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    Marijuana advocates are gearing up for April 20. Known as 4/20, marijuana's high holiday on Saturday is often marked by large crowds gathering in parks, at festivals and on college campuses to smoke together. This year activists can reflect on how far the legalization movement has come. Medical marijuana is now legal in 38 states. Of those, 24 also allow recreational use. Additionally, the Biden administration has shown an openness to marijuana reform. Biden has pardoned thousands of people with federal “simple possession” convictions. The Department of Health and Human Services has recommended marijuana be reclassified as a lower-schedule drug, which would affirm its medical use under federal law.

      Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley have appealed aspects of their convictions on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. The Chrisleys rose to fame with their show “Chrisley Knows Best,” which chronicled the exploits of their tight-knit family. But prosecutors say they engaged in an extensive bank fraud scheme and hid their earnings from tax authorities while showcasing their extravagant lifestyle. Their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was indicted along with them and also is challenging his conviction. Lawyers for all three, as well as federal prosecutors, are set to appear for arguments before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Friday.

        Complaints about pregnant women being turned away from emergency rooms spiked in the months after states began enacting strict abortion laws following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The cases are detailed in federal documents obtained by The Associated Press and raise serious questions about the state of emergency pregnancy care in the U.S. Federal law requires emergency rooms to stabilize patients who are in active labor and provide a medical transfer to another hospital if they don’t have the staff or resources to treat them. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments next week in an Idaho case that could weaken those federal protections.

        Each day, more than 1,000 people are injured and nine are killed in crashes involving distracted driving, according to data reported by Drive Smart Virginia. Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. has long partnered with the nonprofit organization charged with raising awareness and changing behavior to improve roadway safety.

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