Erin Jackson Makes Speed Skating History at Winter Olympics
American speed skater Erin Jackson won gold in the women’s 500-meter race at the Beijing Olympics on Sunday. With a time of 37.04 seconds, Jackson became the first Black woman to bring home an individual medal in any speed skating event, according to CNN. Jackson’s triumph also marks the first time an American woman has …
New York’s Proposed Fashion Act: a Modest Step in the Right Direction
The New York State Assembly is considering a bill that would force major clothing and footwear brands to disclose the environmental impact of their manufacturing practices, according to Vogue Business. The Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, or Fashion Act, strikes a particularly relevant chord as New York Fashion Week kicks off today. The bill …
How Fast Fashion Fuels the Climate Crisis
Fast fashion has quickly become an environmental villain we can’t seem to shake. The global industry offers an endless stream of affordable, trendy clothes, but the bargains come at a high cost. Recent statistics are alarming. The United Nations reports that fast fashion generates 10 percent of global carbon emissions, making it a bigger polluter …
SXSW Returns to In-Person Festival
The Austin-based South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) plans to welcome in-person audiences this year for the first time since the spring of 2019. Taking place March 11-20, the festival will feature 99 full-length films – 76 of which are set to make their world premieres there. 111 short films, 29 XR titles, and 24 …
Scientists Detect Rare “X Particle” Present at Start of Universe
A team of scientists at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland recently identified exceedingly rare “X particles” – whose name reflects the mystery of their internal composition – which date back to the origins of the universe. According to the report published in Physical Review Letters, researchers detected the decay signatures of approximately 100 …
Tom Brady Officially Announces Retirement
It is official. Tom Brady confirmed his retirement from the NFL in an Instagram post Tuesday morning after a weekend of speculation around the star quarterback’s plans. The seven-time Super Bowl champion shared a lengthy message about his decision to walk away from the sport. “I have always believed the sport of football is an …
Biden to Name a Black Woman as Justice Breyer’s Replacement
President Joe Biden reaffirmed his campaign pledge to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court following the announcement of Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement late last week. Breyer, 83, will step down when the court’s summer recess begins in late June or early July, according to The Washington Post. Among the frontrunners to replace Breyer …
San Jose Becomes First U.S. City to Mandate Gun Insurance and Annual Fee
San Jose, California, made history this week as the first city nationwide to adopt an ordinance requiring most gun owners to carry liability insurance and pay an annual fee, according to CNN. The City Council voted Tuesday in favor of the resolution, which aims to reduce gun violence and lessen the financial burden taxpayers must …
Webb Telescope Reaches Final Destination One Million Miles from Earth
Just under a month after launch, the James Webb Space Telescope has reached its final destination about one million miles away from Earth, according to CNN. By examining distant exoplanets, the Webb mission aims to answer long-standing questions about how fast the universe is expanding and what happened in its early days. The telescope will …
In a First, Massachusetts Marijuana Tax Revenue Surpasses That of Alcohol
In the three years since Massachusetts legalized non-medical marijuana sales, the industry has seen steady growth statewide. 2021 was no exception. For the first time ever, the state collected more tax revenue from recreational cannabis purchases than alcohol sales, according to The Portland Press Herald. Massachusetts racked up $74.2 million from marijuana excise taxes last …