A trippy idea or fiscal genius? Two pols idea to smoke away the deficit

 

What if the United States could shrink the federal deficit and get high at the same time? Two congressmen calling for the legalization of recreational marijuana say it's not such a trippy idea.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) say marijuana legalization is a common sense fiscal policy that could save the government billions of dollars through a combination of tax revenues and savings from not pursuing costly enforcement and incarceration.
“We are trying to rationalize federal drug policy,” Blumenauer tells Top Line. “We're spending too much money on enforcement for something most Americans think should be legal, and we're losing revenue. And we're going to create federal train wreck if we don't fix it.”
They say the federal government is behind the curve of states like Washington and Colorado, where recreational marijuana is regulated and taxed.
"Colorado and Washington voters agree, as do I, that the proper policy with regard to marijuana is to regulate it rather than ban it," says Polis.
Polis makes the case that marijuana should be treated no differently from "other unhealthy substances" like tobacco and alcohol. But that’s not such an easy sell in the halls of Congress, where Blumenauer and Polis face an uphill battle in getting legislation passed.



One of the main arguments against legalizing marijuana is that it can be a gateway drug to more serious illegal drugs, but Blumenauer dismisses that stance as a “red herring."
“I haven't been in any community where people think junior high students can't get marijuana right now,” Blumenauer says. “If we legalize and regulate and we concentrate our energies on a policy that makes sense, we end the hypocrisy and we focus on making sure it's not in the hands of kids.”
Blumenauer says that regulation should make it harder for underage individuals to obtain marijuana by transferring sales from illegal drug dealers to regulated businesses.
To hear more about Polis’ and Blumenauer’s efforts in to legalize marijuana, and to hear what Polis says is a shift within the Democratic Party on this issue, check out this episode of Top Line.

Venezuelan lawmakers hurt during punch-up in parliament

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  Reuters/Reuters - Venezuelan opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado arrives at a news conference after a fight broke out at a session of the National Assembly in Caracas April 30, 2013. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia …more 

By Mario Naranjo and Eyanir Chinea

CARACAS (Reuters) - Fistfights broke out in Venezuela's parliament on Tuesday, injuring a number of legislators during an angry session linked to the South American nation's bitter election dispute.

The opposition said seven of its parliamentarians were attacked and hurt when protesting a measure to block them from speaking in the National Assembly over their refusal to recognize President Nicolas Maduro's April 14 vote victory.

Government legislators blamed their "fascist" rivals for starting the violence, which illustrated the volatile state of politics in the OPEC nation after the death of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez last month.

"We knew the opposition came to provoke violence," Maduro said of the incident. "This must not be repeated."

The 50-year-old Maduro, who was Chavez's chosen successor, defeated opposition candidate Henrique Capriles by 1.5 percentage points. Capriles, 40, has refused to recognize his victory, alleging that thousands of irregularities occurred and the vote "stolen."

The vote exposed a nation evenly divided after 14 years of Chavez's hardline socialist rule.

"They can beat us, jail us, kill us, but we will not sell out our principles," one of the opposition parliamentarians, Julio Borges, told a local TV station, showing a bruised and bloodied face. "These blows give us more strength."

One assembly worker, who asked not to be named, told Reuters the trouble began when opposition legislators shouted "fascist" at the National Assembly leader and unfolded a protest banner reading "parliamentary coup."
Government parliamentarians attacked them. Laptops and tables were hurled in the ensuing melee, with one legislator hit over the head with a chair, the witness said.
Workers later had to show their phones to see if they had photos or videos of the incident, the assembly employee added.
'DEFENDING CHAVEZ'S LEGACY'
Government parliamentarian Odalis Monzon said she and some colleagues were attacked and beaten. "Today again I had to defend the commander's (Chavez's) legacy," she said.
The fracas came after the government-controlled assembly passed a measure denying opposition members the right to speak in the chamber until they recognized Maduro as president.
"Until they recognize the authorities, the institutions of the republic, the sovereign will of our people, the opposition deputies will have to go and speak (to the private media) but not here in this National Assembly," said Diosdado Cabello, the head of parliament.
Both sides accused each other of starting the incident, which took place behind closed doors without media present.

In a video that pro-opposition private TV station Globovision broadcaster said it obtained from a parliamentarian, various assembly members could be seen hitting each other and scuffling to cries of "stop" from others.

