Latest news with #DinaTitus
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lawmakers get theatrical at annual ‘Will on the Hill' show
Several lawmakers took a break from debating legislation on Capitol Hill to instead recite William Shakespeare at Harman Hall on Tuesday evening. The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) hosted its annual 'Will on the Hill,' welcoming members of Congress, journalists and students to perform popular Shakespeare scenes to fund its youth arts education programs, which reach nearly 20,000 students and teachers across the region. The more than 20-year long tradition also seeks to promote bipartisanship, bringing together lawmakers and political strategists from across the aisle to bolster support for theatre and the arts. Rep. Dina Titus's (D-Nev.) performance of the last scene of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was the hit of the night. Her interpretation of old-English Shakespeare, which included a Southern accent, made the crowd roar in laughter. Another notable performance was the standoff between the Capulets and Montagues, two enemy families, in the opening scene of 'Romeo and Juliet.' As Atlantic journalist Steve Clemons, Republican political strategist Grover Norquist, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) and Fox News correspondent Rich Edson bit their thumbs at each other on stage, the producers noted that giving them foam swords was the safest amid a tense political climate. The crowd then commended Sen. Chris Coons's (D-Del.) impersonation of Brutus plotting the assassination of Julius Caesar in the Shakespeare play of the same name. With political tensions rattling the country, seeing lawmakers fumbling over their words and trying to remember their lines proved to be refreshing entertainment. The elected officials were accompanied on stage by Holly Twyford, a pillar of D.C. theatre, and Renea Brown, an award winning actor. The show also included a stage combat demonstration by STC students. An elementary school student brilliantly played King Oberon in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' and two high school students performed 'All's Well That Ends Well.' STC Executive Director Angela Lee Gieras praised the event as an opportunity for children to express themselves, highlighting the courage it takes to perform in front of an audience. This year's performance was presented by Michael Evans, former Democratic chief counsel and deputy staff director for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, who is an avid Shakespeare enthusiast. Samantha Wyer Bello, STC's senior director of learning, returned to direct her sixth production of 'Will on the Hill.' The STC also honored the memory of the late Democratic Reps. Gerry Connolly (Va.) and Charles Rangel (N.Y.) for their dedication to public service and their year-after-year support of 'Will on the Hill.' Other notable cast members included Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI), D.C. Council chairman Phil Mendelson, DC councilmember Brooke Pinto, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities executive director Aaron Myers, Washington Post columnist James Hohmann and Politico journalist Olivia Beavers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New bill would ease rules on researching cannabis and other schedule I drugs
A recently introduced bill, if it passes, would allow research on cannabis despite its schedule I status, which some experts say could help policymakers 'craft effective' legislation in the future and potentially allow more clinical research on medical cannabis. Representatives Dina Titus and Ilhan Omar introduced the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 (EBDPA) last week, which would radically ease research restrictions on cannabis and other schedule I substances. Omar said in a statement that the law would allow research to catch up with the US's increasing cannabis consumption: 'We need drug policy to follow the science and reflect the reality on the ground in states across the country.' Schedule I substances, including cannabis, heroin and MDMA, are legally defined as having 'no accepted medical use' and a 'high potential for abuse'. Medical cannabis proponents point out that cannabis's federal schedule I status is contradictory, given that patients throughout the US already use cannabis for medical purposes. The Biden administration pushed for cannabis to be reclassified as a schedule III substance, which would alter its legal status and make cannabis-based medicines eligible for FDA approval. But the rescheduling process has continued to stall since Donald Trump re-entered the Oval Office. Unlike rescheduling, the EBDPA would be simple to enact. In its current form, it repeals sections of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 that forbid federal funds from going towards research of schedule I substances, and that require the ONDCP to oppose any attempts to legalize schedule I substances. Still, there are questions as to whether this bill has the ability to pass. Katharine Neill Harris, a drug policy fellow at Rice University, says that the bill is a 