Yay for composting! New York City to make it more accessible in the near future. Editors Warning: Mentions of violence.
Happening in the World: The French government, led by President Emmanuel Macron, is facing a vote of no confidence in response to proposed pension reforms. The reforms would create a universal points-based system that would replace France’s current system of 42 different pension schemes and raise the legal retirement age to 64 from 62. Opponents of the bill argue that there is no immediate threat of bankruptcy in the country’s pension system and that the new system would lead to cuts in pension benefits and force people to work longer. The no-confidence vote is scheduled to take place Monday evening and is expected to be a close vote. If the vote passes, more than half of the legislators in the lower parliament will be forced to resign, and Macron could be replaced as president. If neither motion passes, then the current cabinet stays and the bill stands. The proposed pension reform has intensified the public’s anger towards Macrson and has led to widespread protests and strikes. (NYT)
Happening in the US: Miami Beach, Florida, has declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew following two deadly shootings over the weekend and rising concerns over “dangerous and illegal conduct” from spring breakers. The curfew was implemented from 11:59 pm Sunday night until 6 am Monday morning. A special commission meeting will be held later this week to discuss extending the measures into the next weekend. This is the third year in a row that the city has taken emergency measures during the spring break season due to safety concerns. This all comes after a recent surge of Spring Breakers that aren’t the typical college students, but rather larger crowds of rowdy tourists that create an impossible situation for local police and the city has made it clear that they are not welcome. As part of the curfew, off-premise Alcohol sales will be prohibited in the area after 6 pm and businesses must close in time for everyone to leave before curfew. They also announced that anyone caught violating the curfew risks arrest and criminal charges. (NBC)
Happening in NYC: New York City’s sanitation department plans to offer curbside compost collection to all residents within the next two years. The program is set to start in Queens on March 27 after a pilot program last fall that collected over 12 million pounds of organic waste in three months. New Yorkers generate about 8 million pounds of organic waste daily, which mostly ends up in landfills, creating the greenhouse gas methane. The expansion of the composting program comes after a severe lack of funding and is expected to reduce methane emissions and increase participation rates. The city currently sends some organic waste to processing facilities in New Jersey and Massachusetts and plans to issue a request for proposals to expand processing capacities this summer. The city expects to spend $45 million this fiscal year on new compost collection trucks to expand the program. The department has ambitious hopes that New Yorkers will compost at least half of their organic waste in the future. (Gothamist)
Happening in Our Community: Join the Institute of Latin American Studies for a screening and conversation on the documentary film Las Abogadas: Attorneys at the Front Lines of the Migrant Crisis. The documentary centers on the heartbreaking and heartwarming stories of these women and their clients as they stand up to seemingly insurmountable odds. The screening will take place on Thursday, March 23 from 6:00 to 8 pm in The Diana Center, 3009 Broadway, LL104. This is a free event and registration is required.
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