In another potential flashpoint for Venezuela, the government and opposition are planning rival marches in Caracas on Wednesday to commemorate May Day.
Venezuela has been on edge since the April 14 presidential election. At least eight people died in violent protests the day after the vote. There have been scores of arrests in what the opposition is calling a wave of repression.
Maduro has accused the opposition of planning a coup.
Former colonial ruler Spain this week offered to mediate in Venezuela's political tensions. But Maduro rejected that.
"Stop sticking your noses in Venezuela. Spanish foreign minister, get out, you impertinent man. Venezuela is to be respected," he said in a speech, referring to Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo.

Victoria Beckham Models a Shorter ‘Do

Before (Marc Piasecki/FilmMagic)After (Twitter)

The stylish Victoria Beckham has a "posh" new hairstyle.
The pop star-turned-designer spiced things up, so to speak, when she replaced her below-the-shoulder locks with a chin-length 'do in a pic posted to Twitter on Tuesday. (It's not clear if Beckham, 39, has committed to a new cut, or if she's only removed extensions.)
"Loving the hair! Thank u Tina Outen," Beckham tweeted, referring to her stylist.
Beckham's change in tresses confirms that the long bob is the celeb hairstyle of the day. Christina Hendricks, Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Hough, and Nikki Reed have all sported the look lately.

How Lindsay Lohan Is Spending Her Time Before Entering Rehab

Lindsay Lohan (Splash News)Lindsay Lohan (Splash News)Lindsay Lohan should really think about taking the subway.

The rehab-bound actress was photographed picking up her Porsche Panamera after it was towed in Brooklyn, New York, over the weekend and then taken to the police impound yard after it was illegally parked.
Maybe she lost track of time partying?
Lohan, who is expected to begin court-ordered rehab for 90-days on May 2, is spending her time club hopping in New York City (naturally). The "Mean Girls" star was spotted partying at 1OAK in Chelsea while her car was getting towed.
As for Lohan's looming rehab stint, it's still unclear as to where the 26-year-old actress will be going exactly.
The New York Post reports that on Thursday, Lohan will check into rehab at the Seafield Center in Westhampton Beach, New York. However, E! News reported that as of Friday, Lohan still had not picked a location, so she has left it up to her attorney Mark Heller. Lohan was supposedly eyeing the super luxurious Caribbean island facility Crossroads Antigua, where a three-month stay costs around $70,000.
With a little less than three days to go, Lohan should probably focus on getting her life in order rather than clubbing and dishing out money at the impound. Just a suggestion.

Military Dad Makes Daughter's Prom Dress: It's Camo

This is the cutest thing you'll read all day.

When David Herron's daughter couldn't find the prom dress of her dreams, he did what any resourceful dad would do: He sat down and made her one from scratch.

The Marshfield, Wisconsin native's teen daughter Mariah had been frustrated because she couldn't find an affordable dress made from camouflage fabric. “I jokingly asked my dad if he could make me a prom dress. When he said yes, I was surprised,” Mariah told the Marshfield News-Herald. 

A former military man, Herron had learned how to sew his stripes and hem his own uniforms. But making a prom dress? Totally new territory. “I’m pretty good with straight seams and about two years ago, my wife gave me a sewing machine. I’ve made some quilts and pillows, but this dress was something else,” he said.

Neither father nor daughter could be reached for comment but Mariah told the paper, “My dad is pretty good at making things, but making a dress — that’s different,” she said.

Although David did the work, he credits the fabric store for motivating him. “Mariah and I went to Hancock Fabrics and started looking at fabric and patterns. If it hadn’t been for the ladies that work there, we would have walked out and that would have been the end of this."

“They showed us the fabric and we talked about patterns. Then we got started,” he said.

At home, Herron turned the family room into a sewing shop. One table served as the fabric station, another for the sewing machine. And he logged in hours studying the camo fabric and sewing instructions.

The result: A strapless, black satin gown made from Snow White Camouflage fabric with a white underlayer and covered with black tulle. The top of the dress is lined with a thin black ruffle and a black satin bow is fastened to the back of the dress. The waist is lined with shotgun shells. Herron topped off the look with brown and white boots which he bought for his daughter.

Eight weeks later, Mariah debuted her winter white camo dress to attend the Marshfield High School Junior Prom. “I think she likes it. She asked me if I’d make her wedding dress,” Herron said and smiled.