'modest proposal' and 'it might be possible for it to gain the bipartisan support it needs to pass'. Cat Packer, director of Drug Markets and Legal Regulation at Drug Policy Alliance, notes that the bill 'has the potential to attract bipartisan support as a modest but meaningful step forward' due to it prioritizing 'evidence over ideology'. Though more comprehensive federal cannabis reform might be in the distant future, 'the EBDPA should be seen as a neutral step that would enable policymakers to study what works – and be better prepared to craft effective, informed legislation in the future', Packer added. On the other hand, Aaron Smith, CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association, doesn't feel as hopeful and said that because of 'the hyper-partisan times we live in, getting this bill, or any legislation, frankly, passed isn't likely in the near term'. Packer hopes that policymakers will see that the bill is vital for shaping smart cannabis policy. 'The federal government cannot meaningfully learn from the experiences of the 24-plus states that have legalized cannabis,' Packer says of the current state of affairs. There aren't ways at the moment for the federal government to scientifically measure cannabis's impact on youth consumption and health outcomes, arrest and incarceration rates, and who benefits economically from legal cannabis policies, versus who is left out. Existing policy is not only outdated, but there's 'an institutional blindfold that prevents the federal government from adapting to real-world conditions and designing effective, responsive policies', Packer said. Ideally, Harris says, the law would lead to 'an increase in rigorous research to inform medical use practice', noting that there are many questions when it comes to how cannabis functions as a medicine, about ideal doses, long-term impacts of different consumption methods, and whether certain strains work better for some conditions than others. While Omar and Titius have emphasized cannabis when promoting the bill, it would allow federal funding to go toward research on other schedule I substances as well. Smith said that 'drug policy should be rooted in scientific fact' and that any step in that direction should be applauded. Harris echoed that sentiment, noting that research on other schedule I substances is 'much needed', given that 'several substances in schedule I – psilocybin and MDMA in particular, seem to have therapeutic effects for some people with difficult-to-treat conditions'. Federally funded medical research on the efficacy of these drugs could advance medicine in the US. 'If there is evidence to support FDA approval for a schedule I drug for therapeutic applications, this bill would mean that the Office of National Drug Control Policy would not have to reflexively oppose it,' Harris said. Should the bill pass, Harris is skeptical of how much federal funding would actually go to schedule I research as 'the Trump administration, so far, has seemed opposed to federal research funding more broadly'. She said: 'This bill is an important and reasonable effort to improve the sensibility of federal drug policies, but the current climate could dampen its short-term effects.'
The Guardian
10-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
New bill aims to allow research to catch up with US's increasing cannabis consumption
A recently introduced bill, if it passes, would allow research on cannabis despite its schedule I status, which some experts say could help policymakers 'craft effective' legislation in the future and potentially allow more clinical research on medical cannabis. Representatives Dina Titus and Ilhan Omar introduced the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 (EBDPA) last week, which would radically ease research restrictions on cannabis and other schedule I substances. Omar said in a statement that the law would allow research to catch up with the US's increasing cannabis consumption: 'We need drug policy to follow the science and reflect the reality on the ground in states across the country.' Schedule I substances, including cannabis, heroin and MDMA, are legally defined as having 'no accepted medical use' and a 'high potential for abuse'. Medical cannabis proponents point out that cannabis's federal schedule I status is contradictory, given that patients throughout the US already use cannabis for medical purposes. The Biden administration pushed for cannabis to be reclassified as a schedule III substance, which would alter its legal status and make cannabis-based medicines eligible for FDA approval. But the rescheduling process has continued to stall since Donald Trump reentered the oval office. Unlike rescheduling, the EBDPA would be simple to enact. In its current form, it repeals sections of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998 that forbid federal funds from going towards research of schedule I substances, and that require the ONDCP to oppose any attempts to legalize schedule I substances. Still, there are questions as to whether this bill has the ability to pass. Katharine Neill Harris, a drug policy fellow at Rice University, says that