New Recreational Marijuana Bill Introduced In CT:

Connecticut has introduced the state’s first marijuana legalization bill, which would allow for Connecticut’s “medical marijuana dispensaries” to begin selling, The Hartford Courant reported.

Initiated by more than 40 House Democrats, the proposed bill would erase criminal convictions for marijuana possession.

Though recreational marijuana bills have crumbled in the past, Governor Ned Lamont, who was sworn in on Jan. 9, is supportive of Massachusetts’ law that now allows the use of it.

Like Connecticut’s neighbor to the north, the bill would limit sales to customers who are 21 and over, require a license in order to sell and would be taxed.

According to the Courant, some legalization advocates have estimated that its tax revenue could bring in as much as $180 million annually. A portion of that money would be allocated to drug awareness education and substance abuse treatment programs, the bill states.

Trump Offers Deal To End Shutdown:

Now 32 days into the longest partial government shutdown in history that has left 800,000 without pay, President Donald Trump has offered a “compromise” to end it.

In exchange for a $5.7 billion border wall that Democrats have declined to fund, Trump said he will temporarily extend protection for Dreamers, also known as Deferred Action For Childhood Arrival recipients, for another three years. The extension would allow the estimated 700,000 people protected under the policy to continue their access to work permits.

Trump also said he would extend the visas for those under a “Temporary Protected Status,” which affects over 300,000 people who have fled their homelands due to war or natural disasters.

The proposal also offered millions of dollars in humanitarian aid as well as drug detection technology.

Democrats, according to CNN, have called Trump’s proposal a “non-starter,” saying there is a lack of “a permanent solution.”

Mexican Pipeline Blast Leaves Dozens Dead:

An explosion that occurred in the central town of Tlahuelilpan, Mexico as a result of “fuel thieves” has left 74 people injured and at least 73 dead, including a 12-year-old child.

According to BBC, Mexican authorities said that “scores” of people had been “scrambling” to fill containers when the explosion took place.

BBC said that, according to locals, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s new policy to take on tougher measures against fuel theft has created shortages.

Residents in the immediate vicinity of the pipeline have been ordered to evacuate.

The fire, according to CNN, has been extinguished and rescue teams have begun to recover the dead.