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☆ Unwashed poppy seeds: Opioid overdose from tainted tea prompts proposed bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( David Hilzenrath | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

People have died after drinking tea brewed from unwashed poppy seeds. Members of the House of Representatives and Senate have proposed legislation “to prohibit the distribution and sale of contaminated poppy seeds in order to prevent harm, addiction, and further deaths from morphine-contaminated poppy seeds.” The bill was one of several on the agenda for a September 10 House hearing. On the other hand, tea made from large quantities of unwashed poppy seeds could lead to addiction and overdose, doctors said. The US Drug Enforcement Administration said unwashed poppy seeds can kill when used alone or in combination with other drugs. The US Department of Justice has brought criminal prosecutions over the sale of unwashed poppy seeds.

Persons: “, “ It’s, Elke Scholiers, ”, Steve Hacala, Courtney Rhodes, CSPI, Eva Greenthal, It’s, Irving Haber, Benjamin Lai, Lai, ‘, Steve Hacala’s, Stephen Hacala, Stephen Hacala’s, Betty, David Rousseau, Jamie Silakowski, Silakowski, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, Joe’s, Sen, Tom Cotton, Steve Womack Organizations: Health, Marshall, US Department of Defense, Doping, Workers, for Science, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Mayo Clinic, Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, KFF Health, Restaurant Brands, Burger, Washington Post, US Drug Enforcement Administration, US Department of Justice, Senate, Republican, KFF Locations: Chittorgarh, India, Rochester , Minnesota, Arkansas, South Korea

☆ Cannabis may soon be rescheduled as a less dangerous drug. 5 things you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Andrea Kane | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s the technical term for reclassifying it as a less dangerous drug, which would loosen some restrictions around it at the federal level. Currently, cannabis is a Schedule I drug, under the Controlled Substance Act, alongside drugs such as heroin and LSD. Rescheduling cannabis is a complicated process. Gruber shares five things you need to know about cannabis’ possible reclassification. For example, she asked, would you want to use cannabis for medical reasons, recreation or a mix of the two?

Persons: Sanjay Gupta, Cannabis, Joe Biden, Staci Gruber, ” Gruber, Gruber, ”, “, Dr, Theodore Schwartz Organizations: CNN, US Department of Justice, US Drug Enforcement Administration, US Department of Health, Human Services, Harvard Medical School, DEA, Marijuana, Neuroscientific Discovery, McLean Hospital, “ Cannabis, Weill Cornell Medicine Locations: United States, Boston, Belmont , Massachusetts, New York

CNN —Alleged Sinaloa cartel cofounder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada appeared Thursday in federal court in Texas for his latest hearing since his arrest a week ago in an intrigue-packed case centered on one of the world’s most powerful and deadly drug trafficking organizations. He was arrested the prior day in El Paso alongside Joaquín Guzmán López, the 38-year-old son of infamous cartel boss and founder Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The scene outside the courthouse in El Paso showed a heavy security presence, with federal agents and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling the perimeter. Attorney Jeffrey Lichtman’s assertion raised new questions about why Guzmán López flew to Texas if he had no cooperation agreement with American authorities. “Joaquín Guzmán López forcibly kidnapped my client,” attorney Frank Pérez said in a statement.

Persons: Ismael “ El, Ismael “ El Mayo ” Zambada, Zambada, Joaquín Guzmán López, Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman, –, Anne Milgram, Guzmán López, Jeffrey Lichtman’s, “, Frank Pérez, Christopher Wray, “ Zambada Garcia, Ismael, El, Jose Luis Gonzalez, he’s, El Chapo, boss’s, Oseguera, Zambada’s, that’s, Guzmán, El Chapo’s, CNN’s Eric Levenson, Emma Tucker, Polo Sandoval, Evan Perez, Nicole Chavez, Cheri Mossburg, Christina Zdanowicz Organizations: CNN, Ismael “ El Mayo, US, DC, US Justice Department, Justice Department, Drug, US State Department, ” Police, Reuters, of, Zambada, Jalisco New, –, Congressional Research Service Locations: Sinaloa, Texas, El Paso, New York , California , Texas , Illinois, Washington, United States, Mexico, Chicago, Joaquín, Illinois, El Mayo, Eastern, of New York, Jalisco, Zambada

