Gov. Gavin Newsom Wins California Recall as Pressure Mounts for System Overhaul
California Governor Gavin Newsom won Tuesday’s recall vote by a considerable margin, thwarting the Republican attempt to take over leadership of the state, according to Vox. Newsom won more than 60 percent of the vote, comfortably surpassing the 50 percent threshold required for him to stay in office. Those who favored Newsom’s removal had a …
U.S. Department of Energy Eyes Significant Shift Toward Solar Power by 2035
The federal government is placing renewed focus on solar energy, which could come to provide as much as 40 percent of the nation’s electricity over the next 15 years, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In order to reach that goal, however, an average of 30 gigawatts of solar …
iOS 15 Apple Wallet to Store Digital State IDs and Driver’s Licenses
Apple has announced that eight states across the country will soon support iOS 15’s capability to store ID cards and driver’s licenses in the iPhone wallet app, according to The Verge. Those states include: Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah. “The addition of driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet is …
Supreme Court Refuses to Block New Texas Abortion Law
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with Texas in a 5 to 4 vote on Wednesday, refusing to block a new state law that bans the majority of abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, according to CNBC. The clinics and abortion rights advocates who appealed to the court argued the Texas law contradicts previous rulings, which …
OnlyFans to Forbid Explicit Content Due to Pressure from Banks
Known for its adult content, the subscription-based social media service OnlyFans has announced that it will ban all posts “containing sexually explicit conduct” beginning on October 1, according to Bloomberg. The company’s move comes amid pressure from banks and other financial partners. “In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of our platform, and to continue …
Passed by Senate, Infrastructure and Budget Bills Must Now Walk Fine Line Through House
Senators overwhelmingly passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill this week in a 69-30 vote that was heralded as an important bipartisan victory for the Biden administration, according to NPR. 18 Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), supported the deal, which allocates the largest portion of funding to road and bridge repairs across the …
Kathy Hochul to Serve as NY’s First Woman Governor Following Cuomo’s Resignation
New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is slated to replace three-term Democrat Andrew Cuomo following his resignation this month due to sexual harassment allegations, according to The New York Times. She will be the first woman to serve as governor of New York. In a press conference on Wednesday, Hochul expressed alarm over the sexual …
Landmark IPCC Report is ‘Code Red for Humanity’
As part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), researchers with the United Nations released a new report on Monday outlining the stark global impacts of the crisis. The study features contributions from 234 authors representing 66 countries, and marks the first such large-scale assessment of climate science and policy in the last eight …
NLRB Officer Finds Amazon to Have Violated U.S. Labor Laws in Union Vote
A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) hearing officer has found that Amazon breached U.S. labor laws during a union organizing drive at the company’s Bessemer, Alabama plant in April, according to The Verge. Though preliminary at this stage, the recommendation to conduct an entirely new election to determine whether Amazon workers will unionize under the …
Renters Face Eviction as Government Fails to Extend Moratorium
Billions of renters could be forced from their homes this month following the expiration of the federal eviction moratorium over the weekend, according to Vox. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention enacted the ban last fall to protect tenants during the pandemic. Earlier this summer, the Supreme Court announced that an extension beyond July …