Federal regulators issued guidance today to banks for working with legal marijuana businesses. As member station KPLU Gabriel Spirizer reports, the change could give those businesses access to banking services for the first time. 

Up to now, banks would be breaking the law by doing businesses with marijuana growers, processors and sellers. And technically they still are, but the new US treasury’s guidelines tell banks how to work with these businesses without getting in trouble. Congressman Denny hack, represents the district in Western Washington State, one of the two states to legalize the recreation of marijuana. He’s been a local advocate for reforming the bank regulations. 

“This is a giant step forward in the effort by Washington state to stand up a well regulated marijuana market”. 

Without access to banks, marijuana businesses generally have to deal entirely in cash. Access that scenario invites problems like tax evasion and organized crime. Some 20 states have legalized marijuana in some form. For NPR news, I’m Gabriel Spirizer in Seattle.

 

A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit for faulting alleged patient dumping case. NPR's Ina Jaffe reports the case involves the patient had Las Vegas psychiatric Hospital who was given a one-way ticket to Sacramento, California. 

James Flavey Coy Brown was a patient to Rawson Neal Psychiatric Hospital. Officials there just charged him with enough psychiatric medication and smacks to left through the multi-day bus ride. They told him to call 911 when he reached Sacramento. US district judge James Mahan called Brown claimed for civil rights violation nonsensical. He said Brown had not been compelled to board the bus, or not threatened with punishment if he refused. Nevada officials say they pleased with ruling; from attorney say they will file a new complaint. In an investigation by the Sacramento be found around 1,500 just charged Rawson Neal patients had stories similar to Browns. The hospital has lost its accreditation. Ina Jaffe, NPR News. 

 

Production in factories across the US dropped in January down 0.8%, the slow down reverse 5-month production increases. The Federal Reserve says snow storm reduced the number of new cars manufacture by more than 5%. 

 

on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 126 today, ending at 16,154; The NASDAQ gained 3 points to close at 4244 and The S&P rose 8 points to close at 1838. 

 

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The NFL says 3 members of Miami Dolphins bullied the defensive tackle Jonathan Martin. The findings are parts of a report ordered after Martin left the team last October, alleging that he had been objective of vicious toughs and insults. His agent says Martin felt vindicated by today's report. The report says Richie Incognito and 2 other players engaged in the bullying. 3 reports go on to say another player and an assistant trainer were also targeted for abuse. 

 

A former Libyan military commander who participated in Libya's 2011 civil war appeared to a tried and failed to prompt a coup. NPR's Leila Fadel reports the video he put on line is being neglected through vision and left. 

Khalifa Haftar said in a video that Libya’s parliament and government were no longer in power as reports leaked that Tripoli’s government buildings have been taken by his men. But on the ground there was no troop movement and the nation’s prime minister Ali Zeidan called the video laughable as he dismissed the Haftar’s claims. The defense minister says the government had an issue to rescue warns Harftar and others for plans to overthrow the state. Haftar’s announcement highlights the deep divisions and chaos in Libya where the state is weak, has no centralized arm forces and security provided by patriots and militias. Some allies with Zeidan’s government and others are alive with the opponents in Libya’s parliament. Meanwhile, the economy is suffering and the security vacuum is widening. Leila Fadel, NPR News. 

 

In Oregon, 2 math-majors in re-college apparently never calculated just how much damage a massive runaway snowball could do. It pushed in a part of bedroom wall in a dorm. The 2 reported incidents that have not disciplined while college officials estimated the snowball weights about 800 pounds.