CNN —Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of the former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, is set to appear in federal court in Chicago Tuesday, just days after he was taken into American custody in a stunning arrest full of international betrayal and intrigue. The court appearance comes after Guzmán López, 38, and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the cartel’s alleged co-founder, were arrested Thursday by US authorities in El Paso, Texas. US law enforcement officials told CNN the arrest came after Guzmán López duped Zambada and orchestrated their arrest. “Joaquín Guzmán López forcibly kidnapped my client. Details on the operation were also highly restricted within the US government until Zambada and Guzmán López were taken into custody, the source said.

Persons: López, Joaquín “, Guzmán, El Chapo –, “, Joaquín, ”, Jeffrey Lichtman, Guzmán López, Ismael “ El, Ismael “ El Mayo ” Zambada, Zambada, Frank Pérez, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Anne Milgram, El Chapo, –, Christopher Wray, ” Zambada, “ Ismael Mario Zambada Garcia, Zambada Garcia, “ Zambada Garcia, El Chapo’s, Zambada’s, Vicente Zambada Niebla Organizations: CNN, US Justice Department, Ismael “ El Mayo ”, US Drug Enforcement Administration, Congressional Research Service, FBI, US State Department, Justice Department Locations: Sinaloa, Chicago, Illinois, El Paso , Texas, El Paso, Mexico, Joaquín, United States, ”

Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the cartel’s alleged co-founder, and Joaquin Guzmán López, son of former boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, were arrested Thursday by US authorities in El Paso, Texas. “I’m looking forward to seeing Joaquin and working on the case with him,” Lichtman said in an email, adding he’d appear in court with Guzmán López. “Joaquín Guzmán López forcibly kidnapped my client. Details on the operation were also highly restricted within the US government until Zambada and Guzmán López were taken into custody, the source said. “Ismael Mario Zambada Garcia is the long-time leader of the Zambada Garcia faction of the Sinaloa Cartel,” according to the US State Department.

Persons: Ismael “ El, Ismael “ El Mayo ” Zambada, Joaquin Guzmán López, Joaquin “ El Chapo ” Guzman, Frank Pérez, ” Guzmán, Jeffrey Lichtman, “, Joaquin, ” Lichtman, Guzmán López, Anne Milgram, Zambada, Pérez, ” Pérez, ”, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, El Chapo, –, Christopher Wray, ” Zambada, “ Ismael Mario Zambada Garcia, Zambada Garcia, “ Zambada Garcia, Guzmán, Zambada’s, Vicente Zambada Niebla Organizations: CNN, Ismael “ El Mayo ”, US Justice Department, US Drug Enforcement Administration, ”, Congressional Research Service, FBI, US State Department, Justice Department Locations: Sinaloa, El Paso , Texas, El Paso, Chicago, Illinois, United States, Mexico, Joaquin

☆ Pot stocks soar on report DEA will ease restrictions on cannabis
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Cannabis stocks soared on Tuesday after the AP reported that the DEA will soon reclassify marijuana. The move would ease restrictions on cannabis and acknowledge that it has medicinal benefits. According to the report, the DEA decision would be sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. AdvertisementCannabis stocks soared on Tuesday after the AP reported that the US Drug Enforcement Administration is on the verge of reclassifying marijuana. Shares of Canopy Growth soared 37%, Village Farms stock soared 20%, and the AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF jumped 18%.

Persons: — Organizations: AP, White, Office of Management, Service, US Drug, Village, Cannabis

☆ Here’s what marijuana researchers have to say about 420 or ‘weed day’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —It’s 420 or “weed day,” and people around the world will be paying homage to their favorite guilty pleasure: marijuana. “I worry when people are in an enclosed space because new data is beginning to show that secondhand marijuana smoke may be just as dangerous as the primary smoke,” Page said. “Approximately 3 in 10 people who use marijuana have marijuana use disorder,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, some parents told doctors they believed vaping marijuana was safer than tobacco, Boyd told CNN earlier via email. A cloud of marijuana smoke rises as a clock hits 4:20 p.m. during the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver on "weed day" in 2022.

