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!
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The Best Positive News We’re Celebrating This Week —
California’s new ‘tire efficiency’ rules will save drivers $1 billion a year and reduce 2 million tons of carbon emissions
California just became the first U.S. state to address a problem most people don’t know they have: inefficient tires.
When automakers design a new vehicle, low rolling resistance tires are one of the least expensive ways to improve fuel economy. When they are replaced, the “new” tires are often less efficient, causing internal combustion engine vehicles to burn more gasoline and EVs to need more electricity.
California’s new rule is “designed to ensure that replacement tires sold in the state are at least as energy efficient, on average, as tires sold in the state as original equipment.” It also establishes a labeling system that gives tires a “leaf” rating, to make it easier for consumers to find the best options.
Why is this good news? In addition to saving drivers money, the state projects that the changes could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2 million tons annually, which it says is equivalent to taking around 400,000 cars off the road.
Trump just paused border wall construction in Big Bend. Activists are still fighting to protect the region for good
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Scientists identified five key factors linked to happiness and well-being
According to a new study of over 97,000 people across 66 countries, collective well-being depends on building supportive communities, not pursuing your own personal joy.
The evidence suggests that societies that foster environments that care for others boost a nation’s overall happiness.
The researchers identified five categories that drive overall societal happiness, including satisfying basic human needs, effective governing and security, and close in-group ties.
Food influencer Keith Lee is distributing food and supplies to Gary, Indiana after storms cause ongoing power outages
Following severe storms in Northwest Indiana earlier this month, thousands of residents in Gary, Indiana remain without power — 12 days later.
As the town’s mayor continues to push the state’s utility company to restore power, and the state and federal government send in relief, two public figures are stepping in to help, too: Food influencer Keith Lee and Indiana Pacers basketball player Tyrese Haliburton.
The pair partnered with the Salvation Army, Ace Hardware, and city officials to host a relief drive for locals, distributing food and supplies, and coming together to enjoy a little music.
Why is this good news? While Lee acknowledged the event wasn’t the same as “turning the power on,” he’s made his fame from uplifting small, independently owned food vendors and restaurants, especially supporting BIPOC communities. Gary is a predominantly Black city, and this effort to give back is no exception.
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A new species of seahorse was hiding in plain sight for more than a century. It’s named after the ‘mother’ of seahorse research
Smoking rates have reached a historic low among young people in the U.S.
Smoking and vaping continued to decline among middle school and high school students in 2025, according to the latest school-based survey that has been tracking smoking and other nicotine product use in American youth ages 11 to 18 since 1999.
The survey found that smoking — the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S. and worldwide — is at a historic low among U.S. youth, at just 1.4%. In 1997, smoking rates among U.S. high school students peaked at 36%.
The use of nicotine vapes, or e-cigarettes, also fell to 5.2% in 2025, the lowest it’s been since its peak in 2019. The use of nicotine pouches, which had been rising, is now stable compared with the previous year and remains relatively low at 1.7%.
For one day only, 100 Michelin-star restaurants are hosting a ‘pay what you can day’
A simple idea born during the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a global movement designed to make fine dining more accessible.
In Mexico City, the Michelin-starred restaurant Masala y Maíz created “Paga Lo Que Puedas,” or Pay What You Can, as a one-off experiment. But after massive success, husband-and-wife co-founders Norma Listman and Saqib Keval made it a recurring event every year on August 26.
Last year, 20 other Mexico City restaurants joined in. Today, for this year’s Pay What You Can Day, 100 other restaurants from 14 countries will join Masala y Maíz in the offering.
Why is this good news? Masala y Maíz’s initiative began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when household finances were strained, and unemployment had reached historic highs. Listman and Keval demonstrated that a “pay what you can” model could succeed even within the world of Michelin-starred dining — challenging the notion that exceptional food and hospitality should be reserved for those who can afford it.
Rescue crew miraculously saves family dog who was swept out to sea: ‘An emotional reunion’
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An 8-year-old asked NYC Mayor Mamdani to reopen his local playground — it inspired a $2.3 million initiative
McKinley Park in Brooklyn had been closed for almost two years and 8-year-old Maxime recorded a video asking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to reopen it. A couple of weeks later, it did.
It even inspired an entirely new city initiative, dubbed the “Renew Crew,” to fix small but highly visible problems in city parks quickly.
A 24-member team of plumbers, painters, electricians, and other tradespeople will carry out repair and maintenance jobs that typically get caught up in lengthier capital-project timelines. It aims to have the projects completed in three weeks or less.
