Every day the Good Good Good team collects the best good news in the world and shares it with our community. Here are the highlights for this week!
If you want to get good news in your inbox every day, join the Goodnewsletter — the free daily newsletter designed to leave you feeling hopeful.
The Best Positive News We’re Celebrating This Week —
After a Texas ban on rainbow crosswalks went into effect, a Dallas man repainted a dozen of them in a few hours
Last week, Dallas began removing its rainbow-painted sidewalks in compliance with a new state directive requiring cities to remove “political ideologies” from public roadways.
Mason Whiteside moved to Dallas in 2023 and said that wasn’t “the Dallas I came to love.” So, in a few hours, with chalk and spray paint, he repainted more than a dozen crosswalks in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
Whiteside was arrested for what police officials say were unrelated, outstanding warrants. Still, Whiteside said he’d do it again, “How much longer until it’s not just crosswalks? Until they take our spaces — our actual spaces?”
Why is this good news? Whiteside said he moved to Dallas to start over outside of his “small-minded” hometown — to a city that was more welcoming for a queer man like him. Visual symbols like rainbow-painted crosswalks help signal to queer people that they are celebrated and welcome in a community. Whiteside’s nonviolent resistance helps signal that for others, and to people in power to shape our communities.
→ Read more
California spent $15M to make homeless shelters pet-friendly. It got people off the streets
→ Read more
A famous actor and model are using their platform to fight tourist traps and invest in one of Sierra Leone’s islands
Actor Idris Elba and his wife, Canadian model Sabrina Elba, have made it their mission to couple ecological sustainability with economic growth on Sherbro Island in Sierra Leone. The project could transform development projects across the continent.
Idris is from Sierra Leone, and Sabrina is from Somalia. She said growing up, she heard damaging messages and stigmas about being African, and the pair wants “to see Africa represented the way that we knew it to be.”
The Elbas took a trip to the island — with its scarce electricity and wireless internet, lack of refrigeration, as well as miles of untouched beaches, lagoons, and fresh water — and saw an opportunity to change the narrative from “one of aid to one of investment.” They’re taking on the project through their Elba Hope Foundation.
Boston turned an old middle school into an inclusive, affordable housing complex for LGBTQ+ seniors
The site of William Barton Rogers Middle School in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood is now an independent senior living space called The Pryde that was designed specifically for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Nine and a half years in the making, renovations to the school ensured it was fully accessible to seniors, kept “pride” on display throughout, and preserved some of the building’s historic charm, like chalkboards and a bell system.
It’s open to any community members over 62 who qualify for affordable housing, and residents live in rent-restricted studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments at various income tiers. They also enjoy amenities like a landscaped courtyard, walking track, fitness center, and even a resident cinema.
Why is this good news? In addition to providing much-needed housing support, the community offers safety that some have never experienced until now, like one resident who is a “long-term HIV-AIDS survivor” who had to stop working and “didn’t think I’d ever live to see retirement.”
A Michigan woman retrofitted a vending machine to dispense ideas for random acts of kindness
In countries with good waste management systems, far less plastic pollutes the environment
New data shows that plastic pollution is driven far more by how waste is managed than by how much plastic is produced. Even though high-income countries generate significantly more plastic waste per person, they tend to have effective systems that prevent waste from leaking into the environment.
Around one-fifth to one-quarter of global plastic waste is currently mismanaged, making it vulnerable to environmental leakage. Investing in basic infrastructure such as waste collection, controlled landfills, and proper disposal systems can dramatically reduce the amount of plastic that escapes into nature and the oceans.
Proper waste management systems include collection, recycling, incineration, and sanitary landfills. Across high-income countries, plastic pollution per person is 100 times lower than in lower-income countries. If every country managed its waste in this way, the world would cut plastic pollution by more than 98%.
Activists are selling symbolic ‘stock’ in national parks to remind Americans to ‘protect what’s yours’
A new stock market-inspired campaign called Going Public aims to celebrate Americans’ shared pride for the country’s iconic public lands and inspire people — regardless of identity or political affiliation — to help protect these natural spaces.
From now until May 30, people can support their public lands by claiming a free, symbolic “share” of their favorite public lands, like major national parks, local trails, protected forests, and other natural spaces visited every day.
Each share represents a vote for a favorite public land location, which then ends up on a leaderboard where advocates can watch their stock “climb.”
Even better: Nature Is Nonpartisan, one of the groups behind the Going Public, also plans to use the results to compile a report about how many people in each state and congressional district joined the campaign to “send a message to leaders.”