Persons: CNN —, Dr, Beth Cohen, Cohen, “, ”, Robert Page II, ” Page, Weed, It’s, ’ ” Carol Boyd, Ann Arbor, Peter Grinspoon, ” Young, Sam Wang, Boyd, Grinspoon, Patrick T, Fallon, Nixon, ” Boyd, ” Grinspoon, ’ ”, Page Organizations: CNN, District of Columbia, University of California, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center, Drugs, University of Michigan, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, Massachusetts General Hospital, Marijuana, Children’s Hospital, Yale Medicine, Drug, University of Colorado’s, Getty, University of Mississippi, US Drug, Administration Locations: United States, San Francisco, Colorado, Aurora, Ann, Boston, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver, AFP

☆ Hot air balloon pilot had high level of ketamine in his system during crash that killed 4, toxicology report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed in Arizona in January, leaving four people dead, had high levels of the psychedelic drug ketamine in his blood system, according to a forensic examination report from the Pinal County Medical Examiner’s Office. Cornelius van der Walt, the 37-year-old pilot of the balloon, had ketamine levels of between 1.1 to 1.2 mg/L in his system, according to toxicology testing from the FAA and from NMS Labs. For comparison, the United Kingdom considers ketamine levels over .02 mg/L to be indicative of impaired driving ability, the report says. Van der Walt had no reported prescription for ketamine, and the drug was not used during resuscitation attempts, the report states. The medical examiner’s report stems from the hot air balloon crash in Eloy, Arizona, on January 14 in which the pilot and three other people were killed.

Persons: Cornelius van der Walt, Van der Walt, van der Walt, Chayton Wiescholek, Kaitlynn Bartrom, Atahan Kiliccote, Valerie Stutterheim, Cameron Balloons Organizations: CNN, FAA, NMS Labs, US Drug Enforcement Administration, US Food and Drug Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, ” Police, NTSB Locations: Arizona, Pinal County, United Kingdom, Eloy , Arizona, Eloy, Union City , Michigan, Andrews , Indiana, Cupertino , California, Scottsdale , Arizona

☆ Exclusive: An investor in once-hot mental health startup Cerebral is suing the company
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAccess Industries, the investment firm founded by billionaire Len Blavatnik that invested in mental health company Cerebral, is suing the company and another of its backers as tensions mount inside the mental health company, according to documents obtained by Business Insider. It's the latest challenge to the once-hot mental health startup, which launched in 2020 to provide mental healthcare online. The lawsuit, filed by Access Industries on April 2 in Delaware, alleges an undercover power grab by WestCap, another Cerebral investor. A sinking shipOnce the hottest and fastest-growing mental health startup, Cerebral's fall from grace has been stunning. Since then, Cerebral hasn't raised any more venture funding, and the mental health company has conducted at least three rounds of layoffs.

Persons: —, Len Blavatnik, WestCap, David Mou, SoftBank Organizations: Service, Business, US Department of Justice, Access Industries, DOJ, Industries, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, US Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Locations: Delaware, WestCap

☆ How the Cartels Launder Their Drug Money, According to a Former Agent
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Kyle Desiderio | Ju Shardlow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Robert Mazur tells the full story of his time as a government agent investigating drug-money laundering. Mazur went undercover for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service intelligence division, and the Customs Service. In Operation C-Chase, Mazur successfully infiltrated the Medellín cartel by posing as a wealthy, mob-connected businessman named Robert Musella. At its peak, the Cali cartel is estimated to have produced 80% of the world's cocaine supply. It was controlled by Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, Pacho Herrera, and José Santacruz Londoño.

