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US Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced legislation on May 21 to ensure hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) like other ingredients used in dietary supplements, foods, and beverages.

Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), it is unlawful to introduce into interstate commerce a food (including any animal food or feed) to which has been added a substance that is an active ingredient in an approved drug product, or a substance for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and the existence of such investigations has been made public. FDA has approved one drug, Epidiolex, which contains CBD. Consequently, because CBD has been approved as a drug ingredient, FDAs current legal position is that CBD cannot be legally contained in a dietary supplement or food product. Notably, this restriction only applies to dietary supplements and foods. Cosmetics containing CBD are not subject to this particular provision.

If passed, the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act would amend the definition of a dietary supplement in the FFDCA, creating an exception for hemp, hemp-derived cannabidiol, or a substance containing any other ingredient derived from hemp from the prohibition on the use of ingredients that have been approved in drugs, or substances for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted. Consistent with the definition of hemp under the Agricultural Marketing Act, this exception would only apply to extracts from the plant Cannabis sativa L. with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not more than 0.3 % on a dry weight basis. The proposed legislation would create a legal avenue for the use of hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids in dietary supplements, foods, and beverages in compliance with all existing federal regulations for these types of product.

The bill would also create an avenue for submissions to FDA seeking approval for CBD or other hemp-derived cannabinoids as dietary ingredients or food additives through regulatory pathways such as New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notifications, Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notices, or Food Additive Petitions. How FDA would treat hemp-derived ingredients for use in dietary supplements and foods, i.e., requiring an NDI or GRAS submission and imposing limits on use levels or servings, would potentially require all products that currently include CBD as an ingredient to submit regulatory filings and relabel products.

The bill follows the passage of several state laws and the creation of state regulations permitting the sale and distribution of dietary supplements and foods that contain CBD. For example, the New York State Department of Health announced proposed regulations for hemp products in October 2020, which will implement the NY Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Acts provisions on hemp and hemp extracts.

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Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduces Bill to Regulate Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD in Food - JD Supra

Barbara Banaian, Times Writers Group Published 1:10 p.m. CT June 2, 2021 | Updated 2:11 p.m. CT June 2, 2021

The term "filibuster" has been in the news a lot of late. It evokes passion. The word refers mostly to obstruction of legislative work by talking or some other procedure, though, prior to that, the Spanish wordfilibustero referred to pirates who pillaged colonies in the West Indies. It has been used since the 1850s to refer to long speeches meant to stop a bill from passing.

Last Friday was a Republican filibuster of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. This was the first time under President Biden that a bill died. It needed the help of 10 Republicans to pass this legislation. Nobody stood to make a speech because at least one Republican senator had placed a hold on the legislation which in essence acts like a filibuster, as it indicates the possibility of a filibuster. In the case of this bill, a motion to end debate, called cloture, was made but failed.

Barbara Banaian(Photo: Submitted Photo)

There are good and bad things about the filibuster. When a party is in the majority and wants to get things done, they dislike the filibuster and want to rein it in. Since it is not in the U.S. Constitution, it would not be hard to change the rules governing this. But every majority party can expect that it will someday be in the minority and that thought may stay their hand. And the Senate is supposed to be the "saucer"into which the House pours its legislation (while many believe George Washington himself called the Senate this, theres no proof of that.)

Does it hinder action, or bring bipartisanship?I would propose keeping the filibuster, but returning to the days of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Who can forget Jimmy Stewart's impassioned speech (as Sen. Jeffrey Smith) condemning corruption on thefloor of Senate, "I will not yield!" I would favor being in the chamber talking to colleagues and persuading them!

I wont give away the ending except to say, the filibuster lasts 25 hours and changes only one mind. And "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" was made in 1939, long before the longest recorded talking filibuster was given by Sen. Strom Thurmond. Rather than exposing corruption, Thurmond was trying to stop the Civil Rights Act. He too failed.

Filibusters do not even need to talk about the matter before the Senate (after the first threehours). In 2013 Sen. Rand Paul filibustered the nomination of a CIA director, not to stop the nomination, but to call attention to the use of drones by the CIA to kill an American considered an enemy combatant.

But at least then the fictional Sen. Smith and the real Sens. Thurmond and Paul tried to persuade people. Now the filibuster involves no speeches most of the time. The hold, and the ability of the Senate to continue business while a hold is in place (which means other senators do not have to do anything to resolve disagreements, just not vote on the bill they disagree over), has made it easier for two sides not to talk to each other.

Likewise later reforms, such as ending the supermajority needed to stop a filibuster for presidential nominations including the Supreme Court, have not made us more bipartisan but rather less. The founders knew what majority vote looked like from their experiences with the British Parliament, and that was not what they had in mind.

There is a "nuclear option," and that is to get rid of the filibuster. Will it make the two parties talk to each other more, or less?I think we know the answer: the Senate would resemble the House, where compromise doesn't matter as much as the majority steamrolls the minority.

In March, President Biden endorsed returning to the "talking filibuster," in which a senator must stay on the floor while debating similar to the scene in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." It might not help in the end, but it would at least get them talking.

This is the opinion of Times Writers Group member Barbara Banaian, a professional pianist who lives in the St. Cloud area. Her column is published the first Sunday of the month.

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Opinion: Filibuster rules have evolved to create no need to talk through differences - SC Times

Are you ready for Taylor Swifts next big-screen appearance?

A couple years after starring in Tom Hoopers certified flop of a film adaptation of Cats, the pop superstar and sporadic actor appears to have landed on her feet, booking her newest acting role in a star-studded project from director David O. Russell.

According to a Tuesday report from Variety, Swift has joined Russells ensemble cast of Hollywood heavyweights on the as-yet-unnamed movie, including Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Rami Malek and Zoe Saldana. Russells past credits include the Oscar-nominated films Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle.

This weeks casting news comes on the heels of what has already been a busy professional period for Swift, who has released three studio albums in less than a year. Before Fearless (Taylors Version) and Evermore came Folklore, which clinched the singer-songwriters third Grammy for album of the year in March.

Between hit singles and chart-topping albums, the decorated musician has starred in a smattering of film and TV projects alongside a number of A-list actors. While we await her latest cinematic turn, heres a timeline of Swifts previous credits, from CSI to Cats.

Swift with George Eads in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

(Monty Brinton / CBS)

Despite Swifts music industry fame, her acting career began like many others: with a guest-starring role in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

In the ninth season of the CBS procedural drama, Swift portrayed rebellious teenager Haley Jones. The song Youre Not Sorry, off Swifts Fearless album, also was featured in the episode.

Swift in the 2010 film Valentines Day.

(Warner Bros.)

Hot off her first album of the year Grammy for Fearless, Swift made her feature film debut in the vignette-style romantic comedy Valentines Day in February 2010.

The country-pop powerhouse portrayed shallow high school student Felicia Miller alongside on-screen love interest Taylor Lautner, the Twilight Saga actor whom Swift later dated. Also among the stacked cast of Garry Marshalls holiday-themed film were Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Patrick Dempsey, Shirley MacLaine and George Lopez.

Swift also penned a song for the films soundtrack, titled Today Was a Fairytale.

Swift, posing with a Lorax character, provided the voice of Audrey, protagonist Teds love interest, in The Lorax.

(Jason Merritt / Getty Images)

With two live-action credits under her belt, Swift next experimented with voice acting for an animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss The Lorax.

The seasoned vocalist joined the cast as girl-next-door Audrey, a new character that doesnt appear in Seuss book.

Rounding out the top-billed Lorax ensemble were Zac Efron, Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Jenny Slate, Nasim Pedrad and Betty White.

In the sophomore season of the sitcom New Girl, Swift made a brief cameo as Elaine, a guest at the wedding of Shivrang (Satya Bhabha) and Cece (Hannah Simone).

When the ceremony is eventually called off, Elaine reunites with her former flame, Shivrang, to go to Vegas and elope!

Jeff Bridges and Swift in The Giver.

(David Bloomer / The Weinstein Co.)

