Latest news with #HouseofRepresentatives'
Filipino Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Senate postpones presentation of impeachment articles against VP Sara Duterte to June 11
Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero has announced that the House of Representatives' prosecution panel will now present the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte on June 11, instead of the previously scheduled June 2. Escudero explained that the Senate and the House of Representatives must focus on approving key pieces of legislation aligned with the administration's priorities before the 19th Congress adjourns sine die on June 14. In a letter to House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Escudero emphasized the limited time remaining—just six session days—to pass measures from the administration's legislative agenda and to confirm over 200 presidential appointees through the Commission on Appointments. He referenced the recent meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Council (LEDAC), where lawmakers agreed to pass several priority bills, including amendments to the Foreign Investors' Long-Term Lease Act, the E-Governance Act, and the Anti-POGO Act, among others. Escudero also noted pending confirmations for three cabinet members, four constitutional commission officials, 39 foreign service officers, and 277 other presidential appointees.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kratom regulation bill clears Rhode Island House
Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy, a Westerly Democrat, rises to defend his bill that would regulate the psychoactive compound kratom during the Rhode Island House of Representatives' floor session on Thursday, May 29, 2025. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) For the second year in a row, the Rhode Island House of Representatives passed a bill that would legalize and regulate the sale and manufacture of kratom, the psychoactive drug derived from a plant native to Southeast Asia. The bill's sponsor, Speaker Pro Tempore Brian Patrick Kennedy of Westerly, returned to the House chamber just in time to see the legislation succeed by a 40-23 vote. Kennedy has been absent from the House floor since April 22 for medical reasons, chamber spokesperson Larry Berman confirmed in a Thursday evening email. Kennedy's successful bill, H5565A, would remove Rhode Island from a list of six states that ban outright the sale and manufacture of kratom. The plant contains dozens of psychoactive alkaloids — the chemicals responsible for an array of effects including stimulation, euphoria and sedation. Due to its interaction with the brain's opioid receptors, some people who use kratom are recovering from or trying to quit opioids. The alkaloids mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are largely responsible for kratom's dose-dependent effects and are the substances most frequently targeted by legislation. Most states do not regulate kratom, but some have started to adopt legislation backed by the kratom industry and advocacy groups nationwide. Fourteen state legislatures have passed kratom 'consumer protection' bills as of March 2025, according to KFF Health News. Like those bills, Kennedy's legislation — and its companion S0792 in the Senate sponsored by Sen. Hanna Gallo, a Cranston Democrat — puts in place the regulatory framework for the drug's sale and distribution with the intent of reining in gray market sales in places like head shops and gas stations. The measure passed last year in both the House and Senate during the waning hours of the legislative session in mid-June. But Gov. Dan McKee vetoed the legislation when it arrived on his desk a few weeks later, citing regulatory confusion and the advice of state health officials. It's unclear if McKee will nix the bill again this year. This year's bill is called the Rhode Island Kratom Act, and adds a new licensing and tax mechanism in coordination with the Department of Revenue, which was absent in last year's iteration. 'We're looking for new sources of revenue for the state of Rhode Island,' Kennedy said on the House floor. 'This actually will provide us with a new source of revenue.' 'The Kratom legislation pending in the General Assembly is different than last year's bill, so the Governor will carefully review the final bill that reaches his desk, if and when it does,' Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for McKee, said via email Thursday. Meanwhile, in the Senate, Gallo's bill was heard in committee on April 8 but has yet to be scheduled for a committee vote. Among the 23 dissenting votes in the House were Republicans and progressive and moderate Democrats alike. Four representatives rose in opposition to the bill, with Rep. Michelle McGaw, a Portsmouth Democrat, reprising arguments she voiced during the bill's floor vote last year. 'I don't think it comes as a surprise to anyone in this chamber that I have concerns about kratom being available on our streets, in local convenience stores, in gas stations,' McGaw told her colleagues. Rep. Chris Paplauskas, a Cranston Republican, said legalizing kratom could strain the state's health care system even further — not to mention conflict with legislation the House passed in April. 'This body also recently voted in favor of harm reduction sites as a way to combat opioid addiction,' Paplauskas said. 'Expanding access to kratom, a substance that acts like an opioid, undermines those efforts and sends a conflicting message.' Rep. Marie Hopkins, a Warwick Republican, offered a cautionary blast from the past. 'For those of you in the room who are as old as me, you might remember a little drug called ma huang, which was really popular in the '90s,' Hopkins said. 'We put it in all our energy drinks. You could buy it in any gas station.' Ma huang is another name for ephedra, which is similar to kratom in that it contains multiple psychoactive alkaloids — including ephedrine, which is synthesized for over-the-counter decongestants like Sudafed and Primatene. Ephedrine, which is considered a regulatable drug and not a supplement, remains available in pharmacies under strict controls. But parent compound ephedra was as ubiquitous as Hopkins described, sold on its own or mixed into weight loss and energy supplements. A number of deaths, including 30 in a five-year period among otherwise healthy military personnel, led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban ephedra in 2004. 