North & Central America

Two people holding hands

U.S. approves “milestone” Parkinson’s treatment for 2025 release

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The treatment, which will be sold under the name Onapgo, is essentially a subcutaneous – under the skin – device that allows for continuous infusion of the dopamine agonist apomorphine hydrochloride to reduce ‘off’ episodes. These episodes are periods during the day and night when lepodova medication wears off and adverse motor-function symptoms become amplified. In trial, Onapgo significantly reduced these daily off episodes by an average of 2.47 hours, compared to the placebo treatment.

A pharmacist reviewing medication bottles in a dispensary for an article about non-opioid pain drug approval

FDA approves first new class of non-opioid pain drug in over 20 years

By / / Good News For Humankind

The FDA has approved Journavx (suzetrigine), the first non-opioid pain drug in a new class in over 20 years. By blocking pain signals in the peripheral nervous system before they reach the brain, it offers patients a meaningful alternative to opioids for moderate to severe acute pain — with no involvement of the addiction pathways that have driven one of America’s most devastating public health crises.

A variety of LGBTQ+ pride flags

Michigan expands hate crime law to protect LGBTQ+ identities

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed a bill adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s hate crime law, along with a companion bill amending sentencing guidelines for hate crimes. The 1988 ethnic intimidation law initially applied only to religion, ethnicity, and race. The new law adds LGBTQ+ identities, as well as sex, age, disability, national origin, and affiliation with these groups. A first offense for committing a hate crime against one of the protected classes is punishable with a fine of $5,000 and/or up to two years behind bars.

Karla Sofia Gascón at 2024 Cannes Film Festival

Karla Sofía Gascón just became the first out trans actor to score an Oscar nomination

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made history by announcing that Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón has been nominated for an Oscar for her lead performance in Emilia Pérez. Gascón, who starred in the Spanish language musical as a Mexican drug lord who begins a new life after coming out as trans, is the first openly transgender performer ever to receive an acting nomination in the Academy’s 95-year history.

Lit light bulb

In the last 30 years, almost everybody in Bangladesh gained access to basic electricity

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In 1991, fewer than 15% of people in Bangladesh had access to electricity. Thirty years later, access was almost universal. Over 100 million Bangladeshis have gained access to electricity during this time. This enables them to light their homes, use household appliances, or stay connected through phones and the internet. The U.N. has set a target to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030. Currently, about 9 in 10 people worldwide have basic access to electricity.

New York

New York City to get a $3 billion, 80,000-acre offshore wind farm

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New York City will soon be getting its own personal offshore wind farm. The Empire Wind 1 project just received a US$3 billion project financing package and is expected to go online in 2027, powering roughly half a million borough residents. A turbine-laden 80,000-acre plot of Atlantic Ocean – which is nearly half the size of NYC – could generate 810 MW if running efficiently at its designed capacity. That is around 3.19 TWh per year or roughly 6% of NYC’s overall consumption. Empire Wind 1 will be the first offshore wind project to connect directly to NYC’s electrical grid.

American money

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalizes rule banning inclusion of medical debt on credit reports

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Americans’ unpaid medical bills will no longer appear on credit reports, where they can block people from mortgages, car loans, or small business loans, according to a final rule announced by the Biden administration. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule will remove $49 billion in medical debt from the credit reports of more than 15 million Americans, which means lenders will no longer be able to take that into consideration when deciding to issue a loan. The change is estimated to raise the credit scores by an average of 20 points.

Offshore oil rig at sunset

Biden permanently bans offshore drilling in 625 million acres of ocean

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President Biden has announced an executive action that will permanently ban future offshore oil and gas development in parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in a way that could be especially difficult for the incoming Trump administration to undo. The ban will prevent oil companies from leasing waters for new drilling along the entire East Coast; the eastern Gulf of Mexico; the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California; and portions of Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea.

Power plant polluting

New York to fine fossil fuel companies $75 billion under new climate law

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New York state will fine fossil fuel companies a total of $75 billion over the next 25 years to pay for damage caused to the climate under a bill Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law at the end of 2024.
New York state will fine fossil fuel companies $75 billion over the next 25 years to pay for damage caused to the climate. The new law is intended to shift some of the recovery and adaptation costs of climate change from individual taxpayers to oil, gas, and coal companies. The money raised will be spent on mitigating the impacts of climate change, including adapting roads, transit, water and sewage systems, buildings and other infrastructure. Fossil fuel companies will be fined based on the amount of greenhouse gases they emitted between 2000 and 2018.