Good News Headlines 12/30/2024
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The Bald Eagle Joins The Rose, The Bison, And The Oak Tree As An Official American Symbol
by Erin Mansfield, USA Today
Generations of Americans have seen the bald eagle on the backs of the quarters they put in vending machines and the rugs fictional presidents step on in political dramas. But until Monday, it wasn’t the national bird. President Joe Biden signed a bill into law making the bald eagle the national bird, so the once-endangered species can now fly alongside other national symbols including the national tree (the oak tree), the national floral emblem (the rose), and the national mammal (the bison). The bald eagle had been on the nation’s Great Seal since the Revolutionary War and upheld as a proud emblem of the nation, but it was never codified in law as the official bird.
Progressive Insurance® Donated 96 Vehicles To Veterans And Their Families As Part Of Its Ongoing Commitment To Driving Progress On The Road
by Sarah Watts, Upworthy
In 2023, Leah Moore was struggling. A single mom and former medic in the Texas Air National Guard, Leah had no family support where she lived in Seattle, WA, which made raising her two girls and working full-time a significant challenge. When her only car broke down, Leah found herself struggling more than ever. But in 2024, Leah’s burden became a little lighter. Moore is now one of many veterans that have been honored during this year’s Keys to Progress event, an annual giveaway that took place in over 60 cities across the country. Along with Moore, close to 100 other veterans and their families received the keys to free, reliable transportation.
Genetically Engineered Salmon Production Ends As AquaBounty Shutters Last Facility
by Friends of the Earth
Following decades of controversy, widespread market rejection and legal and regulatory challenges, U.S.-based biotechnology and aquaculture company AquaBounty Technologies (NASDAQ: AQB) announced it will stop production of all genetically engineered (GE) AquAdvantage® salmon, cull all its remaining fish and close its last working facility. After selling its fish farm in Indiana earlier this year and putting its other major site in Canada up for sale (at Rollo Bay, Prince Edward Island), AquaBounty announced yesterday that it is shutting its remaining GE salmon facility in North America, at Bay Fortune in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
The World’s 10th Largest Economy Just Signed On To Make Climate Polluters Pay
by Bill McKibben, Common Dreams
The great question for people who care about the climate is: what now? How do we proceed with the most important fight in the world, when the most important office in the world is about to be filled by a climate denier, and when there’s a Congress with no hope of advancing serious legislation. One important answer is: We go state by state, and city by city, making gains everywhere we still can. That sounds like small beer—but it’s worth remembering just how big American states are. California is the world’s fifth largest economy, and the energy transition is fully advanced there. Texas is the eighth largest economy—larger than Russia. Things are ripping along there too.
Victory! Federal Court Strikes Down Lax GMO Rules, Halts GE Crop Introductions Without USDA Oversight
by Center for Food Safety
In a precedential victory for food and environmental safety, a federal district court ruled today that genetically engineered (GE) organisms must be regulated. The Court’s ruling overturns the 2020 rule overhaul by the first Trump administration that had eliminated most government oversight over GE crops, trees, and grasses. “This is a critical victory on behalf of farmers, the planet, and scientific integrity,” said George Kimbrell, legal director for the lead plaintiff Center for Food Safety, and counsel in the case. “USDA tried to hand over its job to Monsanto and the pesticide industry and the Court held that capitulation contrary to both law and science.”
