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 —
U.S. murder rate approaches a record low
As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, the United States is on track for its lowest recorded murder rate since the FBI began collecting comparable data in 1960.
According to early data from crime analyst Jeff Asher, who pooled data from about 600 police agencies, murders dropped 18.7% in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year. Additionally, all violent crime has dropped 6.4%.
Even better: This drop comes after a brief spike during the COVID-19 pandemic, a trend that has since reversed dramatically. Officials point to a combination of factors for the decline, including community-based violence intervention programs and improved emergency medical care.
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This giant snail is the size of a croissant. Conservationists are banding together to save it from extinction
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Electric vehicle sales are growing much faster than expected worldwide
In six years, sales of electric vehicles have risen tenfold, with around 21 million EVs sold worldwide in 2025 alone, representing 25% of new car sales — that figure was just 1% in 2019.
By May of this year, 63% of new cars sold were EVs, and of the 1.4 billion cars currently on the road, 85 million are electric.
While China and Europe are leading the way for EV sales, it’s growing rapidly in other parts of the world, too, though has been relatively stagnant in the United States. These statistics do not factor in hybrid-electric vehicles.
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Experts say tiny Antarctic sea creatures could be the key to treating melanoma
Researchers from the University of South Florida may have taken an important step toward a more targeted treatment for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
By studying tiny Antarctic sea squirts, the team of scientists found that the bacteria living inside them produce toxins that can destroy melanoma cells in mice. Even more promising, the toxins did not appear to harm the animals, suggesting they may be selective rather than broadly toxic.
A recent six-week expedition led to a fresh crop of sea squirt specimens, giving researchers the material they need to better understand the bacteria and accelerate future stages of the research.
Why is this good news? Cancer research often advances through incremental discoveries. Even if the Antarctic sea squirts don’t lead to an approved medicine, they are still helping scientists better understand new ways to effectively fight cancer.
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Switzerland has turned its train tracks into solar power plants
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The ‘green’ economy just surpassed $10 trillion in market value
Companies that derive a significant portion of profits from environmental solutions make up what’s known as the “green economy,” and a new report found that they just topped $10 trillion in market value.
The milestone came after 5.3% growth last year. For the past decade, green companies have outperformed the overall market by around 12%.
It also comes despite the United States’ retreat from investing in climate solutions and amid global volatility, demonstrating the resilience of the technology and industry overall.
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Mayor Mamdani announces New York City’s first city-funded pet food pantry
On June 30, the Mamdani administration and the New York City Council announced their agreement on the 2027 fiscal budget.
Along with things like a $54 million increase to fund a Fair Fares expansion for public transit, $175 million allocated to expand housing vouchers, and an additional $79.1 million set aside to restore funding for parks, libraries, and cultural institutions, one line item stood out:
$750,000 will be allocated to launch New York City government’s first-ever pet food pantry pilot program.
Why is this good news? People who need assistance affording their own groceries may also need support getting food for their beloved pets, and this initiative recognizes the importance of caring for the city’s pets. This government program also supports existing food pantries and pet clinics.
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“I spent 6 months reading hundreds of poems written by teens. I was shocked to discover that they are full of hope”
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A report found that access to free naloxone has prevented 4 out of 5 potentially fatal overdoses in British Columbia
It’s been a decade since the Canadian province of British Columbia declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency, and thousands of people have since tragically died.
According to a new study, thousands more could have died if not for one harm reduction effort: providing free, take-home naloxone services, which it estimates prevented between 76% and 80% of potential deaths due to opioid poisoning.
The progress is thanks to the teams located across the province working to make the lifesaving “opioid antagonist” more accessible.
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In a breakthrough for fighting MS, researchers found a way to identify previously undetectable brain lesions
Amid other symptoms, one hallmark of multiple sclerosis is lesions and scarring it leaves on a patient’s brain and spinal cord. Researchers have long known that damage specifically to the brain’s grey matter is a key driver of the disease’s progression.
But until now, MRI scans used to monitor patients with MS have only been able to detect lesions in the brain’s white matter, so treatment options have been solely focused on those lesions.
With the help of AI, scientists at the University of Buffalo have now found a way to reveal grey matter lesions, too, in a significant breakthrough for treating the disease.
Why is this good news? MS impacts around three million people globally, including one million people in the U.S. alone. While there is no cure for it, treatments can help slow progression of the disease — this breakthrough will help improve those treatments.
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This champion soccer team teaches fans about climate change and DEI. They’ve sold out every game
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A former Royal Marine rescued 194 animals from the front lines of the Ukraine war
Paul “Pen” Farthing, from Dovercourt, Essex is a former Royal Marine who toured Afghanistan as a commando between 2006 and 2007.
During his tour, Farthing established the Nowzad charity in Kabul to care for animals suffering the fallout of war, returning to Afghanistan in 2021 when he extracted 67 people and roughly 150 animals from the war-torn region.
This April, as Russian troops advanced upon the city of Kramatorsk, Farthing shifted his focus to Ukraine.
Across two daring rescue operations, he racked up more than 15,000 miles as he rescued dogs, cats, and farm animals from the front lines. Across the two missions, he rescued 194 animals. Of his many rescue missions, Farthing says animals in a cargo “never got in the way of people getting on a flight.”
