TODAY'S TALKING POINTS 10-21-15

TODAY'S TALKING POINTS

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad made a surprise visit to Russia's Vladimir Putin. In his first overseas trip since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, Assad personally thanked Putin for airstrikes that Russia started launching several weeks ago. The meeting came after the U.S. and Russia agreed to stay out of each other's air space over Syria.

Canada's new pinup Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he'd keep his campaign promise to stop bombing the Islamic State group as part of the U.S.-led campaign, and instead offer support "in a responsible way" through training and humanitarian aid.

The government’s been blocking medical marijuana research. The Brookings Institution released a report noting the huge obstacles that the U.S. government has created that prohibit researchers from studying the drug’s medical effects. As marijuana legalization sweeps the nation, the report stresses that it’s high time to test the real medical consequences of the drug rather than relying on anecdotal evidence.

You know those Drug Free Zone signs you’ve seen around schools and playgrounds? In some cities, those zones cover much larger areas than you’d expect, resulting in a disproportionate number of poor, urban residents getting much harsher drug sentences.

Jim Webb dropped out of the Democratic race. The former Virginia senator said he accepts that his views “are not compatible with the power structure and base of the Democratic Party,” but has left the door open for an Independent run.

The election is just heating up, so expect to hear a lot of “And I approve this message” during political ads. Here’s how that phrase became a thing.

The capital of Norway made history by banning cars in the city’s center. Oslo will become the first-ever European capital to entirely ban cars in a district when the measure takes effect in 2019. Oslo, which has nearly 350,000 cars, also plans to develop 60 kilometers of bike lanes — meaning cyclists and pedestrians will reign.

If you’re already on top of the biking trend, you should know that the prototype for a new hydrogen-powered bicycle that offers “assisted biking” will roll out in the next few months.

One study revealed the best way to help poor children is by giving their parents cash. Quality of life is heavily dependent on economic security, so it’s no secret that poor children face stress, instability and a lack of nutrition at home. But a new paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that giving their parents $4,000 in cash annually — no strings attached — can change these kids’ personalities for life.