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.
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France bans short-haul domestic flights to curb carbon emissions
The European Commission has approved the move which will abolish flights between cities that are linked by a train journey of less than 2.5 hours.
Denmark reverses the direction of an oil rig for bulk carbon storage
Denmark is moving forward with an initiative that will take huge quantities of captured carbon out to an oil rig in the North Sea, and pump it down to sequester it in the sandstone formations that once held oil and gas.
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.
Australia becomes first major economy to reverse renewable classification for woody biomass
Science has found that biomass burning releases more carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy produced than coal.
Ukraine passes bill banning LGBTQ+ hate speech in media
The bill bans hate speech and incitement based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
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.
Barbados’ High Court strikes down laws criminalizing sodomy
Barbados becomes the third Caribbean nation this year to repeal such laws used to criminalize gay men.
E.U. agrees to include shipping companies in emissions trading system
Starting in 2024, shipping companies will have to buy E.U. carbon permits to cover 40% of their emissions, including methane and nitrogen oxides, rising to 70% in 2025 and 100% in 2026.
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.