Is Selena Gomez Back With Justin Bieber Just in Time to Boost Both’s Careers?

photo: Selena Gomez's Twitter
It’s too early to tell if the romantic reconnection between Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez will transport the couple back into a lucrative Disney-like love story and help repair their public profiles, or if the two are destined to end up more like Sid and Nancy. But one thing’s clear: As they both grow further into early adulthood, they continue to stray from their squeaky-clean teen-pop pasts.

Last month, Gomez promoted her first adult role in the controversial Harmony Korine film Spring Breakers by posing for a gazillion photos in a revealing bikini. And now Gomez has posted a teaser for her new video "Come and Get It," in which she’s let down her hair and, uh, removed practically everything else as well.
In the 37-second-long clip, Gomez is depicted swimming Blue Lagoon-style in the ocean, dancing around a fire in a see-through red dress, nuzzling up to a man’s bare chest, and traipsing through a fiend of flowers in a flowing beige dress.
"Music video for Come and Get It coming to you guys really soon," tweeted Gomez, along with a revealing photo from the shoot of her shoulder-deep in the water, eyes closed, mouth slightly open, as if fantasizing about Bieber.
The music video will premiere May 7 at 7:53pm on MTV. Gomez debuted audio for "Come and Get It" live April 14 on the MTV Movie Awards. The racy song features the lyrics: "You ain’t gotta worry, it’s an open invitation/I’ll be sittin’ right here real patient/All day all night I’ll be waitin’ standby/Can’t stop because I love it, hate the way I love you."
Gomez has denied that the song’s about Bieber, but lyrics like "This love ain’t finished yet, so baby whenever" suggest otherwise. Bieber and Gomez have reportedly been on-agan, off-again as a couple since they broke up in November 2012. In January 2013, they were apparently over. Then Bieber started posting revealing photos of the couple together on his Instagram account, one of Gomez holding his bare back while he typed on his computer. The caption read, "Been makin music for too long babe come cuddle."
Not all of Gomez’s friends are happy that the couple is back together. "We did everything we could to keep them apart but he was so persistent,” a source reportedly Hollywoodlife.com. "It’s really unhealthy they have such a turbulent relationship at such a young age. He leaves her in floods of tears constantly. She has had a really difficult year or so dealing with the tense emotions that come with dating him. We thought she had finally broken free."
During the time the couple was broken up, Bieber seemed to unravel. He was accused of spitting on a neighbor, wrote a comment in the guest book at the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam that some found offensive, fainted at a London concert, threatened a paparazzo, and narrowly escaped arrest in Stockholm because the police couldn’t trace the marijuana and stun gun they found on his bus back to him.
"If Bieber’s erratic behavior continues, it could take a toll on his bottom line,” reported Dorothy Pomerantz of Forbes.com. "While fans will likely keep buying his music, his merchandise sales could suffer. And corporations might not want to be associated with him if he can’t maintain his brand image."
Interestingly, Gomez has reconnected with Bieber at a time when she’s ramping up to release her first solo album, scheduled for release this summer. The album coincide with a tour, which launches August 14 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and runs through November 17 in Kansas City.

Chris Brown “Can’t Win” With Rihanna

Chris Brown, Rihanna (Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS)Sometimes you can almost feel bad for Chris Brown. It seems that Breezy is telegraphing his relationship status with Rihanna these days. A day after photos of RiRi getting close-and-personal with a fan in New York City popped up on Twitter and Instagram, Breezy dropped a new breakup ballad called "I Can't Win." He also revealed that his new album, X, will drop on July 16, but that song's not on it.

In a tweet late Monday night, Breezy revealed the new track, but he clarified, "Some s--- I felt like writing that's not on the album." The track includes the chorus, "She ain't bluffing/She gonna do it/I think it's time for me to face the music." Later he croons, "Going back and forth with the lies/Never compromise/Girl, if you love me better prove it/Baby, I can't win."
And who is the girl in question? Our bet is that it's RiRi. After those photos of her macking on fanboy Justin LaBoy appeared on the Web, our boy Breezy took to Twitter posting his thoughts. "S** is overrated now a days. Just remember to keep ya muthaf***in head up." He then he unfollowed RiRi, jumped back on his exes Karrueche Tran's account and posted a link to his video for "Home."