Persons: Robert Mazur, Mazur, Robert Musella, Pablo Escobar's, Gonzalo Mora, Roberto Alcaino, Robert Baldasare, Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, Pacho Herrera, Londoño, Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger, B095BKWD8L Read Organizations: US Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Customs Service, New York Times, KYC Locations: Italian American, Cali

☆ A doping free-for-all Enhanced Games calls itself the answer to doping in sports. Opponents say it poses a danger to health
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Molly Stazicker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +23 min

The Enhanced Games is the brainchild of businessman Aron D’Souza. Aron D'Souza is the founder of the Enhanced Games. But that isn’t the only potential legal jeopardy the Enhanced Games faces, according to American lawyer Jim Walden, who represents Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov. “If you look at the Enhanced Games website, it’s almost as though they’re advertising their disregard of the law,” Walden told CNN Sport. If it goes ahead as planned in December 2024, D’Souza insists that the Enhanced Games will unlock the potential of humanity.

Persons: Dr, Grigory Rodchenkov, –, Rodchenkov, Oscar, Aron D’Souza, ”, D’Souza, “, Raphael Faiss, Faiss, WADA, they’re, Aron D'Souza, ” WADA, Travis Tygart, Jim Walden, ” Walden, Alex Wong, ” Rodchenkov, USADA’s Tygart, ” D’Souza, he’d, “ They’re, Ben Johnson, Johnson, Mike Powell, Pierre de Coubertin –, Ben Johnson –, Eugene, Simona Halep, – Faiss, CNN Roxadustat, Michele Verroken, ” Verroken, Verroken, Hamish Coffey, ’, Brett Fraser, ” Fraser, “ I’ve, I’ll, Jess Ennis, Hill, CNN D’Souza, Trevor Painter, ” Painter, John William Devine, ” Devine, don’t, Martial Saugy Organizations: CNN, Olympics, ”, Testing Agency, ITA, International Olympic Committee, Olympic Games, IOC, CNN Sport, Netflix, Doping Agency, Research, University of Lausanne, United, United States Anti, US Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Sports, Gaming Initiative, “, Games, Seoul, London Games, Bettmann, Athletics Integrity Unit, National Institutes of Health, Sporting Integrity, Australian Olympic, Olympic, United States Patent, Sciences, Swansea University Locations: Paris, United States, Seoul, South Korea, Eugene , Oregon, Cayman Islands, Tokyo, Wales

☆ Georgia will be first US state where pharmacies sell medical cannabis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —For the past year and a half, medical cannabis company CEO Gary Long has spent a lot of his time reassuring Georgia’s small-town mayors about what will soon be coming to their local pharmacy: medical marijuana. The Georgia Board of Pharmacy is currently processing applications from pharmacies around the state that want to sell low-dose THC products. National chains such as CVS and Walmart won’t be selling THC products in Georgia, but Long said 130 local pharmacies have already agreed to sell his product exclusively. Making medical cannabis so accessible in such a traditionally conservative Deep South state like Georgia caught some by surprise. Californians have been able to buy medical cannabis since 1996 and adults there got the right to use it recreationally in 2016.

Persons: Gary Long, that’s, ”, Long, Coke, Andrew Turnage, Jimmy Kimmel, “ I’ve, ” Long, Jonathan Marquess, ” Marquess, it’s, Jay Wexler, “, Brian Kemp, Marquess ’, Marquess, there’s, ” Turnage, Aaron Smith, ” Smith, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Turnage, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Botanical Sciences, Georgia, of Pharmacy, CVS, Walmart, Medical Cannabis Commission, Georgia General Assembly, US Drug Enforcement, Boston University School of Law, Justice, Gov, Pharmacy, Georgia Pharmacy Association’s Academy of Independent Pharmacy, National Cannabis Industry Association, Get CNN, CNN Health Locations: Georgia, United States, Connecticut, Massachusetts

☆ Pennsylvania prisoner Danilo Cavalcante captured after escaping from prison for murder of girlfriend Deborah Brandao
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“Our nightmare is finally over and the good guys won,” Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said Wednesday. The theft and shooting ultimately may have been a turning point in the intense search by hundreds of law enforcement officers. About 500 law enforcement officers – including the Pennsylvania State Police, FBI, ATF, and the US Marshals – searched the area of the shooting. At 8:18 a.m., a Chester County dispatcher said they had their man. “The radio room, Chester County government and the various other agencies working on the prisoner escape are proud to announce the subject is in custody.

