MicroWave

Summary

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, led by ExxonMobil, Dow, Shell, TotalEnergies, and ChevronPhillips, is under criticism for producing 132 million tonnes of plastic in five years—1,000 times more than the 118,500 tonnes it cleaned up.

Established in 2019 to combat plastic pollution, the alliance quietly abandoned its ambitious cleanup target.

Critics, including Greenpeace, accuse AEPW of greenwashing and lobbying against production caps in a proposed global treaty on plastic pollution.

Environmentalists argue that reducing virgin plastic production is the only sustainable solution.

Summary

Arizona voters approved the “secure our border” initiative, which makes crossing the US-Mexico border without authorization a state crime.

Immigrant rights groups fear the measure could bolster Trump’s promise to enact mass deportations and deputize local law enforcement to help him expel undocumented immigrants.

Activists and advocates are scrambling to prepare to react to the law and brace for more round-ups and threats against immigrants as Trump moves to implement his plans for mass deportations.

Summary

Javier Milei’s plan to privatize the Paraguay-Paraná waterway, an important shipping route for Argentina and its neighbors, has raised concerns among local communities about environmental damage and the destruction of their way of life.

The privatization, which aims to boost international trade and reduce logistics costs, has also been criticized for potentially benefiting multinational businesses at the expense of the local population.

Despite previous privatization in the 1990s, the decision has sparked protests and raised questions about its impact on the environment and the fight against drug trafficking.

Summary

A private school in Pennsylvania, Lancaster Country Day School, is under scrutiny after a 15-year-old student allegedly used AI to create explicit, manipulated images of female classmates.

The incident led to the resignation of the school’s head and board president, a student protest, and a criminal investigation.

The suspect’s phone was seized, and authorities are working to address the case.

The controversy highlights growing concerns over AI misuse, as Pennsylvania prepares to enact a law criminalizing AI-generated child exploitation material.

The school is offering counseling and reviewing safety policies.

Summary

The FDA has issued a warning to Colgate-Palmolive, parent company of Tom’s of Maine, after finding bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Ralstonia insidiosa, in water used to manufacture toothpaste at its Sanford, Maine facility.

The May inspection also uncovered a black “mold-like” substance near production equipment and other sanitary violations.

The FDA criticized the company for releasing products despite contamination risks and demanded corrective action within 15 days.

Tom’s stated it is addressing the issues and upgrading its water system.

Summary

Donald Trump has nominated former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as U.S. ambassador to NATO, a role critical to transatlantic security.

Whitaker, praised by Trump as a “strong warrior,” lacks foreign policy experience but is a loyal ally and critic of federal cases against Trump.

The appointment is unconventional, given Whitaker’s background in law enforcement.

NATO allies remain sensitive to Trump’s past skepticism of the alliance and his criticism of defense spending.

Summary

Under incoming FCC Chair Brendan Carr, plans to regulate broadband data caps are likely to end.

ISPs argue caps offer affordable options and promote fair pricing, while consumer groups claim they are unnecessary, harmful to low-income households, and purely profit-driven.

Critics point out that data caps don’t manage network congestion and were suspended during the pandemic without issues.

Supporters insist caps are needed for pricing flexibility and to avoid higher costs for low-data users.

The debate continues, with no regulation expected under the new FCC leadership.

Summary

The reelection of Donald Trump and his promise of mass deportations has reignited fears for mixed-status immigrant families.

Angel Reyes Rivas, a DACA recipient from Long Island, recalls the emotional toll of his mother’s deportation and is now preparing his family for similar risks.

Carolina Saavedra, a U.S.-born daughter of undocumented immigrants, shares how her parents raised her with contingency plans for potential separation.

Families like hers express frustration at the lack of a path to citizenship despite decades of contributing to U.S. society, relying instead on community support for resilience.

Summary

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina to introduce a measure banning transgender women from using women's bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol.

The move comes just two weeks after Democrat Sarah McBride became the first openly transgender person elected to Congress.

Mace characterized the measure as an attempt to protect women's rights, but Democrats criticized it as a distraction from pressing policy issues.

Summary

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham offered President-elect Donald Trump a 1,402-acre ranch for deportation facilities.

The ranch, near the Rio Grande, is strategically located and has been previously used for agricultural purposes.

Despite claims of immigrants committing crimes at higher rates, data shows they commit crimes at lower rates than the U.S.-born population.

Summary

A suicide bombing at an army outpost in Pakistan killed 12 soldiers and six militants.

The attack, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, is part of a surge in militant violence since the group ended a ceasefire with Islamabad in November 2022.

Summary

Former employees of the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank in Wyoming and Colorado describe a stressful workplace with poor oversight, resulting in mistakes during cornea retrieval and risks for transplant recipients.

Unlike organ donation, tissue donation, including eye banks, faces weaker regulations, raising concerns about safety and transparency.

While tissue donations play a vital role in restoring sight, the lack of oversight and public data makes it harder to ensure quality and safety.

Some employees have since withdrawn their consent to be organ donors after their experiences.