14 Years After Decriminalizing Heroin, Here's What Portugal Looks Like

Editors Note* As a addiction recovery professional, I am not advocating the legalization of hard drugs, but, we must do something, in the tiny state of New Hampshire, heroin addiction has went up 4 times. Many believe the heroin addiction increase is because the government shut down much of the Oxycontin prescriptions, forcing those in real pain to go to using heroin, something must be done about the situation. Please email any thoughts you have on this to: info@newsin15.com- Ron Mills

The total number of people using drugs in Portugal has actually fallen by more than a third since the country began focusing on treatment programs instead of punishment. In 2001, critics worried that drug addiction rates would skyrocket, but not only have they come down, heroin addiction rates have been cut in half. HIV infections, which…

THE LAST WORD 09-30-15

THE LAST WORD

“Mic’s Zeeshan Aleem here. Yesterday, I wrote a story on what it really takes to deliver quality education to students in every corner of society. Despite constant lip service from politicians and policymakers on the mammoth importance of higher education in a fair society, there's rarely any scrutiny of which colleges are actually able to deliver on the promise of upward mobility. I took a look at which schools are shockingly good at it — and what their secret is.”

CONVERSATION STARTERS 09-30-15

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Hillary Clinton talks fashion, feminism and first ladydom with Lena Dunham. Mashable Clear your calendar for binge-watching: Here are the shows and movies coming to Netflix in October. Mic These eight cities will show you what the future will look like. Wired Why some left-handed people are having big problems with the iPhone. Mic Some ads have started watching you back, which isn’t creepy at all… Quartz Laverne Cox has called for transgender people to be counted differently in census reporting. Mic Gender inequality is costing the world a whopping $28 trillion. Time Ta-Nehisi Coates and 23 other trail blazers were officially named 2015’s geniuses. Mic Your pumpkin spice obsession, explained in four charts. Marketwatch

TODAY IN ONE PHOTO 09-30-15

IN ONE PHOTO

“Can you hear me now?” Edward Snowden, the infamous expat known for leaking a treasure trove of classified NSA intel, launched a verified Twitter account and sent just five words to announce his presence — but first, in a masterful bit of trolling, he followed the NSA.

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS 09-30

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS

Lawmakers might avoid a government shutdown after all. The Senate advanced a bill to fund the government through Dec. 11 that excludes the Planned Parenthood funding stipulation that riled up lawmakers and constituents alike. The bill is expected to pass today in the Senate and House, and if it does, you won’t have to cancel your fall trip to Yellowstone or watch the government bleed billions while standing still.

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards stood in front of Congress for the first time Tuesday to defend vital health services the organization provides, including cancer screenings, STI testing and contraception, in order to justify the federal funding her organization receives. She called the accusations made in the leaked undercover videos “offensive and categorically untrue,” as the hashtag #StandWithPP trended on Twitter and profile pictures across social media went pink.

Scientists may have found a way to cure blindness using stem cells. The new surgical procedure was performed on a 60-year-old woman last month in the U.K., but scientists just declared it successful. They’ll know whether or not she has fully regained her sight by December. If the procedure works, by the end of the year, scientists may have a groundbreaking solution for a problem that causes nearly 50% of blindness.

Also: the second episode of Mic’s new series Future Present is here! In it, we explore one revolutionary technology that is giving sight to those who are legally blind.

A record 522,000 migrants have fled to Europe by sea this year. That’s more than double the number last year, which was already incredibly high. The impending cold means the journey is becoming even more perilous for refugees — and finding a solution is more important than ever.

Japan is the latest country to jump into the fray and offer help. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe just pledged $1.5 billion to help refugees. Meanwhile, as Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin are proposing competing fixes for the devastating Syrian crisis, the Pentagon’s top official overseeing Russia and Ukraine’s military relations announced her plans to resign. Early Wednesday, Russian parliament gave Putin the green light to use military force in Syria, where the nation has already been scaling up its military presence.

Georgia executed a woman for the first time in 70 years. Kelly Gissendaner, 47, was on death row for planning (but not committing) the murder of her husband. A few last-ditch appeals were filed — and even the pope made a plea for her life — but the execution was carried out despite those efforts. Gissendaner was the 16th woman executed in the U.S. since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.

Biden Trails Clinton And Sanders

Just 17 percent of Democrats name Biden as their first choice.

Vice President Joe Biden falls behind former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as likely Democratic primary voters’ first choice, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Tuesday.

42 percent listed Hillary Clinton as their first choice while 35 percent said Sanders. Just 17 percent identified Biden.

The poll also suggests that a potential Biden candidacy cuts into Clinton’s support. Without Biden in the field, 53 percent of Democrats list Clinton as their first choice while 38 percent say Sanders.

President Obama met today with President Raul Castro of Cuba

President Obama met today with President Raul Castro of Cuba to discuss recent advances in relations between the United States and Cuba, as well as additional steps each government can take to deepen bilateral cooperation. The two Presidents discussed the recent successful visit of Pope Francis to both countries.  President Obama highlighted U.S. regulatory changes that will allow more Americans to travel to and do business with Cuba, while helping to improve the lives of the Cuban people.  The President welcomed the progress made in establishing diplomatic relations, and underscored that continued reforms in Cuba would increase the impact of U.S. regulatory changes.  The President also highlighted steps the United States intends to take to improve ties between the American and Cuban peoples, and reiterated our support for human rights in Cuba.