→ Read more (and claim your stock!)
Here’s what to say — and not say — to someone who is grieving, according to a death doula
→ Read more
By upcharging people for bags, a city in Canada dramatically reduced its use of plastic
In 2023, Edmonton — the capital city of Alberta — implemented a new law that banned Styrofoam plates, cups, and containers, as well as plastic shopping bags. Since then, customers who need a bag have had to pay 25 cents for a paper bag, or $2 for a reusable one.
New data shows the policy significantly changed behavior, with single-use bag use dropping by about 80%. City officials attribute this largely to the added cost, which pushed consumers toward reusable options and reduced overall waste entering landfills.
The policy also targeted smaller disposable items by making accessories like straws, utensils, and napkins available only upon request. This led to a noticeable decline — around 26% — highlighting how much waste comes from default distribution rather than real need.
→ Read more
The largest offshore wind farm in the U.S. just sent its first power to the grid
Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project has been under construction since 2024, and once complete, it will be the largest wind farm in the U.S. It’s currently about 70% complete, and power is now being generated from one of the wind turbines.
The wind farm’s turbines will be turned on gradually throughout the rest of the year, with construction scheduled to finish in early 2027.
Dominion was the first of five projects to sue the Trump administration late last year after the Interior Department ordered the projects to halt construction. All five wind farms have since been allowed to resume construction.
Why is this good news? Amid rising gas prices, energy providers and customers are looking for alternative, abundant fuel sources — and wind is one of them. When CVOW is fully online, it will produce enough electricity to power 660,000 homes and save customers an estimated $3 billion in its first decade of operation.
PBS Kids debuted its first autistic lead character — the show won an Emmy for ‘Outstanding Public Service Initiative’
After a transgender student was cut off by his parents, strangers donated nearly $90,000 to help him graduate on time
Matthew, a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was recently kicked out of student housing after his parents discovered he was transgender and cut him off financially.
Despite working multiple jobs, Matthew was unable to afford tuition and housing on his own and was evicted from his dorm in mid-March. To help, his classmates set up a GoFundMe to cover his housing and allow him to back-register for classes before graduation.
By the end of March, Matthew’s donations totaled over $91,000, putting him back on track to graduate. According to his classmates, he hopes to pursue graduate research in astrophysics and continue his studies “about the mysteries of the universe’s origins.”
→ Read more
A nonprofit invented modular playgrounds for kids in war zones — and refugee children helped design them
London-based photographer and tinkerer Alexander Meininger built his own sons an indoor treehouse, but it wasn’t until he saw children displaced by the war in Ukraine that he realized the importance of play.
Now, he just launched his nonprofit, Playrise, which makes modular, packable play equipment and furniture for children living in disaster zones and refugee camps.
He worked with an architecture studio to design the fully customizable and reconfigurable play structures, which are built from simple wood components and colorful accessories.
Even better: Meininger and his team spoke personally with Sudanese, Palestinian, and Eritrean child refugees to learn what children living in displacement actually wanted. Their feedback confirmed what the inventors knew to be true: Play is vital for child development.
National park ranger photographs rare species for the first time while snorkeling on the job
→ Read more
Denmark generates a larger share of its electricity from wind than any other country
New data shows that wind power supplied almost 60 % of Denmark’s electricity in 2023, giving the country the highest share of wind‑generated electricity on a global scale. This reflects decades of investment in wind energy infrastructure and supportive policy, making renewables central to the nation’s power mix.
Wind contributes not only to electricity but also significantly to Denmark’s overall energy system. Combined with other renewables, wind helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels and supports the nation’s climate goals, including a net‑zero target by 2045.
Industry data show Denmark’s wind capacity continues to grow, with turbines producing over 19 TWh and national targets aiming for even higher renewable shares in the future.
→ Read more
More good news of the week —
The country’s oldest mall was transformed into an affordable housing complex, and rent is just $550 a month. The Arcade in Providence, Rhode Island closed after 188 years in business. Then, it was transformed into a community of micro-lofts.
Bipartisan lawmakers stepped in to buy an iconic Oregon waterfall and its surrounding land. After the waterfall went up for sale online, lawmakers ensured the land would remain protected and publicly accessible for generations to come.
Philadelphia now requires employers to provide accommodations for periods and perimenopause. The new ordinance serves as a model for other cities and states to provide relief for workers suffering from symptoms of hormonal cycles and changes.