New research shows Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had a proven impact on kids all over the world
Launched in 1995, the Imagination Library sends children a free, age-appropriate, culturally inclusive book in the mail every month from birth until their fifth birthday. It’s distributed 318 million books, with 3.4 million books sent out monthly.
It started in Parton’s home county in Tennessee and has since expanded to the entire U.S., Australia, Canada, the U.K., and Ireland. In Australia, 50,000 children get books monthly.
New data collected from over 86,000 caregivers across the five countries where Imagination Library operates showed that children enrolled in the Imagination Library were significantly more likely to display foundational early literacy skills and to develop an interest in reading compared to those not in the program.
Even better: In Australia, when compared to the average Australian child, children in the Imagination Library in a region with 98% participation were found to be read to more often, for longer, and have more books in the home. Further, these early reading routines were maintained.
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Right before they graduated, these service dogs reunited with the volunteers who raised them: ‘They can be a puppy one last time’
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The homicide rate in the US is at its lowest point in 75 years
New data from the FBI shows that violent crime decreased by 9.3% from 2024 to 2025, the sharpest annual drop since 1900, when those records began.
Homicides specifically dropped by 18.1%, tied for the lowest rate since 1955 and 1956.
Experts note that national violent crime rates have been declining since 2022, and pinpointing the reasons behind it is difficult. Regardless of contributing factors, experts who have been tracking violent and property crime anticipated reaching this milestone.
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The Bronx Zoo has rescued 800 endangered turtles from an ‘unprecedented surge in trafficking’
Since 2024, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo has officially helped rescue and rehabilitate more than 800 North American box turtles saved from the illegal wildlife trade.
In partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the zoo has been a lifeline for the endangered turtles since October 2024, in what officials call “an unprecedented surge in turtle trafficking.”
Many of the turtles arrive at the zoo severely dehydrated, emaciated, injured, or suffering from disease after rough handling and enduring poor transport and holding conditions.
Why is this good news? Box turtles are a “long-lived” animal, which means they mature slowly and have low reproductive rates. Wild populations struggle to replace adults that are trafficked and taken out of their natural environments. Experts at the zoo give these turtles the best possible chance to recover.
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Scientists recycled plastic bottles into protein-rich cookies. They could be used as space rations
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Despite recent setbacks, the world is much more democratic than it was half a century ago
In 1789, only two of the 76 countries in the world had an elected parliamand and elected government — the United Kingdom and the United States. As of 2025, 34 countries do not have elected parliaments and governments — and 165 do.
Electoral democracies — classified in the data by having an elected government and parliament, universal voting rights, a political opposition, and competitive elections — did not become the global majority until the 1990s. By 2025, 117 countries could be classified as democracies, while 82 could not.
While dozens of countries have become less democratic over the last decade, in the much larger arc of history, the world has made incredible progress — which is also indicative that future progress is possible, too.
More good news of the week —
Latin America’s first solar-powered train travels through a stunning 10,000-year-old canyon. The Tren Solar de la Quebrada travels through a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
British households have earned over £1 million from selling their spare solar power through a utility company over the past year. Inquiries for Octopus-installed solar panels jumped 34% during May, June and July compared to the same time last year.
Canada’s prime minister announced the largest clean energy investment in North American history. It’s a package of hydropower, onshore wind and transmission projects aimed at meeting electricity needs while also exporting power to Massachusetts and New York.
An otter was spotted for the first time in 100 years in the Bronx River in New York City. It’s a further sign that New York’s previously contaminated waterways are recovering some of their ecological health.
Researchers are developing a drug that targets an inflammatory enzyme that could help prevent lung cancer. Every year, lung cancer kills more than 100,000 people in the United States. Smoking is the leading risk factor for lung cancer, but other environmental exposures can also contribute to the disease.
Under a new program in England, hundreds of thousands of people are getting free morning-after pills at pharmacies. (May require login) The scheme launched in October to improve access and save women from having to book a GP or sexual health clinic appointment.
Once a wildlife trafficking victim, a reintroduced orangutan is now a mother in the wild. Indonesia’s forestry minister named the baby Badar, a Malay word with Arabic origin meaning “full moon.” The mother’s name, Bulan, also means “moon” in Indonesian.
A wildlife crossing in Washington State celebrated 10,000 safe crossings and zero roadkill. The Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 has been open for 12 years, and it’s been so successful that the state is planning to build 15 more undercrossings and one more overcrossing.
