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Over 60 Same Sex Couples Say “I Do” in Puerto Rico
Over 2 million couples tie the knot every year in the United States. Before this year, this number was largely attributed to heterosexual couples. But on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples from all 50 states had the right to marriage, as guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Since then, same-sex…
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Inhalable Ebola Vaccine Could Prevent Another Global Epidemic
The Ebola outbreak of 2014-2015 caused alarm both worldwide and here in the United States — particularly after an infected man, Thomas Eric Duncan, traveled to Texas and later died in the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Now, scientists may be able to prevent the disease from turning into another epidemic in the future. The Huffington…
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Quebec Health Minister Backtracks on Bill’s Controversial IVF Age Limit
Only a day after announcing a significant compromise regarding his controversial health care reform bill, it seems Quebec’s Health Minister is already backtracking. Gaétan Barrette is distancing himself from a major component of the new health care reform bill: a cutoff age of 42 for women seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF). After much debate and…
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Venezuela Introduces Fingerprint Registration System to Help Manage Medicine Shortages
Previously one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America, modern Venezuela has been ravaged by a severe recession in the wake of its profitable oil boom. One of the most notable consequences of this economic struggle has been seen in the nation’s healthcare industry, which has been rocked by medication shortages and hospital closures. Now,…
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Should Oil Producers Be Included in the Conversation About Global Climate Change?
Later this year, some of the world’s leading scientists and environmentalists will gather in Paris to discuss global climate change — and some of the biggest oil companies also want a say in these negotiations. According to a May 26 Christian Science Monitor article, major oil producers like Total, Eni, Saudi Aramco, BG, Royal Dutch Shell and…
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In Canada, Aboriginal Group Rejects $1.5 Billion Paycheck From Natural Gas Producers
A small Canadian Aboriginal community recently rejected a $1.5 billion payment that would have allowed the construction of a natural gas pipeline through the group’s lands, marking yet another setback for the Canadian energy industry’s efforts to increase fossil fuel exports. According to the New York Times, a group led by Malaysian energy company Petronas made…
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U.S. Companies Allegedly Violated Sanctions and Sold Missile Parts to Iran
Federal authorities raided a business in Houston on April 17 as part of an international investigation, resulting in two arrests. According to officials, a total of nine individuals have been indicted for allegedly shipping state-of-the-art microelectronics that can be used to to build surface-to-air and cruise missiles. “The nine defendants charged in the indictment allegedly…
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Obama Promotes Solar Power as Way to Compete in Global Economy
It’s estimated that there are now close to 143,000 solar workers in the United States, a nearly 20% increase over employment totals from 2012. Now, thanks to President Obama, there may be even more. Further promoting the idea of solar energy, President Obama said in a speech last Friday that the nation must unite in…
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Self-Destructing Syringes Advocated by World Health Organization
Every year, about 16 billion injections are administered across the world, but the needles and syringes aren’t always properly disposed of afterwards. Consequently, 1.3 million people die each year as a result. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) is looking to change that. The agency is launching a new policy on injection safety in an…
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Rising Cost of Gold Hurts Wallets and Rainforests
Researchers from the University of Puerto Rico have discovered a growing threat to rainforests in South America. Approximately 1,680 square kilometers of rainforest were destroyed by gold mining between 2001 and 2013, with a noted acceleration of deforestation in 2007. While the amount of forest lost was less than 1%, the destroyed forest was located…