $15-$18. 8 p.m. 3tenaustin.com. D.S.S.

More: Anglica Rahe claims her crown with dreamy release Reina

Jeff Plankenhorn with Scrappy Jud Newcomb at Central Market North. One of Austins most accomplished musicians of the past decade for his work with Joe Ely, the Resentments and many others, Plankenhorn has largely relocated during the pandemic to western Canada. But he comes back for extended stretches now and again, including a January stay that kicks off with this acoustic duo gig alongside his Resentments pal Newcomb (free, 5:30 p.m.). Hell also rejoin Sunday residencies with the Purgatory Players at El Mercado Backstage (11:30 a.m., donations to Central Texas Food Bank accepted) and the Saxon Pub (7:30 p.m., $15) for the rest of the month, and will play a full-band show at the Saxon on Jan. 21. P.B.

Solo Flamenco at Esquina Tango. A nonprofit cultural center that promotes awareness of Latin American traditions, Esquina Tango has presented music and dance classes and performances since 2006. This event, billed as a BYOB and family-friendly evening of flamenco dance and music, will feature guitarist Jose Manuel Tejeda with singers Guille Gonzalez and Celia Corrales, plus dance from Drea Pacot, Genevieve Obregon, Sabrina Latigo andMaria Oribio. $25-$30. 8 p.m. esquinatango.org. P.B.

Austin Symphony Orchestra with Ifetayo Ali-Landing.At just 19, cello prodigy Ali-Landing has already racked up an impressive resume of performances. The 2017 Sphinx Competition Junior Division winner has appeared with symphony orchestras across the country including in Pittsburgh, Detroit and her hometown, Chicago. For Austin Symphony Orchestras 2022 kickoff performance, she will play Edward Elgars Cello Concerto in E Minor.The program also includes selections from Anna Clyne, Richard Strauss and Johann Strauss Jr. $19-$100. 8 p.m. austinsymphony.org. D.S.S.

More: Luck Reunion plans SXSW return, adds new shows with Jason Isbell and Shakey Graves

Red Young Organ Trio at Monks Jazz. At 73, Fort Worth native Young ranks as one of Austins most accomplished musicians, with a resume that ranges from Delbert McClinton to Sonny & Cher to Linda Ronstadt to Joan Armatrading. Hes often found at the Continental Gallery on Wednesdays with drummer Brannen Temple; for this trio show, hell also be joined by saxophonist Michael Malone. Monks Jazz has found a good home for its live music presentations with a sound stage at East Austin Piano Shop. $20. 7:30 p.m. facebook.com/monksjazzclub. The performance also will be livestreamed on the Monks Jazz YouTube page. P.B.

The War on Drugs at ACL Live. The Philadelphia indie-rockers drew widespread acclaim for their October release, I Dont Live Here Anymore, the bands fifth album and first since 2017s Grammy-winning A Deeper Understanding. Co-founder Kurt Vile departed after the bands first album for a fruitful solo career, but Adam Granduciel has continued to guide the group through a series of adventurous and emotionally resonant explorations ever since. A second show follows on Thursday, Jan. 20. $36. 8 p.m. acl-live.com. P.B.

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This week in Austin music: The War on Drugs kicks off a two-night stand at ACL Live - austin360

After a weather-related cancellation last year, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is returning to Manchester, Tennessee from June 16-19. Today (January 11), the festival has announced its full lineup, which includes headlining spots from J. Cole, Tool, and Stevie Nicks, as well as sets by the War on Drugs, Japanese Breakfast, Chvrches, the Chicks, 100 gecs, Herbie Hancock, Tierra Whack, Stevie Nicks, the Weather Station, Denzel Curry, Slowthai, Sons of Kemet, Indigo De Souza, Tinashe, and many more. Check out the complete roster on the poster below.

Bonnaroo, like many music festivals, has faced a number of setbacks in recent years. Its 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The festival was pushed to September of last year. A number of artists then withdrew from the event, and the 2021 edition of the festival was eventually canceled for unrelated issues, namely the immense flooding from Hurricane Ida.

All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Bonnaroo 2022 Lineup Announced: J. Cole, the War on Drugs, Japanese Breakfast, Tool, and More - Pitchfork

Mayor Michelle Wu announced this month the City of Boston, in collaboration with the Core Empowerment Social Justice Cannabis Museum in Jamaica Plain, will offer a series of free introductory informational sessions beginning Tuesday, January 18 on the cannabis industry and entrepreneurship for those who intend to operate a cannabis business in the City of Boston.

Wu said the objective of these January sessions is to increase the number of equity owned cannabis business licensees and applicants in the City of Boston.

As we build a cannabis industry in our City, its crucial to uplift the communities that have lived the harms of previous marijuana laws and enforcement, said Mayor Michelle Wu. I encourage all interested entrepreneurs to use these resources to ensure equitable growth for this emerging industry.

In November of 2019, the City of Boston passed an Ordinance Establishing Equitable Regulation of the Cannabis Industry, which requires the development of procedures and policies that encourage participation in the regulated cannabis industry by communities that have been disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs particularly the Black and Latino communities.

