TC Energy officially cancels Keystone XL Pipeline
The project that was supposed to cost under $5 billion had ballooned to nearly double that amount, thanks to determined opposition from environmental groups and Indigenous communities.
North & Central America
Nevada will start teaching LGBTQ history in K-12 school curriculum
Nevada will become the sixth state in the nation to require lessons on LGBTQ people and historic events.
California Assembly passes groundbreaking deforestation bill
AB 416 requires that state’s forest product suppliers have policies that prevent deforestation and guarantee Indigenous Peoples the right to free, prior and informed consent for any operations on their territories.
America’s first transgender suicide hotline is up and running
The new hotline is staffed entirely by transgender people and dedicated to addressing and supporting members of the trans community in mental health crises.
San Francisco Giants make MLB history wearing Pride-themed uniforms
The San Francisco Giants became the first team in Major League Baseball to wear Pride colors onto the field on June 5 for their Pride Day game against the Chicago Cubs.
Biden administration makes $1 billion in grants available for broadband on tribal lands
The funds will be made to eligible Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian entities for broadband deployment, to support digital inclusion, workforce development, telehealth, and distance learning.
Biden suspends oil leases in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The suspension includes 10-year leases that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued on Jan. 6, 2021, which span more than 430,000 acres of the refuge.
Thousands of New York drivers create worker-owned version of Uber
The Drivers Cooperative’s founders see their new project as a way for drivers to escape what they describe as exploitation on the part of Uber and Lyft.
Alabama governor signs medical marijuana legalization bill
Late last month, the governor signed another bill that expands expungement eligibility for certain convictions, including misdemeanor marijuana possession.
New blood test detects tuberculosis bacteria in infants a year before disease
Each year, nearly a million children develop TB and 205,000 die of TB-related causes. More than 80% of childhood TB deaths occur in those under the age of 5.