North & Central America | Peter Schulte

Biden administration to forgive $1.2 billion in student debt for over 150,000 borrowers

By Peter Schulte / February 21, 2024 / Good news links

The Biden administration will forgive another $1.2 billion in student debt for nearly 153,000 borrowers enrolled its new repayment program, called the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. The relief will go to borrowers who have been in repayment for a decade or longer, and originally took out $12,000 or less. Biden has now canceled debt for almost 3.9 million borrowers, totaling $138 billion in relief.

Man giving a helping hand to woman in need sitting on dark street

Baltimore finalizes $18 million deal to acquire hotels for long-term homeless housing

By Peter Schulte / February 21, 2024 / Good news links

Once the city takes over operations of the hotels at the end of this year, it intends to convert the units for “permanent supportive housing,” a form of affordable housing that provides subsidized rent and social services, health care, counseling and other supports. The city plans to partner with a nonprofit provider to offer services to residents in the two buildings.

Dentist's Hand Taking Saliva Test From Woman's Mouth

Hand-held test for breast cancer uses your saliva and gives accurate readings in 5 seconds

By Peter Schulte / February 17, 2024 / Good news links

A new hand-held portable device is not only extremely quick and easy to use but very cost effective, say scientists from the University of Florida and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. Compared to the costly alternatives of Mammograms, which expose women to radiation—or MRIs and ultrasounds which require expensive equipment—researchers called the device revolutionary.

Denver will now pay residents who commute on bikes

By Peter Schulte / February 17, 2024 / Good news links

The city’s new Bicycling Rewards Program aims to encourage community members to ride a bike instead of driving. The program comes as a response to the city’s lagging climate goals. According to Denver Streets Partnership, transportation was responsible for 30% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, and this incentive is part of a larger research project to see what motivates locals to ditch their cars.

Person holding "I'm sticking with my union" sign

Michigan’s historic “right-to-work” repeal goes into effect

By Peter Schulte / February 13, 2024 / Good news links

Last March, the Michigan legislature passed the bill to toss the law aimed at hurting labor unions by allowing workers to opt out of union dues while still reaping benefits of unionization, costing unions resources and money. Pro-labor groups have celebrated the law’s repeal, saying that it was a victory “decades in the making” as unions and labor advocates have fought against the law.

$15 million land purchase to protect 8,000 acres of “America’s Amazon” in south Alabama

By Peter Schulte / February 12, 2024 / Good news links

Nearly 8,000 acres of Alabama’s most sensitive and ecologically important land is being preserved forever, thanks to a multi-million dollar collaboration involving The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, Patagonia, and an undisclosed donor. The Nature Conservancy in Alabama says it has closed a $15 million+ deal to buy 7,990 acres in Clarke County at the head of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, often called “America’s Amazon” for its remarkable biodiversity and wildlife.

Super Bowl 58 first to be fully powered by renewable energy

By Peter Schulte / February 11, 2024 / Good news links

This year’s Super Bowl was the first ever to be fully powered by renewable energy, thanks to the host stadium’s agreement with a solar farm. More than 621,000 solar panels found in a barren area of the Nevada desert help power Allegiant Stadium, home to the Las Vegas Raiders and host of Super Bowl LVIII. According to CBS News, the Les Vegas stadium entered into a 25-year agreement with NV Energy to buy power from its new solar installation.

England brings in biodiversity rules to force builders to compensate for loss of nature

By Peter Schulte / February 11, 2024 / Good news links

England is launching a biodiversity credit scheme that attempts to force all new road and housebuilding projects to benefit nature, rather than damage it. The “nature market”, called biodiversity net gain (BNG), means all new building projects must achieve a 10% net gain in biodiversity or habitat. The requirement becomes law under the Town and Country Planning Act on February 12 for larger sites, and on April 2 2024 for smaller sites.

U.S. museum returns artifacts to Ghana that were looted 150 years ago

By Peter Schulte / February 9, 2024 / Good news links

Looted from British-colonized Ghana in the 19th century before being transferred to Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the 1960s, the artifacts included an elephant tail whisk, an ornamental chair made of wood, leather and iron, two gold stool ornaments, a gold necklace and two bracelets.

Hands making hear shape over transgender flag in background

More than 90% of trans people are more satisfied with life after transitioning, massive new study finds

By Peter Schulte / February 7, 2024 / Good news links

Ninety-four percent of transgender people said that they were either a little or a lot more satisfied with their lives since they transitioned, the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) by the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) found. The study, which is the latest edition of the influential survey of transgender people, involved 92,329 transgender and nonbinary respondents answering questions about various aspects of their lives from October 19 to December 5, 2022.