In March 2021 Jamaica Plains first adult-use cannabis dispensary and the nations first Social Justice Cannabis Museum opened in Hyde Square.

Core Cannabiss Seed Dispensary and attached Social Justice Cannabis Museum opened at 401 Centre St. in Jamaica Plain. Eighty-two percent of Core is owned by locals, 72 percent women owned and the owners of the company have spent collectively over 10 years incarcerated by the war on drugs.

The Core Social Justice Cannabis Museum is pleased to partner with the City of Boston to host Boston CannaBiz 101, said Cores Chief of Staff Tomas Gonzalez. The three day seminar will provide participants with the tools they need to navigate the legal cannabis industry. The event will include a keynote address from the Cannabis Control Commission as well as a guided tour of the current exhibition, American Warden. We look forward to furthering our mission to educate citizens and elucidate the injustices of American drug policy in our unique space.

These three day-long informational sessions will be held at the Core Empowerment Social Justice Cannabis Museum at 401A Centre St. on January 18th, 19th, and 20th, and will be a resource to benefit all cannabis businesses and entrepreneurs, including Boston Equity Applicants.

The informational sessions will cover every aspect of the industry that are integral to opening and maintaining a successful cannabis business, ranging from: Legislative history of the legalization of cannabis and the need for social justice within the industry; Various Licensing types available from the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC); Financing; How to create a corporation; City of Boston Host Community Agreements (HCA); Site Control; as well as standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for all license types offered by the Cannabis Control Commission.

In August of 2020, the Boston Cannabis Board held its first transactional hearing. In accordance with Massachusetts Zoning Law, Boston must have a minimum of 52 licensed cannabis establishments.

With that, Wu said she is committed to ensuring that all of Bostons diverse communities are able to benefit from this emerging industry. These informational sessions will help identify a pipeline of equity applicants and cannabis entrepreneurs.

For more information about this free series for cannabis entrepreneurs in Boston, including the schedule and list of presenters, interested attendees can RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-cannabiz-101-tickets-208635092177?aff=ebdsoporg- profile.

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City, JP Cannabis Museum offering informational sessions - Jamaica Plain Gazette

The Wombats mark the next chapter in their ever-evolving success story today with the release of their fifth studio album Fix Yourself, Not The World, out now via AWAL. The album was included in Vulture Magazine's "33 Albums We Can't Wait to Hear in 2022" and Inside Hook's "The Best Movies, TV,Books and Music for January." Associated Press name-checked it as a notable release and Stereogum picked it as their album of the week.

The LP includes "If You Ever Leave, I'm Coming With You" which is the #1 most played song at AltNation and #7 on their top 18 countdown and "Everything I Love Is Going To Die," which hit #3 at AltNation. New single "This Car Drives All By Itself," is also out today with a playfully fitting video. The three piece will be playing songs from the album, as well as hits from their celebrated catalogue on their headline US tour which kicks off next Thursday, January 20.

Recording remotely from their respective homes, the band have been working hard to produce some of the most captivating, inventive and forward-thinking music of their career to date. With frontman Matthew "Murph" Murphy in Los Angeles, bassist Tord verland Knudsen in Oslo and drummer Dan Haggis in London, they discussed each day's plan via Zoom, then recorded separately, sending individual files to producers Jacknife Lee (U2, The Killers), Gabe Simon (Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey), Paul Meaney (Twenty One Pilots, Nothing But Thieves), Mark Crew (Bastille, Rag'n'Bone Man) and Mike Crossey (The 1975, The War on Drugs, Yungblud) to mix into the finished tracks. "It was pure madness, to be honest," explains Murph. See the eboy designed album artwork below.

"We're so excited for people to hear this new album! We've explored new genres and pushed ourselves further than ever musically. It will always stand out for us in our memories from our other albums as we recorded it across three cities during lockdown, and we weren't all in the same room at the same time!" says Dan Haggis.

New single "This Car Drives All By Itself" is also out today. A melting pot of space pop, acid house, Talking Heads and gang chant punk, the infectious track is a metaphor for coming to terms with humanity's helplessness. The metaphor is brought to life by the hilarious accompanying video, which sees the band frantically racing around a scalextric track in cars controlled by children.

"The song's about how maybe we're not as in control of our lives as we think we are, and that time and entropy are pretty powerful things. We row but the universe steers, and I want to learn to be ok with that. It all just came together and I'm so proud of how it turned out," Murph explains.

Over 15 years into their career, The Wombats are pulling in bigger audiences than ever before. The viral success of Oliver Nelson's remix of their 2015 hit "Greek Tragedy" on TikTok has enraptured a whole new generation of fans, a feat they've managed to continually repeat since their 2007 debut A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation.

Used in over 600,000 videos (some of which have over 100 million views), the remix has rocketed to over 50 million streams, propelling the original to 140 million streams and sending it Gold in the US. It's helped the band surpass 1.5 billion worldwide streams, also amassing an extra 2.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify in just 6 months; further illustration, if any were needed, of The Wombats' ability to reach new generations of fans through the timeless power of their songwriting and lyrics alone.

