South America’s Path To Drug Legalization

The Article: South America Sees Drug Path to Legalization by Damien Cave in the New York Times.

The Text: The agricultural output of this country includes rice, soybeans and wheat. Soon, though, the government may get its hands dirty with a far more complicated crop — marijuana — as part of a rising movement in this region to create alternatives to the United States-led war on drugs.

Uruguay’s famously rebellious president first called for “regulated and controlled legalization of marijuana” in a security plan unveiled last month. And now all anyone here can talk about are the potential impacts of a formal market for what Ronald Reagan once described as “probably the most dangerous drug in America.”

“It’s a profound change in approach,” said Sebastián Sabini, one of the lawmakers working on the contentious proposal unveiled by President José Mujica on June 20. “We want to separate the market: users from traffickers, marijuana from other drugs like heroin.”

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What We Can Learn From Prostitutes About Economics

The Freakonomics author’s time spent talking with one yielded some interesting results.

How Botswana Has Taken On AIDS

The Article: Botswana’s ‘Stunning Achievement’ Against AIDS by Justin Beaubien at NPR.

The Text: The southern African nation of Botswana has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world. Nearly 25 percent of all adults in the country are infected with the virus. Only the nearby kingdom of Swaziland has a higher rate.

But Botswana is also remarkable for its response to the epidemic. It has one of the most comprehensive and effective HIV treatment programs in Africa. Transmission of HIV from infected mothers to their fetuses and newborn babies has been brought down to just 4 percent.

A decade ago, Botswana was facing a national crisis as AIDS appeared on the verge of decimating the country’s adult population. Now, Botswana provides free, life-saving AIDS drugs to almost all of its citizens who need them.

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The Hypocrisy Of Voter ID Laws

To the GOP, it’s all about freedom–for some.

Ignorance Is Beauty?

51 delegates for the Miss USA crown, the majority of whom are as beautiful as they are dumb. And also, why is the question should evolution be taught in schools? Isn’t it creationism’s presence that should be speculated?