Colorado approves $110 million transportation electrification plan
Xcel Energy will deploy 20,000 EV charging stations across Colorado, under a $110 million plan formally approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission.
North & Central America
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.
Robert Saleh to become NFL’s first Muslim head coach
The New York Jets hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be their new head coach, making him the first Muslim to run an NFL sideline.
Somerville, Massachusetts decriminalizes naturally occurring psychedelics
The Somerville City Council voted 9-0 to decriminalize the possession of entheogenic plants, including psilocybin mushrooms and ibogaine.
The United States’ first out trans state senator is sworn in to office
Sarah McBride is now the highest-ranking transgender elected official in U.S. history.
Experimental Alzheimer’s drug delivers promising Phase 2 trial results
According to the new data from pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, the antibody donanemab slowed cognitive decline by 32% compared to a placebo.
AI-powered recycling robots now deployed in three continents and 20 states
AMP Robotics’s AI-powered recycling robot that can sort through recyclables twice as fast as its human counterparts has gone global.
U.S. government lifts ban on federal student aid for incarcerated individuals
The lifted ban is part of the $1.4 trillion government pandemic stimulus package for 2021 and reflects a long push for prison reform which encourages rehabilitation and lowered incarceration rates.
Nevada retroactively recognizes same-sex marriages
The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that the state must honor marriages of same-sex couples performed before the state legalized marriage equality in 2014.
Boston Red Sox hire first Black woman to coach in MLB history
Bianca Smith will serve as a minor league coach at the club’s player development facility in Fort Myers, Florida.
Psychedelic research center launched at New York’s Mount Sinai
Named the Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research the institution is first focusing on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD.