How Sports Betting Spread Across the Country Thanks to Lobbyists for the Gambling Industry

Just a few years ago, betting on sports was regulated to Nevada and a handful of other locations in the U.S., but after a flurry of action from lobbyists and the gambling industry, 31 states now allow sports gambling either online or in-person.  Sold by possible tax revenue, many states have come on board, sometimes with very favorable tax breaks for gambling companies.  An investigation by the Times finds that in many cases that revenue hasn’t lived up to projections.  Other convincing was done at events such as the “Cigars, Cars, and Bars” event that some Kansas lawmakers attended.  Eric Lipton, investigative reporter at the NY Times, joins us for how sports betting has expanded so fast.

Next, a study in Germany that was exploring the possibility of using industrial hemp in animal feed found that when portions of the plant that had higher THC concentration was fed to some dairy cows, they produced milk with detectable levels of THC.  The dairy cows even displayed behavioral changes such as yawning and salivating a lot and standing in one place for long periods of time. Still regulators are looking into hemp because it could be an excellent source for animal feed.  Hemp seeds are high in protein and do not contain any THC.  Joel Achenbach, science reporter at The Washington Post, joins us for what to know.

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