Rikers Island prison to close, New York mayor says
De Blasio set a timeline of 10 years to reduce the overall jail population in the city, which he said would allow for a “complete departure of all inmates from Rikers Island.”
Cities
Seattle sues Trump administration over ‘sanctuary city’ threat
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray says his city filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its move to pull federal funds over immigration law enforcement.
25 U.S. cities have now committed to 100% renewables
Madison, Wisconsin and Abita Springs in Louisiana will transition to 100 per cent renewable energy following respective city council votes on Tuesday 21 March.
Berkeley becomes first city to divest from U.S.-Mexico border wall companies
The Bay Area city won’t do business with government contractors that work on Donald Trump’s pet project.
Police departments in the 7 cities of Virginia have all appointed LGBT liaisons
Police in Chesapeake, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hampton, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach had already created the position. Local law enforcement agencies are taking proactive steps to foster a relationship with the LGBT community and establish an ongoing dialogue to better serve the community.
San Francisco moves to divest $1.2B from companies financing Dakota Access Pipeline
The board approved a resolution introduced by Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer urging City Treasurer Jose Cisneros to add the Dakota Access Pipeline to the list of screening factors he considers when making city investment decisions.
Barcelona to ban old polluting cars in 2019
Barcelona will begin banning cars older than 20 years on weekdays in 2019 in a bid to curb the city’s air pollution problems.
London’s black cabs go electric
Any motorized vehicle will have to meet strict exhaust emissions standards or pay a heavy surcharge to commute around the city center. Electric vehicles (EVs) are one way for drivers to stay compliant and move about freely on the city’s streets.
India’s capital Delhi just banned all disposable plastics
“The National Capital Territory of Delhi shall take appropriate steps against storage, sale, and use of such plastic material at the above-mentioned places and it shall stand prohibited with effect from January 1, 2017,”
Washington, D.C. passes 8 week paid parental leave bill
The new legislation will grant all full- and part-time workers in the city eight weeks of leave at up to 90% of their full weekly wages for birth, adoption or fostering.