Plastics are increasingly hardwired into the global economy, from shipping to building to computing.
Key stat: In 65 years, we've gone from producing very little plastic to more than 400 million metric tons in 2015.
Go deeper: The global plastic problem is even bigger than you think
A Black Lives Matter banner and a United States flag on the facade of the U.S. embassy building in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Simon Shin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
America's leaders are rethinking how they view Independence Day, as the country reckons with the historic, unequal treatment of people of color during a pandemic which has disproportionately affected nonwhite Americans.
Why it matters: The country’s legacy of racism has come into sharp focus in the weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. From Confederate statues to Mount Rushmore, Americans are reexamining the symbols and traditions they elevate and the history behind them.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
The Washington Redskins have announced they will be conducting a review of the team's name after mounting pressure from the public and corporate sponsors.
Why it matters: This review is the first formal step the Redskins are taking since the debate surrounding the name first began. It comes after weeks of discussions between the team and the NFL, the team said.