Charlotte Observer: “The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has begun harvesting medical marijuana and expects to open the largest medical cannabis retail store in the U.S. next year, the tribal official in charge of the operation told The Charlotte Observer on Friday. “I’m really proud of my tribe taking this step, one with the betterment…

AL Political Reporter: “Last Wednesday morning was supposed to be different. A modest, but notable difference signaling the beginning of something new. A new era for Alabama Democrats. A post-midterm era with a handful of victories, just enough to give an infusion of hope. But that didn’t happen. Instead, we witnessed a stark reminder of…

AL Political Reporter: “During a hearing of the U.S. House Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin spoke on the role of mayors in “ending the prohibition of cannabis” and urged federal lawmakers to use the lame-duck session to approve common sense cannabis reforms in testimony before the bipartisan assembly on Tuesday.  …

North State Journal: “While Republicans fell one seat shy of locking in supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, the party did celebrate a full sweep of the state’s top judicial races.   The wins line up with multiple polls before Election Day that had all Republican candidates in the lead. In the month leading up to…

TX Observer: “In the dozens of Texas prisons that don’t have air conditioning, new research shows that 13 percent of deaths during the six hottest months every year from 2001 through 2019 were likely due to extreme heat. The study, which was published last week in the academic journal JAMA Network Open, is the first epidemiological evidence that…

The Hill: “Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas) on Tuesday revealed more details about the GOP effort to have him jump parties, saying a handful of Republicans — including a sitting member of Congress — were part of the pressure campaign to have him join the GOP following his easy victory in last week’s midterm elections….

NY Times: “Georgia voters should be forgiven for their sense of déjà vu: Once again, one of their major elections has gone to a runoff. Once again, the nation is watching. Once again, after a bitterly fought campaign, the stakes are high. So are the costs. According to AdImpact, a media tracking firm, the general…

Union-Bulletin: “North Carolina evenly split its U.S. House delegation in Tuesday’s midterm election, with Democrats and Republicans each winning seven of the 14 seats up for grabs. … “The Republican Party has made a significant investment in judicial elections the last two cycles, and it has paid off,” said Bob Orr, a former Republican justice…

ABC 4 News: “Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has signaled his intent to run for President of the United States of America. Hutchinson said he plans to spend time with his wife, Susan, and their six grandchildren when he leaves the governor’s office in January, 2023. After that, he says he has other plans. I plan to be…

TX Observer: “More than 100 butterfly enthusiasts descended on the border city of Mission over Halloween weekend to celebrate the annual Texas Butterfly Festival. The event marked a comeback for its host, the National Butterfly Center, which has been threatened and harassed by right-wing extremists who believe (falsely) that the wildlife sanctuary is a human trafficking hotspot….