Scientists discovered more than 2.3 million ancient regulatory DNA “switches” in plants. The findings could offer new opportunities for genetic research and crop improvement.
Conservationists are finding new ways to protect ecosystems without USAID funding. While the loss of U.S. funding has created challenges, it’s also pushing conservation organizations to innovate and diversify their funding sources.
A professor at U.C. Irvine received a prestigious award for her “myth-busting” research on immigrant crime. Professor Charis E. Kubrin was awarded the Stockholm Prize in Criminology — considered the field’s Nobel Prize equivalent — for decades of research challenging the notion that immigrants bring crime to their new communities.
A U.K. dad started a soccer team for grieving fathers who have lost children. What started as just six members, Forget-Me-Knot FC now has around 36 dads who come together regularly to connect and play soccer, with plans to expand across the country.
With wind turbines, a biogas plant, and independent grid, a tiny village in Germany is insulated from global energy crises. While war in Iran has sent oil prices soaring and households bracing for higher bills, Feldheim has spent 30 years making itself immune to exactly this kind of shock.
Nightjars have made a remarkable comeback in England’s South Downs National Park. By restoring the nocturnal bird’s native heathland habitats, the nightjar population has doubled over the last 5 years.
The Los Angeles City Council approved $177 million in funding for eviction defense and tenant support. A major portion supports free legal representation for renters facing eviction.
Comedian Caleb Hearon hosted a $15K matching campaign for Transgender Day of Visibility. Donations supported the Trans Justice Funding Project, which distributes funds to grassroots groups confronting racism, economic injustice, transmisogyny, ableism, immigration, and other “intersecting oppressions.”
An air conditioning manufacturer is turning units from energy hogs into grid assets by pairing batteries with HVAC. One of the fastest-growing users of electricity is air conditioning, which accounts for about 10% of global power use, and 40% of the U.S. grid is reserved to meet peak demand.
A U.K. charity set up a set of emergency “sleeping pods” in December that have been used 71 times since. While the pods are not a long-term solution to homelessness, they can be lifesaving on England’s coldest nights.
A new spray for loblolly pine trees increases biodiversity while reducing the need for artificial fertilizer. Thanks to the spray, the seedlings are primed to grow faster, causing them to draw down more carbon dioxide.
An open-air “sound museum” in China opened in the reclaimed ruins of a demolished factory. Oral histories broadcast from concentric walls were collected from former factory workers and residents.
Florida’s governor banned Pride crosswalks, so Miami Beach re-painted the rainbows in a park instead. The city used funds from a 2025 budget surplus to replicate the Pride crosswalk in a nearby park.
After their Catholic college banned any kind of birth control, students started a “womb service” to deliver it instead. DePaul University, a Catholic college in Chicago, Illinois, prohibits the distribution of birth control of any kind on its campus, so students went underground to share condoms and Plan B emergency contraception with students who need it.
Maryland will install $50 million worth of solar panels on land owned by the state’s Department of Transportation. The “highly visible” solar panels are coming to parking lots and brownfields across the state.
Hawaii researchers are testing asphalt made from recycled plastic waste and abandoned fishing nets. By reusing materials already on the islands, the project aims to reduce landfill pressure and avoid shipping waste elsewhere.
The iNaturalist app is turning nature lovers into citizen scientists every time they spot an animal in the wild. The 6 million monthly users provide data that researchers can use to study biodiversity, species decline, and habitat changes.
Taylor Swift is donating royalties from her new ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ music video to the late actress’s AIDS foundation. Swift has been vocal about her admiration for Taylor, and the lyrics in the song paint parallels between the high level of fame both women have experienced.
Stephen Colbert raised over $1 million for World Central Kitchen with “Late Show” t-shirts and a charity auction. In addition to more than 33,000 shirts sold, the auction has generated over $400,000, selling memorabilia like some of Colbert’s neck ties, an interview guest chair, prop pillows, and more.
A new study revealed that dogs can detect Parkinson’s years before symptoms show with 98% accuracy. “Timely diagnosis is key as subsequent treatment could slow down the progression of the disease and reduce the intensity of symptoms.”
A Bay Area city is divesting its funds from companies linked to human rights abuses and war crimes. The effort was driven by local activists who spent over a year organizing events, protests, and education campaigns.
An anonymous $1 million donation is helping nurses at a Pennsylvania hospital pay down student loan debt. The surprise donation will be split 173 ways between qualifying nurses.
