New facility in California to create 400,000 pounds of lab-grown meat a year
UPSIDE Foods just opened a major facility in Emeryville, California to scale production of the more environmentally-friendly and humane alternative to traditional meats.
United States
A “functional cure” for HIV to begin human trials
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave approval to Excision Biotherapeutics to use its innovative HIV treatment in Phase I/II human trials.
Wright Electric plans to put 100-passenger electric airplanes in service by 2026
Wright Electric plans to build a fleet of the converted electric planes, which will have a range of about one hour or 460 miles. It’s enough range to go from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
U.S. to begin regulating methane emissions from oil and gas wells
Oil and gas wells, even abandoned ones, are a huge source of emissions. The regulation of methane from oil and gas operations will cut methane emissions by an estimated 41 million tons between 2023 and 2035.
Ithaca, New York becomes first U.S. city to begin 100% decarbonization of buildings
Ithaca’s plan will cover electrification projects for 1,000 residential buildings and 600 commercial buildings in the first phase of a total 6,000 building inventory.
Philadelphia becomes first major U.S. city to ban police from stopping drivers for low-level traffic violations
Black drivers, who comprise 48% of Philadelphia’s population, accounted for 72% of the nearly 310,000 traffic stops by police officers between October 2018 and September 2019.
Senate confirms Beth Robinson, the first out lesbian U.S. circuit court judge
Robinson has been an associate justice on the Vermont Supreme Court for the past ten years, where she also made history as the state’s first out LGBTQ supreme court justice.
MIT-designed project achieves major advance toward fusion energy
A new superconducting magnet breaks magnetic field strength records, paving the way for practical, commercial, carbon-free power.
Indigenous peoples to get $1.7bn in recognition of role in protecting forests
The money will support the capacity of indigenous peoples and local communities to govern themselves collectively, assist with mapping and registration work, back national land reform and help resolve conflict over territories.
Private prison operator must pay inmates minimum wage for work, U.S. federal jury rules
The court found that GEO Group, a private prison operator that runs the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, WA, is violating the state’s minimum wage laws by paying its workers $1 per day.