New Mexico legalizes recreational cannabis
Home cannabis cultivators can grow up to six plants per person, or 12 plants per household. Police will no longer be able to use the scent of cannabis as grounds for arrest.
United States
U.S. Department of Justice charges three Georgia men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery with federal hate crimes
All three defendants have also been charged in a separate state proceeding with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
World-first printable transistor is fully recyclable with water and sound
Engineers at Duke University have developed the world’s first fully recyclable printed electronics, demonstrated in the form of a transistor that can be reduced to its original building blocks with the help of baths and sound waves.
A historically Black community in Houston will be home to largest urban solar farm in the U.S.
The solar panels will create enough electricity for about 5,000 homes annually, offsetting 120 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually. Construction is slated to start later this year with plans to be in operation by 2022.
Chloé Zhao is the first woman of color to win an Oscar for Best Director
The Nomadland director was also the first woman to get four Oscar nominations in a single year, in ‘best film editing,’ ‘best-adapted screenplay,’ ‘best director,’ and ‘best picture’ categories.
Biden administration reverses Trump’s ban on rainbow flags at embassies
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken authorized the rainbow flag at all American outposts, in time for Pride Month.
Scientists create world’s first truly biodegradable single-use plastic
Scientists at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley discovered that water or soil composts converted the enzyme-embedded plastic into its building blocks and eliminated microplastics in a few weeks.
New ultrawhite paint reduces the need for air conditioning
Reflective white paints currently on the market only reflect 80-90% of sunlight and absorb ultraviolet light. The researchers’ paint can successfully cool buildings, as it reflects 98% of sunlight.
Walmart commits to helping save pollinators by mandating change for supply chains
Walmart U.S. will source 100% of the fresh produce and floral items it sells in its in-store produce department from suppliers that adopt integrated pest management practices, as verified by a third party, by 2025.
Biden plans to cut U.S. climate pollution in half by 2030
The goal, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, would nearly double the cuts targeted by the Obama administration in 2015.