California passes a law that allows college athletes to get paid
Gov. Gavin Newsom passed SB 206, also known as the Fair Pay to Play Act, that allows college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.
North & Central America
Costa Rica produces 98.84% of its power from renewables in 2019
According to the National Centre for Energy Control, the Central American country has maintained the trend of keeping the annual share of the renewable generation above 98% since 2015.
Mattel launches groundbreaking gender fluid, customizable doll line
Mattel’s research has concluded that today’s kids generally don’t want what toys they are expected to play with to be dictated by their gender.
Timberland clothing brand to plant 50 million trees over five years
Over the next five years, Timberland plans to plant 50 million trees. Partnering with nonprofits, the company will begin with projects in Haiti, China, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Tanzania, and Mali.
Guatemala to ban plastic bags, straws, cups beginning 2021
The measure gives merchants two years to phase out bags, straws, plates, cups and containers made from plastic or plastic foam, and replace them with compostable items.
Panama bans single-use plastic bags
Panama’s plastic bag ban has gone into effect. Panama became the first Central American country to ban single-use plastic bags in 2018.
Merriam-Webster officially recognizes ‘they’ as a nonbinary pronoun
Merriam-Webster has formally acknowledged the use of “they” as a nonbinary, gender neutral pronoun, adding that definition to its dictionary.
California bans private prisons
The legislation is being hailed as a major victory for criminal justice reform because it removes the profit motive from incarceration.
Canada’s new child benefit has lifted almost 300,000 children out of poverty
New Statistics Canada figures show 278,000 fewer children living below the poverty line in 2017, the first full year of the benefit, compared to 2015.
U.S. EPA to eliminate all mammal testing by 2035
EPA’s decision is a decisive win for taxpayers, animals, and the environment, says Justin Goodman, vice president of advocacy and public policy at the White Coat Waste Project.