In the critically panned film adaptation of Lois Lowrys dystopian novel The Giver, Swift portrayed Rosemary, a former Receiver of Memory and daughter of the Giver (Jeff Bridges) whose story is unraveled through flashbacks.

In addition to Swift and Bridges, the movie starred Alexander Skarsgrd, Odeya Rush, Brenton Thwaites and Meryl Streep.

Swift played Bombalurina in the movie Cats.

(Universal Pictures)

After a five-year acting hiatus, Swift returned to the big screen as the fun and flirty Bombalurina in Cats, based on Andrew Lloyd Webbers Broadway musical of the same name.

As with her first feature film, the Grammy winner was just one of several prominent entertainers to be converted into a computer-enhanced feline for this theatrical trainwreck. Also among the sprawling ensemble were Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, James Corden, Rebel Wilson and Idris Elba.

Despite the movies dismal critical and audience reception, Beautiful Ghosts a haunting original number penned by Swift landed a Grammy nomination for song written for visual media.

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Taylor Swift's best TV and movie roles: 'CSI', 'Cats' - Los Angeles Times

Frogwares has been in the Sherlock video game biz for quite a while. The developers have created a number of classic capers for the worlds greatest detective to crack, sometimes with the hilarious side effect of things like Creepy Watson coming out of it. However, Frogwares latest move with the Sherlock Holmes franchise stops taking a step forward and instead looks back. Who was Sherlock before he was the most famous detective of Scotland Yard? Sherlock Holmes Chapter One takes a dive into the character as a young man in his formative years of deductive crime-solving, and I got to take an early peek at what the game has in store in a limited preview.

This preview look at Sherlock Holmes Chapter One started with a young Holmes and his friend Jon (not Watson) on their way to the fictional Mediterranean island of Cordona. What brings them to this remote place? Well, it turns out Sherlocks mother is buried there and he wishes to get some peace he was never given when he lost her at an early age. It isnt long before hes caught up in matters far more complicated than emotional closure with his lost parent. I found myself at a hotel where a sance gone wrong resulted in Sherlock taking up the challenge to uncover stolen valuables from among a violent former naval officer, his frantic wife, and a mysterious medium.

Right from the get-go, Sherlock is a narratively intriguing take on the mystique of the legendary detective. Unlike the usual well-experienced Sherlock and his escapades, this Sherlock is brash and fallible, even if he keeps the trademark savant powers and instincts of deduction and investigation and the cool and bold demeanor that make Holmes an easily recognizable character. In the full game, the entire island city of Cordona will sprawl before you, full of mysteries and clues to both small cases and grander ones related to young Holmes and his goals.

I only got to get a taste of what the city would entail, but it was easy to tell that Holmes direct objectives are not the only cases the players will pursue. Each district of the city bustles with life and hides non-primary cases the intrepid detective and player might wish to pursue. Im very interested to see not just how young Holmes story plays out, but also what secrets the team that made The Sinking City might hide in Cordona.

Much as in previous games, the pursuit of truth in a case is a multi-faceted affair combining the use of scene investigation, studying of clues, collection of testimonies, and mechanics tying it all together to form logical conclusions. At any given point you might be on the path of a lead you can pin as active. Having a certain lead active may result in you asking potential witnesses about the subject for which they might be of help or not. When youre in a hot crime scene or other places of interest, you can search for clues or present pertinent clues youve found to notable persons in order to gain their testimony on the matter.

All of this works towards creating a branching path of deduction to piece the overall crime and culprit together. Players familiar with previous Sherlock games should very well recognize this mechanic. Its alive and well-preserved in Sherlock Chapter One. Also interesting is that the clues you discover can lead to drastically different reasonings and conclusions. For example, by the time I had finished gathering all clues regarding the military officer, his wife, and the medium, I had four outcomes to choose from: two culprits and what Sherlock would do in reaction to them.

