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 —
The Portland coffee shop that went viral for ‘SNAP breakfast’ is now building a free cafe in Gaza
Heretic Coffee Co. in Portland, Oregon responded to last fall’s SNAP cuts by offering free meals to anyone in need. It’s since donated over 11,000 free meals, supported by $400,000 in donations.
Now, owner Josh White just announced that Heretic was joining with the Humanite Peace Collective for their next fundraising campaign: raising $100,000 to build a coffee shop in Western Gaza that “will feed people every day for free, no questions asked.”
And it won’t bear the Heretic Coffee name: it’s going to be called “The DEPT. of Peace” to “put the idea of what it means for Palestinians to have peace back in the hands of Palestinians.”
Even better: Heretic and Humanite may be leading the initiative, but they are putting it fully “in the hands of the Palestinians. White told Good Good Good in an exclusive interview, “Americans cannot understand the full magnitude of what they’re going through. But what we can do is we can help build this thing.”
→ Read more (Good Good Good exclusive)
Park rangers risk everything to save a baby elephant trapped in a watering hole
India has seen a significant expansion of higher education in the last decade, notably led by women
New data shows higher education in India has seen a significant expansion in the last decade as a result of a sharp increase in the number of institutions, higher enrollment, greater participation among women, and more.
The data aims to track developments and reforms in alignment with India’s National Education Policy and in pursuit of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4, which focuses on equitable education for all.
Total enrollment increased by 31.5%, and the number of students completing their higher education increased by over 24%. Notably, enrollment among women increased by 42.2% in a decade.
→ Read more
Hegseth made military fitness tests ‘harder’ for women in combat roles — 9 in 10 female Marines are passing
Last September, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a directive requiring sex-neutral fitness standards for all troops in combat roles.
Women serving in combat specialties have always been required to meet the same job-specific standards as men, based on the physical demands of their chosen field. But broader physical fitness tests taken by all service members once or twice a year have historically been scored using age- and sex-based standards.
New spring physical fitness test data show that 91.38% of women Marines who have taken the test since January have met or exceeded that threshold, and 96.53% of men have.
Why is this good news? Hegseth has repeatedly called into question whether women in combat positions are held to sufficiently rigorous standards. This data shows, as one advocate put it, that “the vast, vast majority of the women who are in this career field are doing just fine.”
→ Read more
Researchers paid college students $5 a night to get more sleep. Something amazing happened next
For the 17th consecutive year, Iceland ranked first in a global gender gap index
In the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Gender Gap Index, Iceland ranked first globally for the 17th consecutive year, closing 93% of its gender gap as of 2026.
The country’s overall score rose by 0.5 percentage points since last year, and remains the only country to above 90% overall — Finland is in second with 87.2% and Norway in third at 85.7%.
While Iceland still lags in economic participation and opporutnity, with the gender gap 81.6% closed, it shines in closing the gap health and survival, 96.1%, and political empowerment, at 95.4%.
→ Read more
An anonymous tip line started by Sandy Hook families has helped prevent 20 school shootings since 2018
On August 10, a possible school shooting was prevented in Crawford County, Arkansas, after the FBI investigated a credible threat reported through Sandy Hook Promise’s tip line, the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System.
Sandy Hook Promise was formed in 2017 by family members affected by the tragedy in Sandy Hook, Connecticut in 2012. Since its formation, the nonprofit has used anonymous tip lines, early intervention strategies, mental health resources, and peer-to-peer training tools to stop gun violence before it occurs.
To date, the nonprofit has been credited with preventing at least 20 planned school shootings. Sandy Hook Promise co-founder Nicole Hockley said, “When one of those schools is yours, 20 isn’t just a number. It means your child came home that day.”
Why is this good news? Sandy Hook Promise was founded out of an immeasurable tragedy. The families impacted by that school shooting have made it their mission to ensure other kids get to come home from school safely with evidence-based programs for teachers, parents, and students to teach them how to identify warning signs and intervene safely — and it’s working.
On ‘Subway Takes,’ Ms. Rachel calls for an end to ICE detention centers — and racist nursery rhymes
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Two sisters in Gaza won a 2026 Earth Prize for their ‘recycled rubble’ bricks
Teenage sisters Tala Mousa and Farah Mousa started their project “Build Hope — Palestine” after their home was bombed, and they began looking for a way to support their community and introduce solutions to rebuild.
The project transforms rubble from damaged buildings and other locally available materials into reusable, non-load-bearing blocks for garden beds, pavements, and more. Their hands-on workshops also educate young people to expand their impact.
