Panama bans single-use plastic bags
Panama’s plastic bag ban has gone into effect. Panama became the first Central American country to ban single-use plastic bags in 2018.
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.
Merriam-Webster officially recognizes ‘they’ as a nonbinary pronoun
Merriam-Webster has formally acknowledged the use of “they” as a nonbinary, gender neutral pronoun, adding that definition to its dictionary.
California bans private prisons
The legislation is being hailed as a major victory for criminal justice reform because it removes the profit motive from incarceration.
Canada’s new child benefit has lifted almost 300,000 children out of poverty
New Statistics Canada figures show 278,000 fewer children living below the poverty line in 2017, the first full year of the benefit, compared to 2015.
U.S. EPA to eliminate all mammal testing by 2035
EPA’s decision is a decisive win for taxpayers, animals, and the environment, says Justin Goodman, vice president of advocacy and public policy at the White Coat Waste Project.
Maine to be first in the United States to use ranked choice voting in presidential elections
“My experience with ranked-choice voting is that it gives voters a greater voice and it encourages civility among campaigns and candidates at a time when such civility is sorely needed,” said Gov. Mills.
Canada sets aside 56,000 square kilometres of Yukon boreal forest for conservation after decade-long legal battle
Located in northwest Canada, Yukon’s Peel watershed covers 67,431 square kilometres of wilderness that is rich in biodiversity. Eighty-three percent will now be preserved as Conservation Areas.
Chattanooga becomes first 100% solar-powered airport in U.S.
Tennessee’s fourth largest city, Chattanooga, became the first American airport to be 100% solar powered — and joins only a handful of airports who claim the same across the world.
Mexican judge approves recreational cocaine use in historic step to ending country’s “War on Drugs”
Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has argued the country should decriminalize all drugs in order to take power away from the cartels and criminal gangs.
California governor signs law to limit police shootings
California is changing the standards for when police can use lethal force under a law signed Monday that seeks to reduce officer-involved shootings.