Important headlines for December 26th:
Bottom Line: These are the stories you don't want to miss and my hot takes on them...
Excerpt: For a marijuana distributor, opening a bank account isn’t as easy as it is for the rest of us. The federal government still considers cannabis an illegal substance without medicinal value, so most banks haven’t been willing to take their money — even though 29 states have legalized the drug for medical use, and some for recreational use. And these businesses would be handling too much cash to stash it under a mattress.
Then First Green Bank, a Central Florida community bank that operates only in this state and doesn’t require a federal charter, stepped in. By this summer, it was handling accounts for six of the state’s seven licensed producers of medical marijuana. But now First Green has announced that it is closing the accounts of its cannabis clients and won’t be handling their money past early January.
Hot Take: Federally chartered or not, First Green Bank had the realization that the others did a long time ago...The money is illegal and they were involving themselves in money laundering for federal drug trafficking. It's not like the other banks don't want additional millions/billions of dollars flowing into their banks. It's simply that it must be legal which it currently isn't. Once again - the medical marijuana issue in Florida and all other states isn't about the validity of medical marijuana. It's about right and wrong. Currently the federal government views marijuana in all forms as illegal substances. No state can legally usurp that authority. That means that every doctor, every distributor, every financial entity, etc. that involves with medical marijuana is involved in the process of federal drug trafficking/money laundering.
Too often the focus is on whether we want something rather than going about it the right way. There are a myriad of examples I could use to illustrate the point - here's one. How many people think you shouldn't have to obtain a driver's license before driving? For those who obtain it - it's not as though you're instantly a better driver once you obtain it, but you went about it the right way. For those who want legal medical marijuana - it should never have happened at the state level as it'll never be legal that way. Take it to the federal government.
'Merry Christmas' Is Bigger Than Ever Under Trump Katrina Trinko, USA Today
Excerpt: No, Christmas didn’t disappear during Barack Obama’s presidency. Obama said “merry Christmas” plenty of times, and like his predecessor, Trump also says “happy holidays” at times. But neither did Obama enthusiastically embrace Christmas. The White House Christmas card had no mention of “Christmas” for eight years...
Hot Take: I've not known Christians who've wished to offend anyone with the mention of Merry Christmas. In the mist of mixed company, I've always been inclined to wish all a Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas. But the systematic effort to insert political correctness into Christmas has resulted in non-sense like winter breaks and little room in mixed company for anything other than happy holidays. Which by the way is "winter-break" supposed to be one of those? It's important as a factual point of reference that this country was founded on religious liberty but also rooted firmly in the righteousness of God. I firmly believe that the farther our society has drifted from those values, starting in our schools, the worse our society has generally has become. The message of God is redemption, love, hope and goodwill. Why would a society choose to distance itself from those values?
Trump's First Year as President Is a Historic Success Ronna McDaniel, FOX News
Hot Take: There are a bunch of supporting facts but I'll make this one simple. Is your life better than a year ago? For the average American the answer is overwhelming yes.
Until tomorrow...