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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As part of “the most ambitious animal welfare strategy in a generation,” England will end the use of hen cages and pig farrowing crates, ban trail hunting and puppy farming, and more by 2030.
Pig farrowing crates contain sows during birth and nursing to stop them from rolling onto their young, but prevent them from moving around at all. And while battery cages for chickens had already been banned in the UK, it gave rise to “colony cages” in their place.
While an estimated 80% of hens in the UK are already free range, experts say the new laws are further “raising the bar for farmed animal welfare.”
What’s the nuance? Critics worry the move would harm domestic farmers, who would be forced to compete with farmers not held to the same rigorous standards. For that reason, advocates are already requesting the law be expanded to impose the same standards on imports.
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Marion and Sandy Ironside of Gamrie, Scotland hosted a party to celebrate 50 years of marriage in the same venue where they had wed decades prior — and they also made it a charitable event.
In lieu of gifts, the Ironsides asked their family and friends to donate to Alzheimer Scotland, a dementia support organization with Dementia Resource Centers in 25 locations across Scotland.
With about 75 guests, they raised a total of £1,005 for the organization, which was unveiled with a large, ceremonial check.
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A team of students built an electric car that comes with a built-in toolbox and components that can be easily repaired or replaced by the car’s owner.
It was developed in the Eindhoven University of Technology’s TU/ecomotive group, which focuses on developing sustainable vehicle concepts. This concept, called ARIA — which stands for Anyone Repairs It Anywhere — is a “modular electricity city car that you can repair yourself.”
The students developed it to challenge current manufacturing practices and “show the automotive industry that sustainable and practical design really is achievable.”
Why is this good news? While the Right to Repair movement has been gaining momentum around the world, it’s still prohibitive for everyday people to repair their things — especially big investments like cars. This innovation could help shift the automotive industry toward a more sustainable, circular model — and help consumers.
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You may also like: Europe is guaranteeing citizens the ‘right to repair’
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Based on preliminary data, 2025 was on track to end with the largest one-year drop in U.S. homicides ever recorded — a trend that held in both large and small cities.
The year was projected to end with a roughly 20% decrease in homicides nationwide, and “even taking a conservative view” of 16%, “you’re still looking at the largest one-year drop ever recorded.”
Experts say, overall, crime levels appear to be “back to normal” after surging during the pandemic.
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New federal guidelines for cervical cancer screening from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services include a self-collection option that allows some women to test themselves at home instead of going to a doctor for a pelvic exam.
Additionally, the new option will be required to be covered by private insurance beginning in January 2027.
The option to continue to get a traditional Pap smear will remain, but the expanded guidelines “empower women to make this choice for themselves.”
Why is this good news? Whether due to cost, comfort, or proximity to a doctor’s office, cervical cancer screening is still inaccessible for many people. Expanding the options people have will make it easier for people to get tested and potentially receive a life-saving diagnosis.
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You may also like: This new at-home cervical cancer test aims to replace traditional pap smears — and it’s backed by Serena Williams​
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Norway set the world’s most ambitious target for ending fossil fuel car sales in 2025, and after supporting that goal with real policy change, it basically achieved it.
With 179,549 new passenger cars registered in the country in 2025, 172,232 of them were fully electric vehicles, or 95.9% — up from 88.9% in 2024. And 2,751 of them were plug-in hybrids, meaning 97.5% have a plug.
Zooming in on just the final month of the year, in December alone 97.6% of vehicles sold were all-electric. Additionally, in early December, electric cars officially overtook diesel cars on Norway’s roads.
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Congestion pricing went into effect in New York City on January 5, 2025, and it’s already resulted in 23.7 million fewer vehicles, traffic delays down 25%, and a 22% drop in air pollution within the “congestion relief zone” alone.
Traffic injuries are also down 15%, with pedestrian fatalities down at least 15%, levels not seen since 2018. Plus, honking and vehicle noise complaints are down 45%.
Despite controversy and ongoing challenges to the program, proponents say it’s clearly “overwhelmingly successful.”
Even better: It’s also raising money for transit projects, and $1.75 billion has already been allocated to things like modernizing subway signals, which are a major cause of subway delays.
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While research has shown that moving from a typical Western diet to a vegan diet can have serious health benefits by lowering the risk of premature death from noncommunicable diseases by as much as 21% — a new study calculates its environmental impact, too.
The study found that switching to a vegan diet can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 46%, land use by 33%, and water use by 7%. Notably, it also met nearly all essential nutrient needs.
The study results demonstrated “the environmental and health advantages of plant-based diets compared with the omnivorous baseline.”
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On Wednesday, after ICE descended upon Minnesota in its latest immigration raid, an ICE officer shot and killed a Minneapolis woman, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.
In the aftermath of her death, supporters held vigils and protests — and rallied to support Good’s wife and son as they “grapple with the devastating loss of their wife and mother,” raising over $700k and counting.
“Renee was pure sunshine, pure love,” the fundraiser shared. “She will be desperately missed.”
Why is this good news? What happened to Good is horrific, and while there shouldn’t even be the need to organize a fundraiser for her family at all — thousands coming together to generously show their care and support is something to celebrate. It’s also an important reminder that when we come together, we can make a huge difference for our neighbors.
