Are we prepared for the next pandemic?
Although nobody knows when the next pandemic will happen, the mistakes and lessons learned from COVID-19 should be a guiding force in helping us prepare for a similar situation in the future. Despite the fact that most of us have collectively blocked the year of 2020 from our minds, the...
Current in Change
The first Somali-American woman mayor in Minnesota at 27
Nadia Mohamed secured her place in history by becoming the first Somali-American woman to be elected as the mayor of St. Louis Park city in Minnesota. At the young age of 27, Mohamed has not only defied conventional expectation but has also paved the way for a generation of...
Is burning trash really the lesser evil of waste management?
A significant number of trash incinerators are operating across the US. Proponents of this type of waste management proclaim it environmentally preferable to landfill, but how much of a lesser evil is it – if at all? A proverbial ‘steaming pile of garbage’ has no redeemable qualities, but there is...
Should ‘dry dating’ become the new norm?
In countries where drinking is woven into social culture, alcohol consumption during dates has almost become a given. While it typically helps to take the nervous edge off meeting a total stranger, is ‘dry dating’ better in the long run? For single people who’ve resolved to find a partner in...
Could artificial reefs provide island nations with hurricane protection?
As hurricane season becomes more of a threat due to increasingly warmer ocean temperatures, one island is launching an artificial reef project to protect their coastlines from large storm waves. For many, the arrival of summer brings the promise of days spent relishing in the sun, but if you live...
Big Oil to be fined for methane emissions following new climate law
Under a new climate law introduced by the Biden administration, US oil and gas companies will soon have to pay a fee for methane emissions that exceed a certain threshold. Could this be an effective deterrent for repeat offenders? It’s a poorly kept secret that methane is an ecological scourge...
WHO declares Cape Verde officially malaria-free
In a historic milestone for public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared Cape Verde malaria-free. This announcement comes after three years in which a single case of local transmission was not reported. Cape Verde has successfully eliminated the transmission of malaria within its borders, marking a major achievement in the ongoing battle against the disease. The country joins Mauritius and Algeria as the only three African nations to...
A stark ideological divide is emerging globally among Gen Z
New research has revealed that the demographic is increasingly split on political issues, with young men becoming more conservative and young women becoming more progressive. Something unexpected is happening between Gen Z men and women. Over the past decade, numerous studies measuring public opinion have uncovered that notoriously progressive young people are growing more and more divided by gender on a host of key social and political issues, including drug addiction,...
Starbucks hit with lawsuit over false ‘ethical’ claims
Starbucks becomes the latest global corporation to be legally challenged for making unsubstantiated and completely false claims about its ‘ethically sourced’ products. The global coffee giant Starbucks is under fire from a U.S. consumer group, which alleges that the company's claims of ethically sourced coffee are deceptive and untrue. The National Consumers League filed legal action in court in Washington DC. It cited several media reports which detail human rights and...
Supreme Court reprimands India’s flawed system for rape offences
In a blow to the government that supported the release of the 11 convicts of the 2002 Bilkis Bano rape case during the Gujarat riots, Supreme Court reprimands a flawed system. The release of 11 convicts in the infamous 2002 Bilkis Bano case highlights the bitter truth that justice remains elusive for most rape survivors in India. Their surprise freeing sparked outrage across the country, leading the Supreme Court to...
