How German media attention idealises female Ukrainian refugees 
South Africa’s youth are a generation lost under democracy – study 
Term limits aren’t the answer 
Trump-proofing Nato: why Europe’s current nuclear deterrents may not be enough to face biggest threats since WWII 
Britain is not as broken as everyone seems to think 
What early 2024 polls are revealing about voters of color and the GOP 
Taiwan is experiencing millions of cyberattacks every day 
Over 26 million South Africans get a social grant. Fear of losing the payment used to be a reason to vote for the ANC, but no longer – study 
US Supreme Court upended decades of precedent in 2022 by allowing voters to vote with gerrymandered maps instead of fixing the congressional districts first 
US Urges China, Russia to Reject AI Control in Nuclear Arms, Align with Global Norms 
Last week, US President Joe Biden announced that he would issue pardons to those convicted of federal offenses for possession of marijuana. Biden’s announcement would fulfill another pledge he made during his campaign.
Biden announced Thursday last week that he would be pardoning people who have prior federal convictions of marijuana possession. Biden also urged state governors to take the same action and directed the Health and Human Services department and Attorney General Merrick Garland to conduct a review of how marijuana is classed under federal law.
This marks the first major steps by Biden to ease the classification of marijuana, which is currently under the same designation as LSD and heroin.
The US leader said thousands of people who have prior federal convictions could be denied opportunities in life such as employment, housing, and education, and his measure would relieve such consequences. Biden also cited that people of color are disproportionately affected by the consequences.
“No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,” said Biden in the video of his announcement.
“It’s legal in many states, and criminal records for marijuana possession have led to needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. And that’s before you address the racial disparities around who suffers the consequences. While white, Black, and Brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people are arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.”
Biden’s announcement fulfills another campaign pledge and comes weeks before the upcoming midterm elections in November that would determine whether the Democratic Party maintains control of Congress or if Republicans retake the majority in one or both chambers.
A senior Biden administration official said more than 6,500 people with prior federal convictions could be affected by the pardons.
On the same day, the White House said there was no new intelligence information behind the US leader’s comments on Russia’s nuclear threats. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said there has been no indication that Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons on Ukraine, and the US does not see a reason to change its current nuclear posture.
Jean-Pierre said Biden was reiterating what Washington is saying on how Moscow’s nuclear threats must be taken seriously.