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In 2025, Denver police recorded 37 homicides, down from 70 in 2024 — a 48% decline and one of the lowest totals since 1990.
The city’s police chief credited the dramatic decline to a combination of faster police response, medical intervention, and long-term prevention strategies.
Saying they didn’t need to “over-police communities,” some of those strategies included working with community organizations, making infrastructure updates like improved lighting, and more.
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​A French ban on “forever chemicals” is now officially in effect. The ban targets a wide range of cosmetics and clothes and will also require French authorities to regularly test drinking water for all kinds of PFAS.
​Tiny “underwater hotels” for sea creatures helped scientists collect 20 new species in the ocean’s twilight zone. Some of the new species included a goby fish with a visible skeleton, a yellow-dotted sea slug, an orange cardinalfish, and a baby octopus marked with polka dots.
​New research shows that up-to-date COVID vaccination is still the best way to prevent severe illness. The latest research found that receiving a vaccine in the last six months was 72% effective at preventing hospitalization and 67% effective at preventing the most serious outcomes.
​Teachers around the country are helping reverse the course of literacy rates that declined significantly during the pandemic. They’re joining forces with universities, nonprofits, and families to create what researchers call a “literacy ecosystem,” a community-based approach that prioritizes early intervention, one-on-one coaching, and ensuring that books are freely available in students’ lives.
​An Indiana church launched a $1M campaign to build homeless shelter, putting every dollar “toward construction.” Impact Ministries in Boonville, Indiana launched the campaign after seeing “the power of compassion in action,” having already helped 24 homeless community members find housing.
​More than 200 medical students in Gaza just celebrated their graduation despite two years of war. (Video) A graduation ceremony was held on the grounds of the Al-Shifa hospital, which had been besieged and destroyed by Israeli forces three times since 2023.
​Construction on a Florida expressway that will charge EVs while driving is starting this year. Part of State Road 516 Lake/Orange Expressway is already under construction, but a 1.6-mile segment that will include technology to charge electric vehicles will begin in 2026.
​In a win for animal welfare, Ohio became the 11th state to restrict the use of gestational crates for pigs. Prior to the regulatory changes, some farmers would house breeding sows in the pens for the entire gestation period, leaving them unable to turn around, move freely, or extend their limbs fully for a period of several months or even years.
​The first registry for people convicted of domestic abuse in the U.S. is now in effect in Tennessee. Named after a woman killed by her ex-boyfriend, who had an extensive record of domestic violence allegations, “Savanna’s law” requires the state to maintain a database of people who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to at least two domestic violence offenses.
​Laila Edwards is set to make history as the first Black woman to play Olympic ice hockey for Team USA. Playing both forward and defense, Edwards made her national team debut two years prior, at just 19, becoming the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women’s hockey team and the first Black woman to win the IIHF Women’s World Championship.
​A Minneapolis suburb opened a lottery to help residents pay for e-bikes. Most of Edina, Minnesota’s carbon pollution comes from buildings and transportation, so the city created a climate action fund using fees paid by local utilities to help residents pay for these kinds of energy-saving projects.
​Two Orlando city commissioners painted rainbow medians along an urban trail. Painted in response to the removal of the Pulse nightclub rainbow crosswalk, the newly painted medians transform small stretches of concrete into visible statements of support and remembrance along the trail.
​A “hero” saved 10 young people from the Swiss ski resort fire by forcing open an emergency door. Paolo Campolo raced from his home in Crans-Montana to Le Constellation bar after his daughter called him, frantically pleading for help.
​California’s first 3D-printed neighborhood is nearly complete, and the homes are weather- and fire-resistant. The homes aim to do it all: Resist climate change, provide affordable housing, and act as a blueprint to scale 3D printing to mitigate the housing shortage statewide.
​Officials unveiled the first urban cable car connecting an isolated suburb of Paris to the city. The first-of-its-kind project is aimed at cutting travel times and improving links between isolated neighborhoods and the metro network.
​Studies have found that vaccines have many “off-target” benefits, like reducing the risk of dementia. (Gifted link) A recent meta-analysis found reduced risks of dementia after vaccination for an array of diseases, showing how the “downstream effects” of vaccines “are key tools to promote healthy aging and prevent physical and cognitive decline.”
​Missy Elliot donated $50,000 to fight food insecurity in her Virginia hometown. Over the years, Elliot has provided socks and shoes to hundreds of elementary school students, helped families with rent relief, and donated more than $60,000 in toys to families in need throughout Portsmouth.
​New York’s governor announced a plan to provide free child care statewide for children under five. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a partnership with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to provide free child care for 2-year-olds in the city, with the state covering the full cost of the first two years of the initiative without raising any new taxes.
​Spotify confirmed ICE recruitment ads are no longer running on the platform. Last October, the streaming service drew criticism and saw users boycott the platform for running the ads on the platform as part of the Trump administration’s $30 billion investment to hire at least 10,000 more deportation officers by the end of 2025.
​For the second year on record, zero rhinos were poached in a rhino stronghold in India. India is now home to some 4,000 rhinos, having once fallen to as low as 1,800 individuals, and almost all of them are located in the stronghold of Assam.
​Brazil is now the largest, most populous country in the Americas to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The historic milestone reflects the country’s long-standing commitment to universal and free access to health services, anchored in a strong primary health care system and respect for human rights.
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