Schoology Morning Show

What is 4/20, and why is it a stoner holiday? A look at how ‘420’ became linked to marijuana

Friday is April 20, or 4/20. That’s the numerical code for marijuana’s high holiday, a homage to pot’s enduring appeal and universal slang for smoking.

Festivities are planned worldwide, culminating with a synchronized smoke at 4:20 p.m.

How the marijuana-loving world came to mark the occasion is believed traceable to five Northern California men now in their 60s with bad backs and graying hair. They are the unofficial grandmasters by virtue of the code they created nearly 50 years ago as students at a suburban San Francisco high school in 1971.

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‘‘We thought it was a joke then,’’ said David Reddix, a filmmaker and retired CNN cameraman. ‘‘We still do.’’

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Reddix and his four buddies — Steve Capper, Larry Schwartz, Jeff Noel and Mark Gravich — were a

A 20-year-old was shot and killed by a stranger, but his organs wound up saving five other lives. Mario Cousin’ family recently met the people who received his organs, and his mom even got to hear her son’s heart beating inside one of those recipients. Watch their incredible meeting: SEE VIDEO

President Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, appeared in court in New York yesterday over an FBI seizure of his documents. In a surprising twist, Cohen was forced to reveal the name of one of his clients: Fox News host Sean Hannity. Later on his show, Hannity said he’d sometimes received legal advice from Cohen but never paid him. NY TIMES

“That sounds normal. He has a lawyer he doesn’t pay… By the way, I’m thinking of hiring Michael Cohen as my lawyer. He only has three clients and apparently he works for free.” — Jimmy Kimmel

WHAT HAPPENED: The United States, U.K. and France launched more than 100 missiles at three chemical weapons facilities in Syria as retaliation for an apparent chemical attack in Douma that killed dozens of people, including children. The Pentagon says the airstrikes were a success and took out the “heart” of Syria’s chemical weapons program. REUTERS

WHAT’S NEXT: Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that more Western attacks on Syria would bring “chaos” to international affairs. Today the U.S. is expected to announce new economic sanctions on companies “dealing with equipment” related to Syria’s alleged chemical weapons use. CNBC

OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma teachers have ended a nearly two-week walkout that shut down schools throughout the state. The announcement comes on the heels of a vote on tax hikes set to bring in $450 million for education– amounting to a roughly $6,000 raise over three years. REUTERS

AROUND THE COUNTRY: Teachers in Kentucky are set for a “day of action” to protest a new bill that revamped teacher pension benefits. In recent weeks, teacher strikes have closed schools in West Virginia and Oklahoma, and teachers in Arizona are also getting ready to walk out. COURIER JOURNAL

ALL OPTIONS ON TABLE: The U.S. says “all options are on the table” in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, but that a final decision on military strikes hasn’t been made. The White House says Russia and Syria are responsible for the alleged chemical attack, in which dozens of people were killed. BBC

TWITTER THREAT: President Trump warned Russia, via tweet, about missiles that will be headed to Syria: “Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!” The tweet followed comments from a Russian official who said Russia would shoot down incoming U.S. missiles. THE HILL

For the second year in a row, Austin, Texas has been named the best place to live in the United States. Colorado Springs came in second, followed by Denver, Des Moines and Fayetteville, AR

President Trump said he’ll decide in the next 24 to 48 hours whether to retaliate militarily against Syria for the alleged chemical attack on civilians this weekend. Trump told reporters: “We cannot allow atrocities like that. Cannot allow it… If it’s Russia, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out and we’ll know the answers quite soon.”

CHEMICAL ATTACK: The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss a suspected chemical attack by the Syrian government on civilians. The attack happened in the Syrian city of Douma, killing dozens of people, including entire families. NPR

RESPONSE: In a tweet, President Trump blamed Syrian President Bashar Assad and his allies, Russia and Iran, for the attack, saying “President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price…to pay.” BBC

MISSILE STRIKE: After President Trump’s warning, there was an airstrike at a Syrian base– although the Pentagon denies responsibility. Syrian state media initially said the attack was “American aggression.” Russia is blaming Israel for the missiles.

The northern U.S. from Montana to New England is expected to get hit with bitter cold and heavy snow in the next few days, while the West Coast is dealing with heavy rain and flooding. A storm system called the Pineapple Express is expected to hit northern California, where mudslides and debris will be a concern in areas burned by recent wildfires.

The United States announced it would impose a 25% tariff on $50 billion worth of imports from China; China retaliated with its own proposed tariffs on American goods, including cars, whiskey, soybeans and pork

President Trump is not going to pull the U.S. military out of Syria immediately, despite saying last week that the U.S. would “be coming out of Syria very soon.” The U.S. has about 2,000 personnel on the ground helping fight ISIS

Africa may eventually split into two separate continents. It will take tens of millions of years, but the process has already started: a large crack, several miles in length, emerged following heavy rain in southwestern Kenya in a region known as the East African Rift Valley.

1. N. KOREA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited China this week, his first trip out of the country since taking office in 2011. Kim met with China’s president and pledged denuclearization, saying the issue can be resolved if South Korea and the U.S. respond with “goodwill…and create an atmosphere of peace and stability.”

2. CENSUS BATTLE
The Trump administration is adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census, arguing that the information is needed to enforce the Voting Rights Act. Now twelve states, including California, are suing, saying asking people whether they are citizens is unconstitutional and intimidates immigrants.

5. FALLING SPACE STATION
A Chinese space station the size of a school bus is expected to plunge to Earth in about a week, but experts say it’s unlikely any pieces will survive re-entry through the atmosphere or land on a populated area. Still, it’s impossible to pinpoint an exact location until a couple of hours prior to reentry.

1. MARCH FOR OUR LIVES
THE MESSAGE: Nearly two million young people and their supporters took to the streets in hundreds of cities across the country to demand stricter gun laws. The biggest rally was in D.C., where Parkland students remembered their fallen classmates. Here are some of the best signs: SEE PICS

THE MOMENTS: Parkland student Emma Gonzalez spoke, then stood in silence until 6 minutes and 20 seconds had gone by: the amount of time it took the shooter to kill 17 people. 11-year-old Naomi Wadler, a student from Virginia, said “I am here today to acknowledge and represent the African American girls whose stories don’t make the front page…” Here are the six most memorable moments: WATCH


2. STORMY ON 60 MINUTES
THE INTERVIEW: Porn star Stormy Daniels sat down with Anderson Cooper to detail her alleged affair with Donald Trump, acknowledging she received “hush money” a week before he was elected president. And back in 2011, Daniels said a man approached her and her

Morning Briefing

Not the budget the president asked for
• The Senate passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill early this morning that will keep the federal government open through September. Funding would otherwise have expired tonight.
The measure provides big increases to military and domestic programs and rebuffs the Trump administration’s efforts to sharply scale back the scope of government. Here’s a breakdown of what’s in the deal.


They’ve tuned in. Will they turn out?
• More than 800 student-led demonstrations are planned this weekend to call for an end to gun violence. Here’s a map o