Kansas City votes to eliminate jail time for marijuana possession
Voters in Kansas City voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to eliminate the possibility of jail time for people caught with small amounts of marijuana or related paraphernalia.
United States
Kentucky coal company announces plans to build the state’s largest solar farm
Berkeley Energy Group, the coal company behind the project, billed it as the first large-scale solar farm in the Appalachian region, which has been hit hard by the decades-long decline in the U.S. coal industry.
California is getting so much power from solar that wholesale electricity prices are turning negative
For the first time, more than half the power needs of the entire state came from solar power for a few hours that day, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Portland, OR commits to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050
Leaders from the City of Portland and Multnomah County have committed to 100 percent clean energy by the year 2050.
Wolf population in Oregon continues to grow
This week, fish and wildlife officials said the wolf population passed a significant milestone. Biologists counted at least seven or more breeding pairs in a broad swath of Eastern Oregon for the third consecutive year.
New York grants free tuition for all state colleges
New York just became the first state in the nation to make tuition free for middle class students at both two- and four-year public colleges.
Rikers Island prison to close, New York mayor says
De Blasio set a timeline of 10 years to reduce the overall jail population in the city, which he said would allow for a “complete departure of all inmates from Rikers Island.”
Seattle sues Trump administration over ‘sanctuary city’ threat
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray says his city filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its move to pull federal funds over immigration law enforcement.
FDA approves first treatment for severe type of multiple sclerosis
“We’ve been banging on a wall with a bunch of drugs, and we finally put a big crack in the wall,” said Dr. Jerry Wolinsky.
California EPA becomes first U.S. agency to declare that Roundup causes cancer
The state of California has finalized its decision designating glyphosate, the main ingredient in the pesticide Roundup, as a known human carcinogen under the state’s Proposition 65.