Earlier this year, they were named the Middle East Winners of the 2026 Earth Prize, and received $12,500 to implement their idea.
→ Read more
A new neighborhood in Canada will be home to the country’s longest car-free stretch of land
In Toronto, a new neighborhood called Ookwemin Minising wants to make more space for housing without sacrificing green space — so it’s replacing streets with parks and plazas.
A half-mile pedestrian route called Centre Commons will act as a car-free main street, home to 400 trees, which the development touts as “Canada’s longest and most ambitious year-round car-free space.”
While other side streets will allow for vehicles, they will still prioritize large areas of green space. Other streets will also serve as climate-friendly infrastructure by reducing urban heat, managing stormwater, supporting biodiversity, and more.
Why is this good news? More green space in a community has proven benefits for air quality, noise reduction, heat reduction, mental health, and even reducing gun violence. Just as people need a roof over their heads, people need easy access to nature (and spaces to build community with your neighbors!).
→ Read more
🌳 You may also like: For every dollar invested in public parks, cities see $3 back
Gen-Zer quits corporate job and moves to Yellowstone, where she pays $96 a month in rent
A new report found Europe’s wasted heat alone could power the entire city of Paris for 48 years
Researchers are calling waste heat — excess warmth given off by everyday processes, like a supermarket’s refrigerators — the “world’s largest untapped energy source.”
A new report from a Danish engineering firm found that two-thirds of global energy was wasted as heat in 2024, and that’s expected to hit 55% by 2030 as energy demand rises.
The analysis also said that capturing and reusing that heat could save Europe €140 billion annually — Europe’s waste heat alone could power the entire city of Paris for almost five decades.
Macklemore announced new ‘Free Palestine Tour,’ with proceeds benefiting Palestinian charities
Last week, after Macklemore announced he’d been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour for supporting Palestine, he also pledged his entire $1 million net earnings from that tour to six organizations supporting Palestinians.
Now, Macklemore just announced a new “Free Palestine Tour” that will benefit a dozen charities working toward Palestinian liberation.
He’ll be joined by to-be-announced artists “who understand that our platforms mean very little if we’re only willing to use them when it’s safe.”
Why is this good news? Many fans have been pushing for celebrities and people with large platforms to use it to advocate for human rights — and against abuses of those rights — and, as Macklemore put it, “use the stage for more than entertainment.” Macklemore has long advocated for Palestinians, even when it’s come at a perceived “cost,” and he continues to do so.
→ Read more
Scientists are crowd-sourcing photos of wildlife eating lunch. It helps them protect endangered species
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Germany just became the third major economy to commit to phasing out fossil fuels entirely
Europe’s largest economy, Germany followed France and the Netherlands in laying out a solid plan for phasing out the use of fossil fuels, targeting a full phase-out by 2045.
In addition to “independence, affordability, and climate protection,” Germany’s environment minister cited the U.S. war in Iran, “If the situation in the Strait of Hormuz determines whether people can still afford their daily commute to work, that is not a good state of affairs.”
Nearly 200 countries committed to phasing out fossil fuels at the 2023 COP28 climate conference in Dubai, but only three have laid out specific plans to achieve that commitment.
→ Read more
More good news of the week —
Hayley Williams changed her pre-show playlist to feature former openers on Ed Sheeran’s tour. Macklemore, Beoga, Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe were the only five artists featured, representing the continued fallout after Macklemore was removed from the tour for his “Free Palestine” remarks.
Athens, Greece is turning its old airport into one of the largest parks in Europe. Planners designed each connecting space in Ellinikon Park to maximize thermoregulation of the air temperature with the goal of keeping it 7.2°F cooler than surrounding asphalt and concrete areas.
On a restored North Sea reef in the U.K., native oysters have made an encouraging comeback. Surveys found that adult and juvenile oysters were not only surviving, but that the reef cubes were already providing a home for native fish and crustaceans.
The CDC is launching the first study of people who were children in New York City when the Twin Towers fell. Roughly 25,000 children were living or attending school nearby, and despite being exposed to the toxic cloud and settling dust, very few of them were enrolled in follow-up health studies of survivors.
Chile is now the first country in South America to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies as a public health problem. The WHO recognition highlights more than 50 years of progress without a human case of rabies and confirms the country's capacity to prevent transmission from re-emerging.
New sensors are preventing high-speed trains from hitting elephants crossing railroads in Sri Lanka. The sensors will be installed along the railway line rather than mounted to the top of trains, and will detect ground vibrations and capture the sound of approaching animals to slow trains down and stop collisions.
