Economic Good News

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

A man holding a baby wearing a white hat looks down at a colorful book they are reading together.

Generous paternal leave policies improve maternal and newborn health, family finances, and more

When a father takes significant leave — at least two weeks — children report experiencing more closeness and better communication up to nine years later.

Thousands of people fill an outdoor stadium seating area at night, facing a large illuminated stage with screens visible on the right side. Tall green-lit towers and trees frame the venue.

New California law targets expensive 'ghost tickets' to concerts and sporting events

A new California law prohibits people from selling concert and sports tickets that they don’t own.

Silhouetted electrical transmission towers and power lines against a blue sky at dusk or dawn.

New data centers in Oregon will be charged for all costs associated with growing energy need

The state’s monopoly electric utilities must create a separate rate class for data centers to ensure other customers aren’t subsidizing the massive energy demand.

Gray single-story house with dark roof and multiple windows surrounded by evergreen trees and young planted conifers in a forest setting.

Gen-Zer quits corporate job and moves to Yellowstone, where she pays $96 a month in rent

Zoe De La Paz packed up her life in Chicago and became a seamstress at one of the most beautiful parks in the country.

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.