U.S. to eliminate exorbitant cost of prison phone calls
A new U.S. law that will allow the FCC to regulate prison phone calls needs only President Biden’s signature to put an end to a largely unknown, yet famously predatory, prison practice.
United States
U.S. passes legislation banning the shark fin trade within the nation
Before the Senate passed this legislation, 14 states and three U.S. territories had already banned the sale and possession of shark fins. The new bill will prohibit the fin trade across the entire U.S.
University of Houston researchers create “game-changer” vaccine for deadly street drug
In a study published in Pharmaceutics, scientists tested their vaccine on 60 rats. The immunized animals could produce antibodies that stop the deadly drug’s effects.
3M to end ‘forever chemicals’ output at cost of up to $2.3 bn
The U.S. conglomerate has set a 2025 deadline to stop producing PFAS, the “forever chemicals” used in anything from cell phones to semiconductors that have been linked to cancer and other health problems.
Claudine Gay to be Harvard’s 1st Black president
Gay will be the only Black president currently in the Ivy League and the second Black woman ever, following Ruth Simmons, who led Brown University from 2001 to 2012.
Respect for Marriage Act on White House becomes law in the U.S., formally recognizing same-sex marriages
The bill requires that the federal and state governments to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages performed by other states.
New blood cancer therapy successful in three-quarters of trial patients
The Phase 1/2 trial data from Janssen Research & Development covered hundreds of myeloma patients. Based on preliminary trial data, the FDA has granted it “Breakthrough Therapy” designation.
American fusion scientists claim net energy gain, in potentially huge renewables breakthrough
Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory claim to have generated more energy out of a fusion reaction that they put in — a first in the field and a huge victory for clean energy.
Experimental Naloxone vending machine in Cincinnati has reversed nearly 1,000 overdoses in two years
The machine dispensed more than 3,000 doses of naloxone and 10,000 drug test strips in the first year after it was installed in February 2021.
TerraCycle Global Foundation has cleared 581 tons of waste from Thai waterways in last two years
The Foundation partners with local community and government organizations to stop waste from reaching the ocean, where it degrades and becomes harder to capture and recycle.