Economic Good News

Stories about money and economics being used for good — and good being done for money and economies

Two women in pink clothing look down at two infants holding stuffed animals on a brown blanket against a white background.

Michigan gives low-income moms $7.5K in direct cash when they have babies. It makes a real difference

In 2024, Michigan launched Rx Kids, the country’s first universal and unconditional prenatal and infant cash program. Here's how it's helped so far.

A student with dark hair rests her head on an open textbook at a desk, eyes closed, with glasses and a yellow sticky note nearby.

Researchers paid college students $5 a night to get more sleep. Then, their GPAs rose

Studies found an immediate financial reward can help students meet a seven-hour sleep goal,

A photo collage of inmates seated and smiling at the camera, a man working with solar panels at a solar farm, vials of tuberculosis vaccines, a river, and a solar panel farm

Good News This Week: September 19, 2026 - Salmon, Potholes, & Waterways

Your weekly roundup of the best good news worth celebrating...

A woman in a white shirt and dark pants walks across a paved area in front of three small colorful structures—one tan with a green-trimmed door, one red brick with a red door, and one yellow with a brown door—set against a backdrop of tall, columnar rock formations.

Freakishly small homes built to match what 25-year-olds can actually afford. Most are smaller than a standard closet

The campaign, translated to “Reality Display” in English, highlights how young people can barely afford more than 48 square feet.

A photo collage of a man pushing a load of cargo, people releasing sea turtles into the ocean, a building made with volcanic rock exoskeleton, and two men digging a hole with shovels

Good News This Week: September 12, 2026 - Turtles, Trees, & Exoskeletons

Your weekly roundup of the best good news worth celebrating...

Solar panels mounted on ground-level racks in a grassy field, with a green metal fence visible on the right and electrical transmission towers in the distance under clear sky.

Farmers pivot to planting crops under solar panels: 'It's growing well for the first time'

The additional shade reduces evaporation and stress on the plants, all while generating clean electricity.

Left: Woman in red off-shoulder dress holding a red fan stands with man in black tuxedo indoors. Right: Dolly Parton, a woman with blonde wavy hair and bangs wearing white cardigan smiles at camera outdoors against tree bark.

Couple that won $155M lottery prize gives half to charity. They were inspired by Dolly Parton

Frances Connolly, who won the lottery with her husband in 2019, believes giving back is simply human nature.

Multiple pink circular badges featuring black butterfly silhouettes and text reading "FREE FROM TRUST" and "SURVIVOR" with "Daisy Chain FIELDS MUSIC FESTIVAL" visible on one badge.

This group has given domestic violence survivors cash with no strings attached for 10 years. It's working

FreeFrom has invested $10 million into direct cash transfers for survivors of gender-based violence since 2016. They say it’s better — and cheaper — than the alternatives.

Inside a retail store, a mannequin wears a blue plaid shirt and olive pants while standing near display tables with folded clothing. A large red directory sign on the left lists store sections numbered 1, 2, and 3. Large windows show a parking structure outside.

West Virginia gives 54K low-income families a $200 school clothing allowance

In a new twist in the handling of the program, some low-income children who didn’t apply for the money have now received the back-to-school financial assistance.

A person's hand holds a taco with a dark tortilla filled with reddish-brown cooked meat and garnished with small green leaves. A similar taco is partially visible in the lower left corner.

A Michelin-starred restaurant started a 'pay what you can' day. Now, 100 others in 14 countries follow their lead

Pay What You Can, or Paga Lo Que Puedas, originated at Michelin-starred restaurant Masala y Maíz in Mexico City. Now, it’s a global initiative.

A large black tire stands upright in a field of yellow and purple wildflowers against a clear blue sky.

California's new 'tire efficiency' rules aim to save drivers $1B a year, reduce 2M tons of carbon emissions

The nation’s first tire efficiency standards target an overlooked drag on fuel economy that can cost drivers more at the pump.

Three people smile at a kitchen counter with packaged foods, bottles, and bowls visible.

Startup matches college students in need of housing with boomer homeowners who have rooms to spare

Students trade their time to support retired homeowners who need a little extra help. In exchange, they have a cheap place to stay.