San Francisco bans plastic straws
San Francisco supervisors voted unanimously to ban restaurants, bars and retailers from selling or using on Tuesday, becoming the largest city to block establishments from giving out plastic straws
North & Central America
California slashes emissions, hits major greenhouse gas goal years early
In a major win for California’s fight against global warming, the state appears to have hit its first target for cutting greenhouse gases, and it reached the goal early.
The Belize Barrier Reef – the world’s second largest coral reef – is removed from endangered list
The World Heritage Committee credited Belize’s safeguarding measures as the cause for the historic conservational victory.
Starbucks says it will stop offering plastic straws by 2020
Starbucks says it will eliminate plastic straws from its stores globally by 2020. The company becomes the largest food and beverage company to do so as calls to cut waste globally grow louder.
Minimum wage increases around Oregon
The new minimum wage for Lane County is $10.75. The Portland area totals to $12 per hour, and non-urban counties are at $10.50 per hour.
Seattle becomes the first major U.S. city to ban plastic straws
Seattle has become the first major city in the U.S. to ban plastic straws and utensils. Businesses that don’t comply with the ban can now face a $250 fine.
Iowa Supreme Court blocks 72-hour abortion waiting period law
The judge sided with Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa in a lawsuit.
Virginia and New York enact first laws demanding mental health education
The Empire State’s law, which was reportedly written in 2015, says mental health is “an integral part of our overall health and should be an integral part of health education in New York schools.”
California passes sweeping law to protect online privacy
The new law grants consumers the right to know what information companies are collecting about them, why they are collecting that data and with whom they are sharing it.
Massachusetts governor to sign bill on $15 minimum wage
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) will sign a bill on Thursday to gradually increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2023.