the bill is a 'modest proposal' and 'it might be possible for it to gain the bipartisan support it needs to pass'. Cat Packer, director of Drug Markets and Legal Regulation at Drug Policy Alliance, notes that the bill 'has the potential to attract bipartisan support as a modest but meaningful step forward' due to it prioritizing 'evidence over ideology'. Though more comprehensive federal cannabis reform might be in the distant future, 'the EBDPA should be seen as a neutral step that would enable policymakers to study what works – and be better prepared to craft effective, informed legislation in the future,' Packer added. On the other hand, Aaron Smith, CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association, doesn't feel as hopeful and that because of 'the hyper-partisan times we live in, getting this bill, or any legislation, frankly, passed isn't likely in the near term'. Packer hopes that policymakers will see that the bill is vital for shaping smart cannabis policy. 'The federal government cannot meaningfully learn from the experiences of the 24-plus states that have legalized cannabis,' Packer says of the current state of affairs. There aren't ways at the moment for the federal government to scientifically measure cannabis' impact on youth consumption and health outcomes, arrest and incarceration rates, and who benefits economically from legal cannabis policies, versus who is left out. Existing policy is not only outdated, but there's 'an institutional blindfold that prevents the federal government from adapting to real-world conditions and designing effective, responsive policies', Packer said. Ideally, Harris says the law would lead to 'an increase in rigorous research to inform medical use practice', noting that there are many questions when it comes to how cannabis functions as a medicine, about ideal doses, long term-impacts of different consumption methods, and whether certain strains work better for some conditions than others. While Omar and Titius have emphasized cannabis when promoting the bill, it would allow federal funding to go toward research on other schedule I substances as well. Smith said that 'drug policy should be rooted in scientific fact' and that any step in that direction should be applauded. Harris echoed that sentiment, noting that research on other schedule I substances is 'much needed,' given that 'several substances in schedule I – psilocybin and MDMA in particular, seem to have therapeutic effects for some people with difficult-to-treat conditions'. Federally funded medical research on the efficacy of these drugs could advance medicine in the US. 'If there is evidence to support FDA approval for a schedule I drug for therapeutic applications, this bill would mean that the Office of National Drug Control Policy would not have to reflexively oppose it,' Harris said. Should the bill pass, Harris is skeptical of how much federal funding will actually go to schedule I research as 'the Trump administration, so far, has seemed opposed to federal research funding more broadly'. Still, she says: 'This bill is an important and reasonable effort to improve the sensibility of federal drug policies, but the current climate could dampen its short-term effects.'
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
President Trump continues push for ‘no tax on tips'
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — While President Donald Trump continues to call for an end to federal taxes on tips, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are trying to put that into action. Especially Congress members from Nevada, which has the nation's highest concentration of tipped workers. 'I support no tax on tips, but I think it has to be done in a fair way,' Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) said. Congresswoman Dina Titus says it should come with a minimum wage raise. She's cosponsoring the 'TIPS Act' to do that. 'You've got to be sure that employers don't shift the burden just to tips for income,' Titus said. But some tax policy analysts say that shift could be an unintended consequence. 'Could be that…you do see suddenly a big adoption of tips in a bunch of new industries,' Tax Foundation Senior Tax Policy Analyst Alex Muresianu said. Muresianu says tipped workers make up less than 5% of the labor force, and an even smaller portion earn enough to owe taxes. 'A substantial chunk of tipped workers would not see a benefit from the policy,' Muresianu said. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) says tax relief for those in the service industry is worth pursuing. 'That's my family. Working in that industry, my father worked in that industry. If there's a way that we can help them keep more money in their pockets, I'm always going to fight to figure out how to make that happen,' Cortez Masto said. Cortez Masto is cosponsoring a bipartisan bill but she says other policies, like the Child Tax Credit, need to be part of the picture. 'It should be a comprehensive approach and that's what I'm looking for,' Cortez Masto said. The policy is estimated to cost about $110 billion over a decade. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
