Lyme disease vaccine found to be safe and effective in clinical trial
French company Valneva has developed a vaccine that works by stopping Lyme-causing bacteria in ticks from passing into people’s bloodstreams when the ticks bite.
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General Motors partners with EVgo to install 2,700 fast chargers across U.S.
General Motors is partnering with EVgo, the largest EV charging network in the US, to add 2,700 fast chargers in 40 cities across America over the next 5 years. GM and EVgo will install the stations at grocery stores, retail outlets, entertainment centers and other high-traffic areas.
Largest floating solar park in Europe connected to grid in The Netherlands
More than 18 hectares in size, the solar power plant, Zonnepark Bomhofsplas, has 72,000 solar panels and is expected to provide energy for 7,200 homes. It was built in just 7 weeks.
New blood test can detect prostate cancer with unprecedented precision
A new blood test for prostate cancer is producing a 99% accuracy rating—precision that has never before been achieved for a blood test of this particular kind of cancer. The test can also determine the exact stage and progression of the cancer, reducing the need for invasive biopsies and scans.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signs sweeping police reform bill
The law institutes a new statewide watchdog for police misconduct, bans “chokeholds” in most instances and puts limits on the ability of police departments to withhold officers’ disciplinary records. It also allows individual officers to be held financially liable in civil suits over their actions.
Deutsche Bank to stop funding Arctic drilling after pressure from activists
The bank, a multinational investment company headquartered in Germany, announced Monday that it will no longer offer financial services to new projects that involve drilling for oil or gas in the Arctic.
41 states in the U.S. have reduced their carbon emissions while growing their economies
From 2005 to 2018, the country’s overall GDP increased by 25%, while energy-related carbon dioxide emissions fell 12%, because of the shift from coal to gas power, the rapid deployment of renewable energy technology, and the progress made in vehicle emission standards.
New Zealand passes historic bill to ensure pay equity between men and women
New Zealand’s parliament has unanimously passed the Equal Pay Amendment Bill that ensures that women in historically underpaid female-dominated industries receive the same remuneration as men in different but equal-value work.
After 250 years, Big Sur land returned to Esselen tribe
As part of a $4.5 million land deal, 1,200 acres of undeveloped private property near Big Sur are being transferred to the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving tribal heritage.
Costa Rica is the first tropical country to have stopped and reverse deforestation
In the 1940s, 75% of Costa Rica was cloaked in lush rainforests. It is thought that between up to a half of that forest cover in Costa Rica had been destroyed by loggers by 1987. Today almost 60% of the land is once again forest.