This archive covers progress stories from North and Central America, spanning the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the nations of Central America. Readers will find reporting on health, environment, community resilience, and policy advances across the region.
The Frontier Model Forum will focus on the “safe and responsible” development of frontier AI models, referring to AI technology even more advanced than the examples available currently.
In a historic moment, Jacksonville Jaguars assistant strength and conditioning coach Kevin Maxen has come out, becoming the NFL’s first male coach to publicly identify as gay.
Admiral Lisa Franchetti’s nomination as the U.S. Navy’s top officer would make her the first woman ever to sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the body’s history. A 38-year veteran who commissioned in 1985, she’s already only the second woman to reach four-star admiral in the Navy’s nearly 250 years. Her path includes commanding two carrier strike groups and leading U.S. Naval Forces Korea — the kind of operational résumé that speaks for itself. Her nomination came alongside several other historic firsts at the Pentagon, signaling a real generational shift in who gets to lead. It’s a reminder that the long, patient work of opening doors at the very top of powerful institutions does, eventually, move forward.
In the first quarter of 2020, the U.S. had roughly 80,000 public charging stations nationwide. In Q1 2023, it surpassed 140,000 public stations.
After over three decades of effort, the United States has destroyed the last of its chemical weapon stockpile that once consisted of 30,000 tonnes of deadly chemical agents in explosive munitions and storage containers.
Arizonans 18 and older will soon be able to go to their local pharmacy and purchase oral contraceptives without a doctor’s prescription.
The British Home Office is expanding a program that pardons people convicted of any offense related to homosexuality. Previously, the program was only available to men, but it is now open to women.
This landmark decision is part of the Budget Implementation Act, not only prohibiting cosmetic animal testing but also putting an end to the sale of cosmetics that use new animal testing data for safety substantiation.
Launched in 1995, the program spans five countries and reportedly gifts over 2.4 million free age-appropriate books each month to children around the world.
State law does not provide “a sweeping immunity for any and all acts police officers may perform within the scope of their employment,” Justice Leondra Kruger said in the 7-0 ruling.