Researchers created an online map of a Texas county that shows flood risks, air pollution data, poverty levels, and disease prevalence. Officials in Nueces County are using the map to analyze risks and act on them before they become emergencies.
Even after fines, an NFL player continues to pay tribute to Palestinian children killed in Gaza. Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair wrote the name of 8-year-old Wafaa Akila on his eye black, one week after the NFL fined him over $11,000 for writing another child’s name on his eye black.
A tiny, elusive wallaby was spotted on Australia trail cameras for the first time in 50 years. Conservationists say spotting the species is the “ecological equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack.”
Colorado Governor Jared Polis is taking executive action to save the bees by planting and protecting pollinator habitats. Polis, who was a beekeeper and florist before he ran for office, has introduced bee-saving legislation since 2021.
YouTuber “MrBeast” unveiled his largest humanitarian build to date, spending nearly $10 million to construct an entire self-sustaining village in Ghana. The Abna Dakwa Village will provide families with housing, a medical clinic, clean water, and free education.
A housing developer and creative agency in Sweden just built the country’s smallest houses. They’re not meant to be trendy tiny homes or cute sheds for the backyard; they were built to draw attention to the cost of living crisis among young people.
A medical examiner in Arizona has spent years collecting data on preventable deaths. Public health offices are using Greg Hess’s data to develop solutions to the problems of the day, from opioid deaths to heat deaths.
Tanzania’s first official wildlife corridor links Nyerere National Park’s open savanna woodlands with the high-altitude rainforests of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. The forested path is vital to endangered savannah elephants, who migrate westward to mate and forage.
A missing 70-year-old hiker was rescued from a remote island after he was spotted on trail cameras. Isle Royale is a particularly rugged landscape and one of the least-visited national parks in the United States due to its remote location in the middle of Lake Superior.
California lawmakers passed a bill that would put money directly into the hands of families harmed by oil drilling. The legislation is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom by October and sets aside enough money for payments of up to $5,000 for 1,000 impacted households under its initial structure.
Demonstrating the critical work of coexistence, Nepal’s wild tiger population has tripled. The new estimate, now 429 tigers up from 121 tigers in 2010, follows decades of sustained, collaborative conservation efforts and represents one of the world’s most significant endangered species recoveries.
New York City announced a historic $131.5 million settlement with DoorDash for underpaid delivery workers. Officials said it was the largest labor settlement in the city’s history, which will impact more than 260,000 delivery workers.
Park rangers rescued a days-old elephant after she was separated from her mother and hid among a herd of zebras. Since 1977, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has been a leading conservation organization in East Africa, operating the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world.
Thailand eliminated rubella as a public health problem. Also known as German measles, Rubella is a contagious viral infection, and this is a major milestone in the country’s efforts to protect children, women, and families from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Marcus Massalami made history as the first drag king on “Drag Race España.” It’s also the first time in “Drag Race” franchise history that a contestant will compete exclusively as a drag king.
A Nigerian conservationist founded the country’s first locally managed marine area. The swamp area was also home to a near-extinct monkey, unknown to science until 1993, which Rachel Ikemeh also brought back from the brink of extinction.
Ford partnered with Sesame Street to help families prepare for extreme weather and natural disasters. Sesame Workshop, the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street, recently launched its new Extreme Weather initiative to help children, parents, educators, and communities prepare for and recover from severe weather.
Rescuers freed a minke whale tangled in fishing gear in Cape Cod Bay. The rescuers said someone may have previously cut the line while trying to help the whale, unintentionally making the entanglement more dangerous and the rescue more difficult.
More than a dozen words from Bermuda and across the Caribbean were officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary. A local in Trinidad said the formal recognition of words like “bimpert” and “shadeesh” helps preserve cultural traditions for younger generations.
Rescuers made a sea turtle a custom 3D-printed harness after it was struck by a boat and could no longer swim. Cebu’s care has also included acupuncture, physical therapy, and stem cell treatments.
A 17-year-old created new AI-enabled glasses that act as a “virtual guide dog” for people with vision loss. The White House honored Alexander Du for her invention, which was inspired by her grandmother’s struggle with blindness.
Delta is partnering with the National Park Foundation to encourage travellers to support America’s national parks before, during, and after their trips. Through the program, customers can participate in hands-on volunteer experiences at the country’s most iconic national parks.
Bristol just became the first city in England to ban Black Friday advertisements on city-owned billboards. (May require login) The regulation is designed to cut down on “excessive consumption” related to fast fashion, mass markdowns, and influencer promotions.