'We don't need a repeat of that, and passing this bill will be a repeat of that,' Hopkins said. Kennedy defended his bill. It's much longer compared to the previous effort, at 25 pages — a length at which industry advocates bristled during committee hearings in April, fearing Kennedy's redux departed too far from industry goals. It also incorporates input from the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. He reiterated his belief in the drug's safety: 'The FDA dose-finding study concluded kratom is safe at all dose levels, and they really put a lot of kratom into people for that to be determined.' The dose-finding study in 2024, however, did not convince the FDA to change its stance on the drug. The agency's website, updated in August, still reads: 'There are no drug products containing kratom or its two main chemical components that are legally on the market in the U.S. FDA has not approved any prescription or over-the-counter drug products containing kratom or its two main chemical components, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.' Independent Rep. Jon Brien of Woonsocket pointed out a contradiction between the chamber's decisions when it comes to drug use. He offered the example of the flavored vape ban that passed as part of last year's budget. 'We shut down actual existing businesses in the state of Rhode Island because they were selling grape-flavored, banana-flavored, frutti-tutti-flavored vapes. But we did that because we said, 'The children, we got to save the children.'' Brien said he felt 'terrible' about opposing Kennedy's measure on his first day back, but he pushed forward. 'What message are we sending?' Brien asked. 'We just constantly send these inconsistent messages from this room. You can't vape tutti-frutti, but you could buy some kratom at the gas station and get out in your car and take it right away.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain and UK Strengthen Strategic Ties Through Parliamentary Cooperation
Speaker Al Musallam Reaffirms Support During Meeting with British Ambassador Speaker of the Council of Representatives, His Excellency Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam, has reiterated Bahrain's parliamentary commitment to enhancing the long-standing friendship and strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom. He emphasized the deep-rooted ties and growing cooperation across all sectors, made possible by the continuous dedication of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain, and His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Head of the Commonwealth. Expanding Bilateral Cooperation Speaker Al Musallam highlighted the House of Representatives' keen interest in advancing collaboration in all developmental sectors. He stressed the importance of constructive engagement with the UK House of Commons to realize mutual goals and serve the shared interests of both nations and their peoples. His remarks came during an official meeting this morning with His Excellency Alastair Long, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Bahrain. British Ambassador Commends Bahrain's Role Ambassador Long expressed his appreciation for the remarkable progress in Bahrain-UK relations, noting the fruitful coordination and cooperation in various fields. He praised Bahrain's significant role in supporting peace efforts and contributing to sustainable development goals in the region. The ambassador also acknowledged the positive and active role of Bahrain's Council of Representatives in strengthening parliamentary ties between the two friendly countries.
Barnama
5 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
Ringgit Ends Higher Against Greenback Amid Continued Concerns Over US Fiscal Policy
By Durratul Ain Ahmad Fuad KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 (Bernama) -- The ringgit closed higher against the US dollar and other major and regional currencies on Friday as the greenback remained weak amid continued concerns over US fiscal policy. At 6 pm, the local note jumped to 4.2285/2345 versus the US dollar from yesterday's close of 4.2705/2765. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the US House of Representatives' approval for a sweeping tax and spending bill has added to worries over the credit outlook of the United States. 'This corresponds with the recent sovereign rating downgrade by Moody's Ratings,' he told Bernama. The ringgit traded higher against a basket of major currencies at the close. It appreciated against the British pound to 5.7072/7153 from 5.7212/7292 yesterday, gained vis-à-vis the euro to 4.7985/8053 from 4.8218/8286, and went up versus the Japanese yen to 2.9502/9546 from 2.9768/9812. The local note also traded higher against its ASEAN peers. It improved against the Singapore dollar to 3.2891/2940 from 3.3061/3110 yesterday, strengthened against the Thai baht to 12.9744/13.0012 from 13.0000/0254, and advanced vis-à-vis the Philippine peso to 7.65/7.66 from 7.68/7.69. The ringgit increased against the Indonesian rupiah to 260.7/261.1 from 261.5/262.0.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Stablecoin Bill Approval Could Trigger a Long-Term Crypto Bull Market: Bitwise
Progress on the stablecoin bill in the U.S. could lead to a multi-year crypto bull market, asset manager Bitwise said in a report Tuesday. The Senate agreed to advance the GENIUS Act to a final vote on Monday, the report noted, which means that the U.S. could pass its first piece of crypto legislation this summer. "Outside of the January 2024 approval of spot bitcoin ETFs, this is the most important regulatory development in the history of crypto. It may even be bigger," wrote Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies whose value is tied to another asset, such as the U.S. dollar or gold. They play a major role in cryptocurrency markets and are also used to transfer money internationally. The Senate's Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act mandates federal regulation for stablecoins with a market cap of over $10 billion with the potential for state regulation if it aligns with federal rules. The House of Representatives' STABLE Act calls for state regulation without any conditions. Bitwise noted that stablecoin issuers have to follow a number of regulations but there is no "overarching federal framework." The GENIUS Act provides that regulatory framework. Once approved, this could set the stage for a long-term rally in crypto assets other than just bitcoin BTC, Bitwise said, and the biggest potential beneficiaries are ether ETH, solana SOL and decentralized finance (DeFi) assets such as uniswap UNI and aave AAVE. The stablecoin market could reach $2.5 trillion in size in no time, from $245 billion currently, the report in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
