Record number of women of color running for U.S. Congress in 2020
At least 266 Black, Latinx, Asian, Native American, Middle Eastern and North African women are running for the House and Senate, shattering 2018’s numbers.
Today (2017 C.E. - 2025 C.E.)
Solar-powered fridges are reducing food waste and hunger in Nigeria
ColdHubs installs 100 percent solar-powered walk-in cold storage rooms at Nigerian markets to help farmers and vendors cut down on spoilage and boost profits. So far, ColdHubs serves 3,517 users and their 24 Hubs have saved over 20,000 tons of food from spoilage.
A million people in the U.K. have quit smoking since the start of the pandemic
More than one million people in the U.K. have given up smoking since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study by the nonprofit Action on Smoking and Health. Almost half (41%) said it was a direct response to heightened health concerns due to COVID-19.
Bogotá embarks on a massive bike-lane building strategy
Mayor Claudia López announced that the city will add a total of 280 kilometers of bike lanes to the existing 550-kilometer network over the next four years. The long-term goal is to have half of all trips made on bikes or other micromobility alternatives such as scooters.
One of India’s largest food-delivery firms offers gamechanging period leave policy
The policy is considered a bold move in tackling an age-old taboo in India, where 71 percent of young women remain unaware of menstruation until their first cycle, according to UNICEF.
Philadelphia to provide free internet for 35,000 low-income families
Philadelphia will provide free internet access for 35,000 low-income families. Some households will be wired for free broadband access via Comcast’s Internet Essentials program and other families will receive service from no-charge wireless hot spots purchased by the city from T-Mobile.
Placebos prove effective even when people know they’re taking one, according to new study
A team of researchers from Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Dartmouth College is the first to demonstrate that placebos reduce brain markers of emotional distress even when people know they are taking one.
Thousands protest in Poland demanding release of LGBT activist
Several thousand people waving rainbow flags protested on Saturday in the center of Warsaw to demand the release of an LGBT activist accused of hanging rainbow banners over statues and damaging an anti-abortion campaigner’s van.
Dirty diesel vehicles banned from Seoul’s public fleets in 2025
Seoul, South Korea, is taking a step toward vehicle electrification with a new plan to phase out diesel vehicles from its public fleets by 2025, including mass transit fleets.
Disney makes history with first LGBTQ+ lead character in The Owl House
The Disney Channel show follows Luz Noceda, a 14-year-old Dominican-American girl who stumbles into an alternate world where she battles witches and demons and other forces of evil.