In 2022, the United Nations made a historic step to end plastic pollution by proposing a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution internationally by the end of 2024. This covers the elimination of almost all production, packaging and disposal of plastic. In addition, the U.N. aims to increase reusable materials and models to approach today’s packaging requirements.
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President Joe Biden recently announced potential various tariffs on steel and aluminum exported by global partners, such as China, aimed at protecting and encouraging domestic production of these resources.
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Taiwan experienced its strongest earthquake in 25 years on April 3, registering 7.4 on the Richter scale. The quake killed nine people and injured 1,038 others, with its epicenter close to the densely populated county of Hualien, according to Reuters. Maya McKelvey, a sophomore communications major at the College, is currently studying abroad in Tamkang University in Tamsui District, New Taipei. She provided a perspective on the local response to the earthquake in an interview.
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Democratic legislator Christine Tartaglione recently announced her intention to introduce new legislation in Pennsylvania's general assembly aimed at raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $20. Tartaglione plans to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage on July 1, pending approval in both the assembly and the governor’s office, and maintain cost-of-living adjustments every five years thereafter.
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The Supreme Court is in the process of hearing its next major abortion rights case, pertaining to the prescription of mifepristone, a widely used abortion pill. The implications of the case, which began in November 2022, reach beyond mifepristone access itself, endangering the authority of the FDA in approving and distributing drugs, as per NPR.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is pushing action to advance a long-sought foreign aid package while also facing threats of being ousted from his position if he does so. He unveiled a proposal on April 15 to separate the package into four votes for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, with the last vote addressing other Republican foreign policy demands, according to Reuters.
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A new climate report by the United Nations revealed that 2023 broke new records for levels of greenhouse gas emissions, temperatures, ocean acidification, ocean heat and ice cover.
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One of the largest makers of fresh eggs in the United States, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., has found bird flu in one of their egg factories in Texas.
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In a landmark decision, Gambian lawmakers ruled on March 18 to advance a measure seeking to overturn the nationwide ban against the practice of female genital cutting. The current law prohibiting the practice across the nation has been in place since 2015. Despite this, the law has been weakly enforced since its inception, generating little recourse other than three fines handed to practitioners last year.
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NBC announced the hiring of former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel on March 22, but by the end of the week, the network had parted ways with her.
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Seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization, were killed in Gaza after their convoy came under fire on April 2, according to The Associated Press. The disaster relief organization, founded by the Spanish chef José Andrés, said in a statement that the convoy was hit by an Israeli strike while working on food distribution efforts.
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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed new legislation aimed at bolstering funding for the state's transportation trust fund for an additional five years. The legislation seeks to annually allocate about $2 billion dollars towards the modernization and upkeep of New Jersey's comprehensive transportation infrastructure.
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A group of gunmen opened fire at a concert venue near Moscow, killing at least 60 people and injuring 145, on March 22. The assailants stormed into the Crocus City Hall with automatic weapons, explosives and incendiary devices, leaving the venue in flames with parts of its roof collapsed, according to The Associated Press.
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The Francis Scott Key Bridge, located in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed on March 26 due to a collision with a cargo ship, causing a loss of structural stability in the bridge. Following the collapse, authorities rescued two construction workers from the debris and recovered the bodies of two workers in their initial rescue operation. Furthermore, officials believe that another four construction workers who were on the bridge are dead. The rescue operation to locate the workers, however, has transitioned into a salvage effort, as officials suspect the four still missing may be trapped in vehicles buried within the bridge debris, inaccessible to divers.
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Lawmakers in Hong Kong unanimously passed a new national security bill on March 19 that expands the government’s powers to crack down on dissent. Critics warn that the legislation, known as the Safeguarding National Security Bill, would further threaten civil liberties in Hong Kong and overseas, according to Reuters.
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