North & Central America

Women feeling lonely and sad

Washington State considers rape kit backlog ‘essentially eliminated’ 30,000 tests later

| By | -, Good News Links

In a moment Washington state officials say has been a long time coming, the state’s crime lab in Vancouver is declaring its sexual assault kit testing backlog “essentially eliminated.” Over the past decade, the lab has tested more than 30,000 kits. In 2019, House Bill 1166 required rape kits to be tested within 45 days as of May 2022. Today, the Washington State Patrol’s Vancouver Crime Lab reports 95% of kits are tested and DNA entered into a database in 45 days.

Washington State considers rape kit backlog ‘essentially eliminated’ 30,000 tests later Read more

Produce aisle at grocery store

California bans all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores

| By | -, Good News Links

California had already banned thin plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and other stores, but shoppers could purchase bags made with a thicker plastic that purportedly made them reusable and recyclable. The new measure, approved by state legislators last month, bans all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026. Consumers who don’t bring their own bags will now simply be asked if they want a paper bag.

California bans all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores Read more

Good news for LGBTQ rights, pride flags

Governor bans use of ‘conversion therapy’ on LGBTQ+ minors in Kentucky

| By | -, Good News Links

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear banned the use of “conversion therapy” on minors in Kentucky on Wednesday, calling his executive order a necessary step to protect children from a widely discredited practice that tries to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity through counseling. The governor used his executive powers after Republicans who control the state legislature repeatedly blocked efforts to enact a state law banning the practice. Beshear said he would no longer wait for others to “do what’s right.”

Governor bans use of ‘conversion therapy’ on LGBTQ+ minors in Kentucky Read more

Hollywood sign at sunset

California passes two new bills protecting actors and performers against AI

| By | -, Good News Links

In a potentially precedent-setting moment for tech legislation across the country, the new laws not only bolster those existing protections but extend them to everyone in California — not just to people working in front of a camera in Hollywood, as IndieWire notes. Together, the bills make it illegal to use an AI-generated digital replica of an actor’s likeness or voice — or technically, any Californian’s — without their explicit consent. Studios will also be prohibited from cloning deceased actors unless they have permission from their estates.

California passes two new bills protecting actors and performers against AI Read more

Gavel

Joe Biden makes history by confirming 12th LGBTQ+ judge, the most of any U.S. presidency

| By | -, Good News Links

Judge Mary Kay Costello made history on Tuesday when she became the 12th Senate-confirmed LGBTQ+ judge appointed by President Joe Biden. The Senate voted 52-42 to confirm Costello after a day-long hearing. She’ll now sit on the bench of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Her confirmation helped Biden set a new record, topping both the Obama administration and Biden administration’s previously tied record of appointing 11 out LGBTQ+ judges.

Joe Biden makes history by confirming 12th LGBTQ+ judge, the most of any U.S. presidency Read more

Naloxone and Narcan

U.S. overdose deaths plummet, saving thousands of lives

| By | -, Good News Links

For the first time in decades, public health data shows a sudden and hopeful drop in drug overdose deaths across the U.S. National surveys compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already show an unprecedented decline in drug deaths of roughly 10.6% last year. That’s a huge reversal from recent years when fatal overdoses regularly increased by double-digit percentages.

U.S. overdose deaths plummet, saving thousands of lives Read more

Aerial view of forest with cleared areas

Honduras launches plan to eliminate deforestation by 2029

| By | -, Good News Links

Honduras this year launched a plan to eliminate deforestation by 2029, with a special focus on recovering land used by criminal groups for timber trafficking. The plan aims to evict groups living and working in protected areas and to “neutralize and establish control” of roads where timber is trafficked. Officials have already carried out hundreds of operations and arrested dozens of people tied to organized crime.

Honduras launches plan to eliminate deforestation by 2029 Read more

Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Nurse practitioners can provide abortions in Alaska, judge rules

| By | -, Good News Links

A judge has struck down an Alaska law banning qualified nurse practitioners and physician assistants from performing abortions, siding with a legal challenge by a Planned Parenthood affiliate. Alaska Superior Court Judge Josie Garton in Anchorage has ruled that the law violated Alaskans’ rights to privacy and equal protection under the state constitution. The state’s top court found that those rights include a right to abortion in a 1997 ruling, and abortion is legal in the state at all stages of pregnancy.

Nurse practitioners can provide abortions in Alaska, judge rules Read more

Gray wolf population growing fast in California — up sixfold in the past five years

| By | -, Good News Links

The first wolf returned to the state after an 87-year absence in 2011, when a young male walked across the border from Oregon. By 2015, the first new wolf pack had re-established, in Siskiyou County. By 2019, there were seven gray wolves in California. Now there are 44 — a sixfold increase over the past five years, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Wolves are now found in nine of California’s 58 counties, in seven packs from the Oregon border to the mountains around Lake Tahoe, and in the Southern Sierra near Bakersfield.

Gray wolf population growing fast in California — up sixfold in the past five years Read more

Person touching pregnant belly with hands forming a heart

Aetna to start covering IUI in the U.S.

| By | -, Good News Links

Medical insurance company Aetna just announced that it’s going to be providing additional fertility coverage, specifically offering intrauterine insemination (IUI), to all policyholders regardless of sexual orientation or whether they’re partnered. This comes after a settlement agreement from a lawsuit earlier this year which stated that Aetna has to provide such care for LGBTQ+ people. The case, Goidel et al. v. Aetna, was filed in September 2021 and only came to a resolution in May after years of waiting and legal battles.

Aetna to start covering IUI in the U.S. Read more

Start typing and press enter to search