Chinese-Canadian consortium wins $4B Bogota metro deal

US farmers turn to hemp as trade war rages

Hemp is a type of cannabis. It’s similar to marijuana but hemp has only a tiny fraction of THC- the compound that creates marijuana’s mood-altering effects.

San Francisco International Airport bans sale of water in plastic bottles

San Francisco International has become the first major airport in the world to ban the sale of plastic bottles. It’s part of lofty goal to make it the first zero waste airport.

Ex-con finds rehabilitation in healthy ramen brand for prisoners

Chef Ron Freeman’s time in prison led to to recovery and entrepreneurship in the instant noodle business.

Football fans at odds with US league as politics seeps into beautiful game

U.S. football fans are mobilizing against new rules banning them from bringing politics to the game.

Automakers shift strategies amid global sales slowdown

Car sales were down every month for the first six months of 2019 compared to the same months in 2018.

Chinese electric mini truck heads to pick up US buyers

Electric vehicles have grown in popularity thanks in part to companies like Tesla, Nissan and Chevrolet. But EV’s can be quite pricey, something Kaiyun Motors from China is steering clear of by with its simpler and more affordable vehicle.

Men’s grooming trends shave off profits from razor industry

CGTN’s John Terrett explains the growing men’s grooming industry.

Trade war shifts US trucking industry into reverse

The ongoing U.S.-China trade war is impacting a wide range of industries. U.S. agriculture is taking an especially hard hit. That, in turn, is putting the breaks on America’s trucking industry.

Venezuelans in Colombia find work and challenges in gig economy

About 1.3 million Venezuelans fled political and economic crisis at home for work in neighboring Colombia. In a country with its own unemployment troubles, digital platforms offering freelance work are quickly becoming the best option for migrants.

Brazil’s National Museum tries to recover one year after devastating fire

The massive fire that destroyed Brazil’s National Museum one year ago has been repeatedly called a tragedy that could have been avoided. Housing 20 million artifacts, it was one of the most important natural history and anthropological museums in the Americas.

Los Angeles retailers lament impact of US-China trade war on business

Washington has slapped a new 15% tariff on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. The taxes will be imposed in two stages. The first batch of affected imports include smart watches, TVs, and footwear.

What is flight shaming?

There is still little awareness about the impact of flight travel on the environment, but that is rapidly changing as Greta Thunberg’s influence is growing among younger populations. It’s a generation the airline industry can’t afford to ignore.

Climate change could hinder global economy

Economists are warning that climate change isn’t just an environmental emergency, it could put a dent in global GDP.

Thrifting industry booms due to environmentally conscious consumers

With second-hand goods becoming extremely popular, more people are turning thrifting into a living.

US farmers raise alerts as trade war with China heats up

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has reaffirmed President Donald Trump’s plans to impose an additional 5% tariff on a list of $300 billion of Chinese imports, with some starting September 1st. Many farmers who are attending a farm show, say they’re deeply concerned.

US soybean farmers fight trade war by exploring new markets

Just as weather often forces farmers to improvise, growers, who tout the quality and sustainability of U.S. soybeans and America’s transportation networks, are now trying to attract new customers in places like Mexico.

“DeafSpace” – Architecture that works for the deaf community

Members of the deaf community often struggle in buildings and spaces designed for hearing people, unaware of fire alarms or people knocking on doors. However, architects at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. are creating spaces that break down those barriers.

Mexican engineer develops eco-friendly sweetener that could help diabetics worldwide

Diabetes is a growing problem worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that it affects more than 420 million people and is on the rise.

Apple rolls out credit card in US

Apple has partnered with MasterCard and Goldman Sachs to introduce the sleek Titanium, laser-etched Apple Card.

US tech giants resist French digital tax

Representatives from Amazon, Google and Facebook plus several industry associations testified before the U.S. Trade Representative Monday about France’s new digital tax.

Controversy in Oaxaca, Mexico over Latin America’s biggest wind farm

Countries across the world are increasingly looking to renewable energy sources to limit the impact of environmental damage to the planet. Mexico, for example, recently installed Latin America’s largest windfarm, but it has caused problems within the local community. CGTN’s Alasdair Baverstock reports.

Mussels get cooked in the waters of Northern California during July heatwave

Recent heat waves across America and Europe are also taking a toll on other ecosystems such as sea life.

Pokemon World Championships prove worth of enduring craze

Owen Fairclough paid no attention when Pokémon became a global craze in 1996, so who better to send to the Pokémon World Championships?