Persons: Danilo Cavalcante, Cavalcante, –, clasped, Deb Ryan, “, George Bivens, Charles Lyman, Lyman, ”, “ It’s, ” Bivens, Bivens, “ Cavalcante, John Shapiro Organizations: CNN, Philadelphia Eagles, Pennsylvania, Police, ” Police, Pennsylvania State Police, FBI, ATF, US, US Drug Enforcement Administration, Tactical, Patrol, Eagles Locations: Chester, Chester County, Philadelphia’s, Brazil, Chester County’s, Coventry Township, East, South Coventry Township, Pennsylvania

☆ Opinion: Fentanyl is killing a shocking number of young Americans. What the US can do to respond
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Opinion Joni Ernst | Tim Kaine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Illicit fentanyl that originates abroad is one of the most damaging weapons employed against our homeland, destroying lives and families across our country. Cartels’ fentanyl trafficking far surpasses the US government’s response. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of fentanyl trafficking offenders increased 950%, from 146 to 1,533 in the US. Curbing fentanyl trafficking and breaking up cartel networks demands an aggressive and clear approach. Mexico and the US need to be active partners in combating criminal organizations and curtailing illicit drug trafficking.

☆ Getting prescriptions via telehealth may change soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Patients will still be able to get prescriptions for non-controlled medications, such as antibiotics or birth control, via telehealth. CNN: What if you can’t see your telehealth provider in person? The other factor that’s significant here is we discussed all the proposed rules and the status at the federal level, but there’s also the state level. Let’s say the DEA puts out their final rule, and there’s some flexibility — some states might adopt the older Ryan Haight Act language from the federal level, so they might actually be stricter than what we’ll be seeing at the federal level. Khan: The DEA has indicated that the absolute requirement at the federal level is one in-person examination.

☆ Ovidio Guzmán's arrest may be the start of a campaign against El Chapo's sons and the Sinaloa cartel
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Chris Dalby | Insight Crime | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Mexican authorities arrested Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, earlier this month. The US has demanded action on fentanyl, and Ovidio's arrest may prompt Mexico to continue a targeted campaign. Ovidio Guzmán López is one of the four sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias "El Chapo," who is seeking to continue their father's legacy. Vehicles torched during a January 5 operation to arrest Ovidio Guzman in Culiacan on January 7. In the last couple of years alone, they have mounted targeted operations at rivals within the Sinaloa Cartel and beyond.

☆ A global drug cartel used Binance to launder millions, the DEA says. Here's how the world's largest crypto exchange is reportedly working with investigators to track them down.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A global drug cartel allegedly used Binance to launder tens of millions, an ongoing DEA investigation alleges. Roughly $15 million to $40 million in illicit profits could have been funneled through Binance, according to Forbes, which obtained a search warrant. Here's how the largest crypto exchange in the world is reportedly working with investigators. Between $15 million to $40 million has been laundered through the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, according to Forbes, citing a search warrant it obtained. Binance, which announced plans earlier this year to buy a minority stake in Forbes, is working with investigators to help track down suspects.

☆ The DEA is alleging Truepill, Cerebral's former pharmacy partner, broke the law in filling prescriptions for highly regulated drugs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Blake Dodge | Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The agency alleges that the pharmacy startup unlawfully dispensed stimulants used to treat ADHD. Truepill partnered with the mental-health startup Cerebral to send prescriptions to its patients. The Order to Show Cause requires that Truepill show evidence to justify its prescribing practices for controlled substances, which are highly regulated drugs. If the evidence isn't convincing, the pharmacy startup could have its DEA license revoked, which would leave the company unable to fill prescriptions for controlled substances. In "numerous instances," the startup dispensed prescriptions that weren't issued for a legitimate medical purpose, the DEA alleges.

