Daily Archives: December 13, 2021


LGBTQ Advocates Hail Canada’s Ban of Conversion Therapy

In a major victory for sexual minority advocates, Canada last week banned conversion therapy, a widely discredited practice that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The law makes it a crime to subject anyone in Canada to conversion therapy, profit from the practice or take a Canadian outside the country to undergo conversion therapy elsewhere. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to Twitter to hail the ban of what he called “a despicable and degrading practice.” University of Ottawa student Jonathan Di Carlo calls himself a conversion …


VP Harris Unveils Biden Administration Electric Car Charging Plan 

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday unveiled a White House plan to build 500,000 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country, part of President Joe Biden’s goal of making the vehicles more accessible for both local and long-distance trips.  Harris made the announcement during a ceremony at an EV charging facility in suburban Maryland outside the U.S. capital, Washington. “There can be no doubt: The future of transportation in our nation and around the world, is electric,” Harris said, adding that the nation’s ability to manufacture, charge …


Hollywood Mostly Silent on Golden Globe Nominations Amid Controversy

Movie dramas “The Power of the Dog” and “Belfast” led nominations on Monday for the annual Golden Globes in a year clouded by controversy and a scaled-down ceremony. “Belfast,” set in 1970s Northern Ireland, and director Jane Campion’s Western “The Power of the Dog” got seven nods each. They were followed by global-warming satire “Don’t Look Up”; “King Richard,” about the father of tennis champions Venus and Serena Williams; director Steven Spielberg’s new version of the classic musical “West Side Story” and coming-of-age tale “Licorice Pizza” with four each. Netflix …


Elon Musk Named Time’s 2021 ‘Person of the Year’ 

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk was named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2021, a year that saw his electric car company become the most valuable carmaker in the world and his rocket company soar to the edge of space with an all-civilian crew. Musk is also the founder and CEO of SpaceX, and leads brain-chip startup Neuralink and infrastructure firm The Boring Company. Tesla’s market value soared to more than $1 trillion this year, making it more valuable than Ford Motor and General Motors combined.  Tesla produces …


New Initiative Provides Free Treatment for Children with Cancer in Developing Countries

The World Health Organization and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a leading cancer center in the United States, are planning to provide cancer medication free-of-charge to children in developing countries. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, killing about 10 million people a year.  The World Health Organization estimates 400,000 children globally develop cancer every year, with nearly 100,000 dying. The most common types of childhood cancers include leukemias, brain cancers, lymphomas, and solid tumors.  WHO reports nearly nine in 10 children with cancer live in low-and-middle income countries. …


Rain, Snow Fall as California Braces for Brunt of Storm

The Western U.S. is bracing for the brunt of a major winter storm expected to hit Monday, bringing travel headaches, the threat of localized flooding and some relief in an abnormally warm fall.  Light rain and snow fell in Northern California on Sunday, giving residents a taste of what’s to come. The multi-day storm could drop more than 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow on the highest peaks and drench other parts of California as it pushes south and east before moving out midweek.  “This is a pretty widespread event,” …