Smaller colleges in the United States struggling to stay afloat

Small colleges across the United States are closing at an unprecedented pace as they struggle to attract students and face revenue shortages.

Young female driver races for the top

Motor racing has historically skewed males, but more women are now getting behind the wheel to make history on the race track.

W Series aims to put more women in F1

The first-ever all-female motor-racing championship has crowned its winner. The W series uses Formula Three cars to give a platform to top female drivers from around the world.

School safety takes on new meaning in US amid mass shootings

As school shootings and deaths resulting from them have climbed in recent years in the U.S., school safety has become a bigger priority than ever.

Argentine president unveils new economic measures to counter poll shock

President Mauricio Macri was trounced in what was predicted to be a close presidential primary race, has announced a series of emergency measures aimed at appeasing voters, who are frustrated with inflation running at more than 50 percent. CGTN’s Joel Richards reports

Lyme disease on the rise across the United States

Every year there are roughly 30,000 new reported cases of Lyme Disease in the United States.

Cuban entrepreneurs use connectivity to launch ride-share app

Internet connectivity has come slowly to Cuba but recent years have seen significant growth in WiFi hotspots, cyber cafes, and home DSL connections. And with the launch of mobile data service last December, enterprising young Cubans saw further opportunity.

Caracas’ Great Mobile Cinema brings reprieve amid deep economic crisis

Movie lovers in Venezuela are finding inventive ways to enjoy films, despite the country’s deep economic crisis. Rising prices have meant many can no longer afford a ticket to see the latest movies. But as CGTN’s Mary Triny Mena reports, that hasn’t stopped people in Caracas from coming up with their own cinematic experience.

US hotels struggle to find staff after Trump admin changes J-1 visa policy

Every year around 300,000 foreign students from over 200 countries are granted a J-1 Visa to study or work temporarily in the United States. But the Trump administration would like to curtail the program, causing worry among many small businesses.

Colombia peso tumbles against US dollar amid global trade uncertainty

The escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions is rippling out to other economies – especially in Latin America.

WHO say limited or no screen time for children under five

In a new set of guidelines, the World Health Organization said that infants under 1 year old should not be exposed to electronic screens and that children between the ages of 2 and 4 should not have more than one hour of “sedentary screen time” each day.

Tiny flats find buyers in Sao Paulo

Tiny apartments are a growing trend in the world’s most crowded cities, including now in Brazil’s Sao Paulo.

Mexico burger business combats plastic pollution with banana leaves

The world’s oceans are awash in plastic pollution, and studies show it’s having an impact on our environment. Reusing plastic and reducing plastic waste are two solutions. In Mexico, one local business has an innovative way it hopes to make a difference to solve this growing problem.

A different kind of stock exchange – buying and selling colorful certificates

In the days before computers drove global stock markets, companies issued highly decorative pieces of paper to buyers to prove which firms they’d invested in.

California company to be first in US to sell rice to China

With U.S.-China trade tensions at a heightened state- a California company has made a surprising breakthrough.

Wyoming an unexpected new frontier for blockchain technology

Wyoming residents see a new and potentially lucrative opportunity in blockchain technology—a digital ledger system which records transactions across many computers and, its proponents argue, is virtually hack-proof.

Award winning ecology effort streams new life into Mexican region

A once barren gully on a hillside above one of Mexico’s biggest cities, the kilometer-square patch of land named El Pedregal has been transformed into an oasis of biodiversity and life.

Brazilian artist creates app that turns trash into cash

Poverty is one important reason behind the large number of waste-pickers here in Brazil.

US colleges struggling with low enrollment are closing at increasing rate

Small colleges across the United States are closing at an unprecedented pace as they struggle to attract students and face revenue shortages. Part of the problem is demographics. The number of high school seniors is dropping – dramatically in some parts of the country – and students are growing increasingly concerned about student debt.

UK architects design and create recyclable cork house

Cork is usually used for wine bottles. Now some engineers say it could change the way homes are built with the environment in mind.

Argentina beefs up meat exports to China

Recent agreements with China allow Argentina to diversify and export higher-value cuts of beef.

Online classes connect English language tutors and students around the globe

She works for VIPKid, one of many China-based online tutoring companies which have sprouted up. This one matches 70,000 U.S. teachers with 600,000 Chinese students.

World’s oldest mummies: Chile seeks recognition for artifacts from ancient civilization

University investigators, along with authorities and local communities in northern Chile are working to have a historical site in the Atacama Desert declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2020.