Fix Yourself, Not The World is already being lauded by fans and critics alike, the most exciting chapter in the story of one of Britain's most adored bands is well and truly underway.

Listen to the new album here:

January 20 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC

January 21 - 9:30 Club, Washington, DC

January 22 - The Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA

January 25 - Terminal 5, New York, NY

January 26 - House of Blues, Boston, MA

January 28 - Empire Live - Albany, NY

January 29 - Ovation - Newport, KY

January 31 - St. Andrew's, Detroit, MI

February 1 - Newport, Columbus, OH

February 3 - Park West, Chicago, IL

February 4 - The Fillmore, Minneapolis, MN

February 5 - The Truman, Kansas City, MO

February 7 - Cannery, Nashville, TN

February 8 - Buckhead, Atlanta, GA

February 10 - House of Blues, Houston, TX

February 11 - Emo's, Austin, TX

February 12 - House of Blues, Dallas, TX

February 14 - Ogden, Denver, CO

February 15 - Union, Salt Lake City, UT

February 17 - Showbox Market, Seattle, WA SOLD OUT

February 19 - Revolution Hall, Portland, OR

February 21 - The Regency, San Francisco, CA

February 22 - The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA

February 25 - The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA

Go here to see the original:

The Wombats Release New Album 'Fix Yourself, Not The World' - Broadway World

By Linda McDonald Carter

I was almost 13 in the summer of 1967. I remember it as particularly hot and humid. I lived in the E.W. Scudder Homes Public Housing Projects, one of many buildings in a public housing community in the Central Ward. I grew up around Black and Puerto Rican families, working-class factory workers, maids, taxi drivers, beauticians, barbers, laundry workers, laborers, dishwashers, and babysitters.

This is my Newark, before the rebellion, before drugs and guns were brought into our community. I remember the Central Ward as a close-knit neighborhood with lots of jobs, resources, and opportunities for success. We were a family where no one went hungry or unhoused.

In recent years, the city has embraced progressive approaches to community policing by prioritizing violence prevention and a working relationship with the community. But as we reimagine public safety in Newark, its important to remember these tools are not new or foreign to our city. In reality, its a return to our roots; back when public safety was an investment in the public.

Growing up, drugs, guns, and homelessness were foreign concepts. A Home Economics class could turn into an apprenticeship with the neighborhood seamstress. Folks relied on historical cultural skills, their talents, and the survival skills that helped our ancestors navigate through the Atlantic Slave Trade, chattel slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and the Great Migration. We took care of our community. This was the Newark Central Wards Black community. A thriving ecosystem within itself.

On July 12, 1967, everything erupted. After years of disrespect, dehumanization, and mistreatment outside the Central Ward, the Newark Rebellion began. I remember seeing police sharpshooters positioned on the roofs of the projects, aiming into our apartment, and my mother yelling for us to get down on the floor.

I remember hearing the older men in the neighborhood say that the National Guard was told to shoot to kill. I remember the same army tanks I saw in Vietnam news footage surrounding Scudder Homes. I thought to myself, Are we the enemy like the Viet Cong?

In the aftermath, numerous commissions convened to examine the root causes of the Newark Rebellion and other similar uprisings across the country. President Lyndon Johnson and former New Jersey Governor Richard Hughes both held special commissions which concluded that addressing racial tensions, economic inequality, social disparities, and police brutality were necessary to prevent similar civil disturbances.

However, instead of heeding these recommendations, the Johnson administration ramped up policing under the guise and justification of the ongoing War on Crime. His Republican successor, President Richard Nixon, continued the escalation during the War on Drugs.

Year after year, police departments received federal funds that ballooned their budgets from $10 million to more than $300 million annually, triggering poverty, inequality, and racial oppression in my hometown while scapegoating local residents to justify the militarization of police.

This is one of the reasons I became an attorney and eventually opened my own law firm, not necessarily to practice law and make money, but rather to help make a difference in my community. As a lawyer, I could assist with interpreting the language of law and providing direction on how to navigate and negotiate the justice system.

Its also why I joined with Lisa Hendricks-Richardson, Rhonda Pope Stephenson, and Vanessa Williams Powell, to form one of the first and largest African American womens law firms in New Jersey, Richardson, Stephenson, Powell and Carter, LLC in 1996.

All weve ever wanted is to live in peace. We wanted to live in a nice home, make a living wage and take care of our families. So as we look to the future of public safety, its important to remember there was a time in our history where people didnt routinely struggle with poverty, and crime was isolated. There was a time where resources for advancement were well-funded and readily available. And our community flourished as a result.

Newark will always thrive when it invests in its people. An investment in the people is the best money youll ever spend.

Linda McDonald Carter has been an advocate, historian and active member of her native Newark for more than five decades. Linda is the eldest of six brothers and two sisters; aunt of 17 nieces and nephews; grand-aunt of over 20; and the wife of a cool husband.

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Reimagining public safety means reinvesting in the public | Opinion - nj.com