The ‘Front Page of the Internet’s’ Top 5 News Stories

1. 58% of Americans Back Legal Marijuana Use

America’s support for marijuana usage is growing with time. Back in 1969, 12% of Americans thought using marijuana should be legal. By the late 1070’s, support increased to about 25%, and stayed that way through the mid- 90’s. By 2000 the support increased to 30% and was higher than 40% by 2009. This has steadily increased to the 58% it is today.

2. Fox News ‘Terror Expert’ Wayne Simmons Arrested for Lying About 27-Year Career as a CIA Officer

Wayne Simmons of Annapolis, Maryland, portrayed himself as an “outside paramilitary special operations officer” for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 1973 to 2000. Apparently, he tried to use that claim to get government security clearances and work as a defence contractor. The 62-year-old was arrested on the 15th this month for major fraud and making false statements to the government. Fox News spokeswoman Carly Shanahan said that Simmons was a guest on the network and wasn’t paid.

3. A Whistleblower Steps Forward on Drones

Chris Woods brings forth documents revealing two aspects of America’s first airstrike: first, it missed its target, Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban’s leader in Afghanistan who lived for another dozen years. Second is the strike, conducted by the CIA, set off a still-unresolved quarrel between the agency, the military, and the White House over control of the instrument, the rules that govern its use, and the chain of command in combat.

4. Drug Company CEO who Hiked up the Price for HIV Meds by 5,000% Furious With Bernie Sanders for Rejecting Donation

Martin Shkreli, the CEO who hiked up the price for daraprim from $13.50 a pill to $750, attempted to donate $2,700 to Bernie Sanders’ campaign. Sanders, however, rejected his donation, and said he’d give a donation of the same amount to a health clinic. Needless to say, Shkreli is pretty grumpy about it.

5. Homan Square Lawsuit Reveals that Chicago Police ‘Disappeared’ More Than 7,000 People

The result of an ongoing Guardian transparency lawsuit and investigation reveals shocking information about Homan Square, a secretive facility that Chicago police described as a little low-level narcotics crime outpost. This facility has unjustly held more than 7,000 people, mostly minorities, for the past 11 years. According to an analysis of data disclosed to the Guardian, police only allowed lawyers for about 0.94% of the 7,185 people held at Homan Square. That percentage lines up with Chicago police’s broader practice of providing minimal access to attorneys during the crucial early interrogation stage, when an arrestee’s constitutional rights against self-incrimination are most susceptible.