Friends Allowed to Adopt
End of the Age News
By Vince Stegall
Friends Allowed To Adopt
They have been friends since 2000, and they have decided to adopt a child together. The only problem is that friends are never allowed to adopt, it is most often restricted to a married man and woman. But that is no problem to a Manhattan judge who, in a first of its kind ruling has given them the green light to become legal co-parents to an adopted girl.
This couple is only identified as LEL and KAL in court papers. KAL wanted to be a mother but couldn’t get pregnant via artificial insemination, so they “decided to instead adopt a child together.”
They both traveled to Africa together to bring the baby home, but they weren’t married so KAL was the only one able to adopt. They returned to the US and begin to pursue the legal options to add LEL as the second parent, even though the two are not romantically involved and don’t live together.
In a landmark ruling, Judge Rita Mella did so. Bernard Clair, a top matrimonial lawyer not involved in the case, said the ruling “expands the boundaries of adoption rights.
Hawaii Stay For Michelle Obama’s Birthday
President Barack Obama and his two daughters have left the family vacation in Hawaii over the weekend, but they left First Lady Michelle Obama behind. The president reportedly let Michelle stay in Hawaii with friends as a “birthday present.” She will turn 50 years old on January 17.
The costs for this prolonged stay that consists of separate travel and security expenses are likely to be covered in part by taxpayers. A similar trip where Mrs. Obama left for a Hawaii vacation earlier than President Obama, the costs to the Treasury was estimated to be as little as $63,000.
Pot Shops To Be Sold Out Any Day
Just a few days into the experiment, the legal marijuana sales in Colorado are reported to be a big success — so much so that they can’t keep the shelves stocked.
According to the Denver Post, roughly 37 stores in Colorado were licensed to sell recreational pot to anyone 21 or over as of January 1, 2014. The Associated Press and others have reported long lines outside Denver pot shops with some waiting up to 5 hours before going inside to make a purchase.
Stores have been charging anywhere from $50-$70 for one-eighth of an ounce of pot that cost medical marijuana users $25 and taxes add an extra 20% or so. Nonetheless, they are running out of product.
Two shops in Pueblo, Co have collectively sold $87,000 of marijuana on January 1, according to the Pueblo Chieftain, and storeowners are saying they will be sold out in the very near future. Toni Fox, owner of a shop in Denver, told the Colorado Springs Gazette that a sellout could happen any day. “We are going to run out,” she said on Thursday, January 2nd. “It’s insane. This weekend will be just as crazy. If there is a mad rush, we’ll be out by Monday.”
According to the Associated Press, some shops closed early on Wednesday because they didn’t have enough supply to meet customer demand. However, leading up to January 1, many speculated that the Colorado pot shops would not be able to meet demands due to limited number of stores and very tough regulations on how marijuana is grown and distributed. It should be noted that more than half of sales have been attributed to non-Coloradens.
Prices in legal pot sales have already risen to around $400 an ounce. How long before more states allow legal pot sales?