☆ Newly freed Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout said he 'wholeheartedly' supports Russia's war in Ukraine and would 'certainly' volunteer: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout said he would "certainly" volunteer to fight in Russia's war against Ukraine. Bout is newly free after being swapped for Brittney Griner, who was detained in Moscow for nine months. Bout was imprisoned in the US on a 25-year sentence for conspiring with a terrorist organization. "If I could, I would share the skills I have and I would readily volunteer," Bout said on the Russian state television network RT, formerly known as Russia Today. While he was in prison, he said he had a portrait of Russian President Putin displayed in his cell, according to CNN.

☆ Senior officials argued that Viktor Bout's release in exchange for Brittney Griner would be a mistake, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

WNBA star Brittney Griner was swapped for arms dealer Viktor Bout on Thursday. Her release marked the end of prolonged and agonizing negotiations for Biden, CNN reported. Some senior officials told Biden they thought Russia was getting the better deal, the outlet said. But some senior law enforcement officials told Biden prior to his decision that Bout was too notorious of a figure to release in exchange for Griner, whose offense was only minor, one official told CNN. Her release marked the end of prolonged and agonizing negotiations for Biden, CNN reported.

☆ Video shows Brittney Griner touching down on US soil after being released from Russian custody
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russia on Thursday after nine months in custody. Griner was released from Russian custody in exchange for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyA video shows the moment WNBA star Brittney Griner touched down on US soil after nine months in Russian custody. US officials who met Griner upon her arrival told CNN that she was "in good spirits and incredibly gracious." Roger Carstens, a State Department official who was traveling with Griner, tweeted on Friday morning: "So happy to have Brittney back on US soil.

☆ Viktor Bout: The Russian arms dealer swapped for Brittney Griner
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Eliza Mackintosh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Brittney Griner’s freedom ultimately hinged on the release of a convicted Russian arms dealer whose life story inspired a Hollywood film. On Thursday, a source told CNN that the US basketball star had been released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death” by his accuser. Viktor Bout is pictured in a temporary cell ahead of a hearing at a court in Bangkok in August 2010. Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images“His early days are a mystery,” Douglas Farah, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center who co-authored a book on Bout, told CNN in 2010. He said that Bout graduated from the Military Institute on Foreign Languages, a well-known feeder school for Russian military intelligence.

On the surface, Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout are accused of ludicrously different crimes. Bout’s outsized importance to Russia has always been the bigger puzzle. I have seen videos of Bout in the Congo and across Africa, where he was pretty close to the conflicts there. There were suggestions too that he had served alongside senior Russians who are now close to President Vladimir Putin. This is a man who many ordinary Russians may have heard of, and he certainly is of mythological importance to the Russian elite.

☆ The DEA says drug cartels are putting fentanyl in candy to sell to kids. Cartel operatives say it's 'actually the opposite.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Luis Chaparro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Two operatives in the Sinaloa Cartel told Insider they're actually trying to do the opposite. But operatives in the Sinaloa Cartel, the Mexican criminal organization behind the biggest shipments of fentanyl to the US, told Insider their intention is actually the opposite. US authorities began their campaign several months before Halloween, warning of alleged attempts by Mexican drug cartels to entice kids into drugs by selling rainbow-colored fentanyl pills and adding fentanyl to Halloween candies. "Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes — is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults," Milgram said. The Sinaloa Cartel operative denied that his organization is targeting kids or young adults in the US as their final users.

☆ What is rainbow fentanyl? Colorful pills drive new warnings
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

"Colored fentanyl pills have been around for a few years. At the time, the agency said that it and its law enforcement partners seized the brightly colored fentanyl and fentanyl pills across 18 states. While he and his colleagues are aware of rainbow fentanyl warnings, he hasn't heard any patients or parents mention it. When it comes to rainbow fentanyl, "the fentanyl itself is going to be the same issue as the counterfeit pharmaceutical fentanyl. The only difference between rainbow fentanyl and the fentanyl products of the past appears to be the coloring.

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