Palace Gossip gone mad

A summer of royal love? Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding talk alreadyat fever pitch

It doesn't take much to get the British press in a tizzy — especially where royal heirs are concerned. But speculation that Prince Willliam will announce his engagement to long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton on Friday has reached a fever pitch.

It all started in April when Tina Brown, writing in The Daily Beast, noticed that in all the parliamentary hubbub, two dates were blocked out on the Queen's calendar — June 3 and 4. She laid out a convincing case that the omission would be perfect time for a royal engagement — falling after the new Prime Minister was installed and the political noise had died down a bit, and lending itself to a late fall wedding, which would correspond well with Wills' Royal Air Force commitments.

And to feed the fire even more, William's biographer, Nicholas Davies, told Star Magazine that "William has always said he will be ready for marriage after his 28th birthday" — which will fall on June 21.

British supermarket chain Asda is so confident that the announcement is imminent, they've ordered commemorative mugs and towels inscribed "Kate & Wills" in keeping with British tradition. Of course, Woolworths made similar items back in 2006 when similar wedding rumors swirled — only to scrap them when the couple instead announced a (temporary) split.

Other media outlets are so certain of upcoming nuptials that they are already projecting the cost of the wedding ($40 million) and the worldwide TV viewership of the royal affair (three billion, which seems a little high considering that would represent nearly half the earth's population).

Of course, if the British royal heirs won't give us concrete wedding buzz, we can always turn to the Swedes.

Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria is set to wed her own commoner fiance, Daniel Westling — they met when he served as her personal trainer — this summer, and has already caused a commotion in the international press with her desire to be given away by her father in the ceremony. Swedes consider the British tradition sexist and have long opted to walk together down the aisle in a show of equality.

With the stakes this high, it's no wonder Prince William doesn't seem to be in any hurry.

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana