Welcome to Wednesday, May 18th, paintings and portraits... 

The Biden administration canceled offshore oil & gas drilling lease sales in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico as gasoline prices reach record highs. 

Administration officials cited a lack of industry demand as the reason for the cancellation, but that claim drew pushback from Alaska’s senators.

Climate and environmental groups praised the decision to cancel the leases, as the Center for Biological Diversity’s oceans legal director Kristen Monsell said the Biden administration should go even further by canceling all new leasing and phase out existing oil and gas development.

Do you support or oppose canceling the Alaska and Gulf of Mexico offshore oil drilling leases?

Sweden's Government Decides to Apply for NATO Membership

Sweden’s government announced Monday that it will pursue membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The historic move will bring an end to Sweden’s longstanding neutrality and non-alignment which it has maintained since 1814.

Sweden is expected to join NATO as soon as this summer in tandem with its neighbor Finland, which announced its own decision to join the alliance last week and will hold a parliamentary vote in the next few days to move the process forward.

Are you in favor of Sweden joining NATO?

Could Eating Less Meat Reduce Rates of Deforestation?

Researchers have shown that eating less meat would benefit the environment and combat climate change.

Even decreasing meat consumption by 25% would have a great impact by protecting the rainforests and limiting emissions. Cutting meat consumption by a quarter would also free up around 23 million acres of land that would no longer be used for animal agriculture. 

Would you cut down your meat consumption to help prevent more deforestation?

Congress Holds First Public Hearing on UFOs in Over 50 Years - ‘We Want to Know What’s Out There’

Congress held its first public hearing on UFO sightings in over 50 years on Tuesday, as defense officials briefed lawmakers and the public on the processes the government is using to track and investigate unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).  

The panel met in an open session for about 90 minutes, after which the hearing continued in a closed, classified setting.

Do you think the UAP investigation will produce conclusive results for the public?

#WomenInPeacekeeping

Peace is on everyone’s mind, now more than ever. Stronger Together: #WomenInPeacekeeping is a campaign to promote and empower women at the forefront of peace operations.

As part of WinTogether x Boss Beauties’ #WomenInPeacekeeping campaign, we're highlighting each of the four NFTs you can win. We previously covered the Soldier and the Civilian. 

Donate now to support women in peacekeeping, and you’ll be entered to win one of five exclusive NFTs.

All the Memes Fit to Post

And, In The End...

It's International Museum Day. Will you be exploring a museum near you?

—Jamie Epstein

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