Ted Cruz's Plan To Shut Down Our Country

After his latest attempt to trigger a government shutdown and defund Planned Parenthood failed, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) threw a tantrum on the Senate floor and trashed John Boehner.

Video:

Trust In U.S. Media at the lowest it has ever been

• 
• Four in 10 Americans trust the mass media
• Ties 2014 and 2012 for the lowest trust level in Gallup's trend
• Younger Americans less likely than older to trust the media

According to a recent Gallup Poll

 Four in 10 Americans say they have "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of trust and confidence in the mass media to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. This ties the historical lows on this measure set in 2014 and 2012. Prior to 2004, slight majorities of Americans said they trusted the mass media, such as newspapers, TV and radio.

Read The Poll HERE

Today IN ONE QUOTE 09-29-15

IN ONE QUOTE

"The existence of liquid water, even if it is super salty briny water, gives the possibility that if there's life on Mars, that we have a way to describe how it might survive."

NASA’s John Grunsfeld announced that liquid water has been found to flow on the red planet, which means it’s possible that we may not be alone in the universe. But don’t get too excited — think more along the lines of tiny microbes than anything from Alien vs. Predator.

THE LAST WORD 09-29-15

THE LAST WORD

Remember that graphing calculator you used as a kid — that clunky brick with the sliding case you could never quite figure out? Mic’s Jack Smith sure does, and he wanted to find out why students today are still using that 20-year-old tech. “That calculator was invented before the iPhone, before Wi-Fi, before most of the technology that runs our world today. But students are still using the old TI-83 graphing calculator and it still costs a fortune. Here’s the disturbing reason why.”

CONVERSATION STARTERS 09-29-15

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Happy National Coffee Day! Here's where you can get your free brew. Mic When disassembled, timber from Banksy’s dystopian Dismaland will be used to build shelters for refugees. The Associated Press Emma Watson just exposed Hollywood’s sexism problem using statistics from her own career. Mic Are Apple stores the new temples? Atlas Obscura Supermodel Gigi Hadid gracefully shut down body-shaming Twitter trolls. Mic Elizabeth Warren gave the speech Black Lives Matter activists have been waiting for. The Washington Post Trevor Noah’s Daily Show isn’t the one you remember — and it’s not trying to be. Mic Work-life balance is a mirage, but here’s how we can make it real. Jezebel Here are the schematics for your very own Netflix and chill button. Mic These are the top career lessons future millennial CEOs should keep in mind.Quartz Virtual reality gives men a firsthand look at what it’s like to get catcalled on the street. Mic Generation ISIS: Western millennials are stocking the terror army. The Daily Beast

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS 09-29-15

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS

The U.N. kicked off its 70th General Assembly. Quite a few diplomatic rockstars spoke at the annual political gabfest, but Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama stole the show. Obama debated the best way to solve Syria’s crisis with Putin, who pitched an anti-terror coalition to fight the Islamic State group. The two didn't exactly agree on a solution, but Obama said he’d be open to working with all nations, including former foe Russia and current frenemy Iran, to resolve the conflict.

In other U.N. news, Saudi Arabia is now heading up a panel on the organization’s Human Rights Council and is tasked with choosing experts to “report and advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective." The catch? Saudi Arabia has one of the worst human rights records.

CNN is saving a seat for Joe Biden at the debate table. While the VP hasn’t yet announced any plans for a shot at the presidency, CNN made sure he knew that he’d still be eligible to join in the Oct. 13 debate, even if he declares his plans the same day. For someone who isn't in the race, he sure is popular.

While Biden may or may not be ramping up campaign plans, Donald Trump is diving in headfirst. The bold businessman revealed an ambitious tax planthat would eliminate taxes for millions of middle-class Americans — but also benefit corporations and the rich.

The Taliban conquered the Afghan city of Kunduz. The group seized the transport hub in their first major victory since 2001. Interesting timing, since the attack coincides with the one-year anniversary of Afghanistan’s national unity government. Afghan forces are working overtime to take back the city with thesupport of a U.S. airstrike.

Tesla's Model X is finally here. The electric SUV that we've been waiting for since it was announced in 2012 will be delivered Tuesday and seen in your neighbors' driveways by early 2016. It's already been pre-ordered by more than 20,000 customers.

FIFA’s Sepp Blatter doesn’t want to step down. Even though the soccer honcho is under criminal investigation for his possible involvement in widespread corruption, Blatter said he’s done nothing “illegal or improper” and plans to stick around for a while.

The New Daily Show

 Daily Show host, Trevor Noah bashed GOP “radicals” for cheering House Speaker John Boehner’s exit.

Boehner announced his resignation last week after an emotional interaction with Pope Francis.

“Why leave now, I just got here! I’ve got a fancy suit and a new set and I learned how to pronounce your name… Boehner,” Noah said slyly, winking.

Noah noted that as speaker, Boehner basically decided which laws came up for vote, making him “basically the bouncer at Club Congress, which is probably the worst club ever.”

He then pointed out how radical the conservative Republicans are that cheered Boehner’s leaving at this week’s Value Voters summit.

“You see, for this faction, even John Boehner — the man once ranked the eight most conservative man in Congress — wasn’t right wing enough,” Noah said. “It’s like crack 

Watch The entire show below: