1. New Mask Update
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced new mask wearing updates. The Washington Post reports that he has repealed the state’s outdoor masking mandate with the exception of large-scale ticketed venues such as concerts or sporting events, citing the latest guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hogan (R) also said restaurants could drop social distancing and capacity requirements for outdoor dining and outdoor stand-up bar service starting Saturday. People who have not been fully vaccinated are still encouraged to wear masks while outdoors when physical distancing is not possible.
2. 100 Days
President Joe Biden has been in office for 100 days. The Associated Press reports that President Joe Biden will use his first joint address to Congress to declare the nation is “turning peril into possibility, crisis into opportunity,” urging a $1.8 trillion investment in children, families and education that would fundamentally transform roles the government plays in American life.
3. Ghana’s Mining Ban
Ghana is enforcing the law to purify its waters. Reuters reports that the Country’s Lands Minister said that the military has launched a nationwide operation to clear illegal miners out of its water bodies. Pollution from mining has contaminated water sources raising the costs of water treatment and limiting access to drinking water, according to Ghana’s water utility agency. Ghana is one of Africa’s largest gold producers, with gold products accounting for just under half its export revenues. But more than 35% of the country’s gold is unearthed by small-scale and informal miners, the majority of whom operate illegally, according to the finance ministry.