Jon is also an interesting figure. Much like Watson, he follows you closely throughout the game and acts somewhat like a guide. If ever youre at a loss for what to do, Jon will no doubt be somewhere nearby to give you some form of direction. He also supplies just a touch of lightheartedness and comedy to an otherwise rather straight-faced game and I found myself welcoming his presence more often than not.

My time with the preview of Sherlock Holmes Chapter One was short but pretty sweet. Its not always the best-looking game, though I find its use of character animations and reactions to your questioning rather standout, as well as its detailed crime scene investigation. The clues were cleverly placed, the logic and truth were interesting to uncover, and the path to a final conclusion felt very well formulated by the mechanics. Theres still a lot for this game to show and tell us about, but if youve been in for the Frogwares brand of investigation before, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is shaping up to be another meaningful entry in that trademark style.

This preview is based on an early edition of the game supplied by the publisher. Sherlock Holmes is currently slated for launch sometime in 2021 on PC.

TJ Denzer is a player with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. When he's not handing out beatdowns in the latest fighting games, exploring video game history, or playing through RPGs with his partner, he's searching for new food and drinks in the constant pursuit of good times with good people inside and outside the South Texas area. You can also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

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Sherlock Holmes Chapter One hands-on preview: Formative deductions - Shacknews

MADISON -Already thin, Republican support for nonpartisan redistricting in Wisconsin may be fading.

Democrats say they want to take partisanship out of redistricting so legislative and congressional maps are drawn in a neutral way. Republicans are not on board with that idea, saying they dont believe map drawing can be depoliticized.

Democrats point to polling to say the public is on their side, but if anything their support from Republicans is slipping.

Two years ago, five Republican lawmakers signed onto a bill that would require congressional and legislative districts to be drawn by an independent panel. This session, three Republicans have signed up.

The lack of Republican backing is a reminder that the effort to overhaul redistricting in Wisconsin is headed nowhere in the short term.

States must draw new districts every decade to account for population changes. Ten years ago, Republicans controlled all of state government and approved maps that greatly helped them.

This time, Republicans again control the Legislature, but Democratic Gov. Tony Evers can veto whatever maps they draw. Without an agreement between them, it would be left to courts to decide where to draw the lines.

Evers and other Democrats say the state should avoid a court fight by having a nonpartisan body draw the lines. Democrats in the Legislature recently unveiled a billthat would do that.

Its getting scant attention from Republicans, who have commanding majorities in the Senate and Assembly.

Signing onto the nonpartisan redistricting legislation this year were Republican Reps. Joel Kitchens of Sturgeon Bay, Todd Novak of Dodgeville and Travis Tranel of Cuba City. They also backed the bill two years ago.

Two others who joined them last time Republican Reps. Jeffrey Mursau of Crivitz and Loren Oldenburg of Viroqua havent done so this time. They didnt say why they hadnt.

A sixth Republican, Rep. Jon Plumer of Lodi, has repeatedly said he would vote for nonpartisan redistricting but has not signed onto the bill.

Eric Holder, who served as attorney general for President Barack Obama, acknowledged Democrats were unlikely to persuade many Republican lawmakers on the legislation like the bill in Wisconsin.

Republican voters might see it differently, said Holder, who leads the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. His group pushes for nonpartisan redistricting.

The Republican public I think can be reached and can be convinced theres a better way to do the process that has happened in the past in Wisconsin, Holder said. Republican politicians Im not sure they can be reached.

Republican lawmakers dont buy Holders claims that he wants nonpartisan maps, noting his group filed paperwork with the Internal Revenue Service saying its mission is to "favorably position Democrats for the redistricting process."

Former Republican Gov. Scott Walkerin a tweet last year said Holder and his group "want to throw out old maps in many states and gerrymander Democrats into long-term control of the House."

Holder said hes committed to nonpartisan causes, noting he opposed Democratic gerrymandering efforts in Maryland in court and pushed for Democrats in Virginia to give up power by creating a nonpartisan commission.

ContactPatrick Marley at patrick.marley@jrn.com. Followhim on Twitter at @patrickdmarley.

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Split between Wisconsin Democrats and Republicans on redistricting reform appears to be widening - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel