Policy Archives - Page 27 of 29 - The Westside Story

National Health Service plans to pay for 10 patients to receive “bionic eye” implant

Dec 27, 2016

England’s National Health Service is planning to pay for 10 patients to receive a “bionic eye” implant, able to restore some sight to people who have been blind for years. Funding of these implants by the NHS c...

Breaking with past vetoes, US allows UN resolution condemning Israeli settlements to pass

West Side Story

Dec 23, 2016

Policy, Science, World

On Friday, the United Nations passed a resolution calling for Israel to stop settlements on Palestinian territory. The vote passed unanimously, after the United States abstained, declining to use its veto power...

Obama, alongside Trudeau, announces ban on oil and gas drilling in federal waters from Maryland to Alaska

West Side Story

Dec 23, 2016

Environment, Policy, Science

On Tuesday, the Obama administration enacted a permanent ban on drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. Through the use of a 1953 law, the ban blocks the sale of offshore drilling and mining...

Austrian election yields defeat for far-right candidate

West Side Story

Dec 6, 2016

Policy, Science, World

Austria has rejected far-right candidate Norbert Hofer in favor of former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen, after an original vote in May was annulled due to voting irregularities. While Van der Bell...

Illegal fishing: High tech solutions to a low-tech problem

West Side Story

Nov 23, 2016

Environment, Policy, Science, World

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a huge global problem, with some experts suggesting that as many as 11 million tons of fish are caught each year by pirate vessels. And it’s a problem that h...

Donald Trump’s shocking electoral victory shows deep parallels with Brexit upset

West Side Story

Nov 17, 2016

Opinion, Policy, Science, World

On November 8th, Donald Trump won a shocking victory over Democrat Hilary Clinton in one of the most controversial and surprising United States presidential elections in recent history. There were many reasons ...

Paris climate accord goes into effect, U.N. talks set to continue Monday

West Side Story

Nov 5, 2016

Environment, Policy, Science

The landmark Paris climate accord went into effect on Friday, less than a year after 200 countries signed on to the accord last December. In order to come into force, the agreement had to be ratified by countr...

High Court rules that Parliament must vote on Brexit plans

West Side Story

Nov 3, 2016

Policy, Science, World

Britain’s High Court has ruled that Parliament must vote on British withdrawal from the European Union, which will hinder the government's plans moving forward. The withdrawal was approved by 52 percent of vote...

Obama administration releases report outlining path towards climate change resilience

West Side Story

Nov 1, 2016

Environment, Policy, Science

In addition to pressing forward to reduce carbon emissions, the Obama administration is championing the cause of communities adapting to the existing realities of climate change. The White House led Council on ...

Internal EPA report suggests agency had information to act on Flint water crisis months before it took action

West Side Story

Oct 24, 2016

Environment, Policy

A new report released by the Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general says that the agency should have issued an emergency order to address the water crisis in Flint, Michigan seven months before act...