Cheat Sheet - How Synthetic Weed Fuels Terrorism

May 23, 2014 FOLLOW THE MONEY 1. How Synthetic Weed Fuels Yemen's Terrorism After a raid on a super storage warehouse in Alabama, federal agents discovered a connection between the synthetic weed drug-trafficking network and terrorists in the Middle East. It turns out, reports Abby Haglage, the millions in cash reeled in by designer drugs sold across the country are going into the pockets of those who hate America the most in Yemen, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Read it at The Daily Beast UNFOLLOW 2. Twitter Censors 'Blasphemous' Tweets For the first time since it operated in Pakistan, Twitter has begun to censor tweets deemed "blasphemous" or "unethical" by bureaucrats in the Pakistani government. Five of the requests that resulted in censorship this month included drawings of the Prophet Muhammad, images of burning Qurans, porn star Belle Knox of Duke fame, and tweets from anti-Islam bloggers. Most of the accounts under the request came in anticipation of "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day" on May 20. Pakistan's heavy-handed blasphemy laws have garnered global attention recently due to the murders of secularists accused of breaking the law. For its part, Twitter argues it's better to block certain tweets than have the entire site blocked. Read it at The New York Times WATCH OUT 3. The Pope's Risky Trip to the Holy Land The first year as pontiff has been a PR cake walk for Pope Francis. Now he may be in for a rude awakening, as he travels to Bethlehem, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem this weekend, Barbie Latza Nadeau reports. Graffiti artists are attacking him on church walls in Jerusalem, and right-wing activists have been swept up by security for fear of "disruptions." While Francis will make key visits to Jewish, Muslim, and Christian sites, his attempts to please everyone may end up leaving nobody happy. Read it at The Daily Beast NEW SCANDAL 4. Drug Dealing Inside Miami V.A. Hospital Another V.A. hospital has come under fire for covering up abuse, just as the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a wide-ranging investigation on Thursday. Miami's V.A. Hospital is being accused of drug dealing, patient abuse, and other crimes by a V.A. law enforcement officer. Thomas Fiore says he was reassigned to clerical work after reporting and requesting to investigate incidents in his capacity as a detective. He alleges that the Miami facility allows drug dealing among patients and failing to prevent abuse and even death. Read it at The Miami Herald OL' SPARKY 5. Tennessee Brings Back the Electric Chair On Thursday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill approving the use of an electric chair for execution if drugs for lethal injection are unavailable. The state's current law allows inmates a choice between the electric chair or lethal injection if their crime was committed before 1999, but now Tennessee will be the only state to not give prisoners a choice in how they die. A recent poll shows that 56 percent of Tennesseans support using the electric chair for executions. A botched lethal injection that caused a death row inmate to die of a heart attack in Oklahoma last month and has sparked growing concern over the safety of the drugs used. Read it at The Associated Press LONELY PITA CHIPS Hummus Recalled for Listeria Risk Sold at Trader Joe's and Target. bad manners Tea Partiers Arrested Over Break-In Senator's wife was taped in nursing home. TRAGEDY China: Suicide Bombers Led Attack That left 31 people dead. METHOD ACTING Iranian Actress Faces Public Flogging For public kiss at Cannes. BLITZ 50 Senators Push Redskins to Change Name All of them Democrats. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. Streisand's Gay Sex Problem by Tim Teeman Nader and Norquist: A Bromance by Eleanor Clift Ireland's Greatest Living Writer Demurs by Allen Barra

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