North Texas city to become first in the U.S. to offer free healthcare
Ferris, Texas, about 20 miles south of Dallas, will use money from the American Rescue Plan Act to provide free physical and mental healthcare to all residents.
North & Central America
This archive covers progress stories from North and Central America, spanning the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the countries of Central America. The 1,760 articles here track milestones in areas such as public health, conservation, policy, and community-led initiatives across the region. Browse to find reported evidence of what is working and why.
Canadian government announces funding to expand access to abortion services
The Liberal government has announced more than $3.5 million in funding for two initiatives it says will improve access to abortion services and reproductive health information in Canada.
Stanford’s first new school in decades is dedicated to the climate crisis
For the first time in 70 years, Stanford University is opening a new school—The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, a school dedicated solely to studying the climate crisis.
Austin becomes the first Texas city to experiment with ‘guaranteed income’
Under a yearlong, $1 million pilot program, the city will send monthly checks of $1,000 to 85 needy households at risk of losing their homes.
Levi Strauss & Co. to reimburse abortion travel for employees
The apparel company best known for its jeans is the latest U.S. company to offer the benefit as various states clamp down on access to abortions.
Canada removes ban on blood donations from gay men
Prospective donors will not be asked about their sexual orientation during the screening process but instead about whether they engage in any higher-risk sexual behavior.
Connecticut expands abortion rights to balance new wave of restrictions
Advanced practice registered nurses, nurse-midwives, and physician assistants will now be permitted to conduct medication and aspiration abortions in Connecticut.
New plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste
An enzyme created by engineers and scientists at the University of Texas breaks down plastics that typically take centuries to degrade in a matter of days.
Amazon will pay U.S. staff travel expenses for abortions and other treatments
The new benefits will apply to treatments that are not available inside a 100-mile radius of an employee’s home and for which virtual options are not available.
Washington state takes strongest clean commercial building action in the U.S.
Under the new code that will take effect in July 2023, new commercial buildings will be built with high-efficiency electric heat pumps for water and space heating.