The world’s largest coral restoration organization just helped 1,000 corals escape extreme ocean heat. After a heat advisory was issued across Florida, the team of divers carefully moved the endangered corals farther north.
Aerial footage shows that protected land in Somerset, England has remained green across five heatwaves. The rewilded forests and restored wetlands on the National Trust’s Holnicote estate have proven resilient to recent drought, wildfires, and flooding.
As renewable energy gains popularity across Europe, market demand for methane has dropped dramatically. In the last quarter century, Europe’s wind and solar capacity has surged from under 20 GW to nearly 750 GW.
Two community solar projects just opened on a former coal mine in Illinois. The two projects utilize 16,950 solar panels across about 40 acres of land and are capable of generating enough energy to power almost 1,650 average households.
Arkansas Medicaid is now covering doula care, complying with a new law meant to improve maternal health. Doulas provide emotional, physical, educational, and logistical support to parents-to-be and serve as middlemen between them and other medical professionals.
A California woman gave $1 million in bonuses to teachers in her local school district. Local resident Maja Kristin said she was upset over the “injustice” of Marin County’s public school funding, which is among the lowest in the state despite being one of the wealthiest counties in the entire country.
U.K. researchers are growing miniature human organs to improve drug testing. The work is part of the government’s plan to reduce the use of animals in research by expanding alternatives known as new approach methodologies.
The largest hybrid renewable energy project in Africa was just inaugurated in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. The Hydra project combines a 216 MW solar photovoltaic plant with a 500 MWh battery energy storage system, marking a significant contribution to the country’s Just Energy Transition program that aims to decarbonize the economy.
More than 270,000 square miles around Easter Island is becoming an Indigenous-managed ocean reserve. It will be one of the largest Indigenous-managed reserves on land or sea anywhere in the world.
Rescued orangutans are rebuilding a new wild population in Sumatra. Just fifteen years ago, Jantho Pine Forest Nature Reserve in Indonesia’s western Aceh province, on the island of Sumatra, had no orangutans.
With “55 acres free to the public,” Maryland’s newest state park opens this week. Savage Highlands State Park was a former privately held woodland resort in Garrett County and is now home to yurts, cabins, and campsites at a much lower price.
Amtrak’s sleeker, cleaner new trains are officially making their debut in the Pacific Northwest this fall. The $8-billion Airo fleet, which will eventually serve places in New England, Pennsylvania, and more, promises cleaner, more reliable service as passenger rail enjoys record ridership.
On the opening night of her new tour, Kacey Musgraves encouraged fans to donate to a nonprofit protecting immigrant children. Musgraves told fans to donate to the Young Center, a Chicago-based advocacy group for immigrant children.
A “depressed” pit bull had zero adoption applications until a TikToker gave her weekly playdates. The woman showed the internet how lovable the shelter’s “least wanted dog” really was.
In Australia, a subsidized home battery program has helped cut wholesale power prices in half. Australia now has more home batteries than the United States, which has a population 12 times larger.
Scientists in the United Kingdom created a new type of plastic that vaporizes when it's heated and then “reassembles” itself. Researchers hope that the innovation will reduce waste and inspire an entirely new generation of circular materials.
Petfinder rescue flights are relocating over 100 pets from overcrowded shelters to adoption-ready homes. To celebrate its 30th birthday, the online pet adoption website’s “Runway to Forever” campaign will fund two rescue flights that will relocate pets from high-intake shelters to communities that are ready to adopt.
A trail camera captured a rare sighting of a mama-and-baby lynx family in Colorado. The lynx has been listed as an endangered species in Colorado since 1976, due to fur trapping and widespread habitat loss.
The USDA announced its “Harvest to Hallways” program, which promotes farm-to-school practices and more nutritious school lunches. The initiative also included a new investment of $50 million to help school cafeterias purchase equipment such as cold storage and stoves.
A Chinese automaker is producing a revolutionary solid-state EV battery that could beat diesel. Geely’s current liquid-electrolyte cells are around 250 Wh/kg, which means the new cells would roughly double the amount of energy stored.
A frog that has been “invisible” to the science community for over a century is finally getting a name. The adorable frog can be found across 16 million acres in the Chocó forests of Colombia.
Over the past 50 years, the Gibbon Conservation Center has become a world leader in gibbon conservation. Known for their signature singing, they are among the rarest and most critically endangered primates on Earth.