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California is returning a stretch of coastline that is sacred to Indigenous tribes
The state of California is transferring 136 acres of coastline in Mendocino County to Indigenous nations whose ancestors stewarded the area.
The land will be transferred to Kai Poma, a nonprofit founded by representatives of three Indigenous nations, the first time land managed by Caltrans has been returned to Indigenous tribes.
California first purchased the land in the 1960s to expand Highway 1 construction and create a scenic viewpoint for travelers. One Indigenous representative said the transfer was “beyond huge.”
Why is this good news? Public access to the area has been unregulated, with large groups coming to camp and party on the beach, driving through sensitive areas, and damaging cultural sites. The Indigenous groups will now have more control over protecting the sacred area.
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The NYC church where Alexander Hamilton is buried is building 120 affordable apartments
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New data shows an increase in the population of West Africa’s most endangered predator
With only 354 individuals left in all of West Africa, the West African leopard is critically endangered. After decades of decline and threats on all sides — from poachers, retaliatory killings, and habitat loss — it appears that the tide is finally turning in the species’ favor.
In a new study, researchers working in Benin’s Pendjari National Park reported promising news for West African leopards, who live alongside 90% of the region’s remaining forest elephants and the last known population of Northwest African cheetahs.
After restoring the habitat, managing key water sources in the park, and bolstering natural prey populations, the researchers saw a clear uptick in the leopard population density.
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More good news of the week —
Michigan lawmakers unanimously passed a bill to let children run lemonade stands without permits or fees. Under the new law, minors can make up to $5,000 a year with their temporary food stands.
Tens of thousands of free toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste will be given out to children in Liverpool to tackle tooth decay. Tooth decay “is a disease of inequality” and this is part of a five-year government plan to tackle the problem nationally by donating kits to under-resourced areas in England.
Billionaire philanthropist Mackenzie Scott’s philanthropy on the African continent has now surpassed $1.5 billion. Scott’s funding in Africa increased in 2025, and now rivals the annual budgets of some of the world’s largest development banks for investment on the continent.
An ocean conference garnered 320 new commitments worth $6.4 billion to invest in ocean conservation, climate resilience, and more. More than 100 governments, businesses, and civil society organisations announced the commitments before an audience of more than 5,000 participants at the 11th Our Ocean Conference, hosted for the first time on the African continent.
Nine white rhino females were transported to Mozambique’s Zinave National Park, rounding out the first viable white rhino breeding population in decades. Conservationists say the growing population could help restore rhinos to other parks across Mozambique after a century of decline.
Church members are coming together to wipe out medical debt for their neighbors in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Since the Trinity Moravian Church congregation began its Debt Jubilee Project in 2002, they have relieved more than $2.2 million in debt.
After the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife noticed that porcupines were disappearing, libraries stepped in to lend a hand. Central Oregon public libraries are loaning trail cameras out to locals so they can help record sightings across the state.
Utah, Virginia, Idaho, and Oregon just passed legislation that bolsters state transportation budgets to build more wildlife crossings. The crossings are seeing strong bipartisan support across the country, with lawmakers from both parties championing their development.
A new study of tens of thousands of patients found that eye retina photographs can help predict Alzheimer’s disease risk. Routine retinal photos are already common in eye exams and offer a low-cost, objective way to spot at-risk patients earlier, when lifestyle changes or treatments may still have an impact.
A universal basic food program in Colorado is taking a new approach to fighting food insecurity and hunger. A year-long pilot provided no-cost groceries to people in Denver and Del Norte, aiming to help people struggling to make ends meet — even if they aren’t eligible for SNAP.
A Native American boarding school founded in 1890 has gone from a symbol of forced assimilation to a place where Native traditions are celebrated and preserved. Today, New Mexico’s Santa Fe Indian School offers classes in traditional art, craftsmanship, architecture, and 11 Indigenous languages.
Engineers developed a jacket that captures and stores drinking water from the air. In search of a solution that moves with the person, their fabric draws moisture from the air as the wearer moves, a kind of water harvesting that once needed a standalone machine.
Researchers created the world’s first global marine turtle DNA database to fight illegal sea turtle trade worldwide. Called “ShellBank,” the database enables scientists to extract DNA from turtle shells, eggs, meat, and other products, helping identify where trafficked turtles originated and which populations are most at risk.
A baobab-inspired floating waterfall power plant concept aims to provide clean energy to Madagascar. The island is rich in natural resources and unique biodiversity, yet severe energy shortages leave the vast majority of the population without electricity, leading to economic hardship and rising crime rates.
Chinese scientists have discovered over 50 green sea turtles, a national first-class protected species, in the seagrass beds of a nature reserve. While green sea turtles are no longer endangered globally, the finding highlights the positive impact of conservation efforts in protecting the marine ecosystem and its rare wildlife resources.
Tsunami, the rescue dog, has saved at least 13 people buried by the Venezuela earthquakes. One of the survivors rescued by the border collie included a 60-year-old man who had been trapped under rubble for six days.
A new U.K. policy marks the most significant investment in English agriculture since World War II. The 25-year plan doubles government investment in agricultural innovations like soil health monitoring, nutrient cycling, climate resilience, and robotics.
An international team of scientists discovered ancient human DNA on a cave wall in Portugal. The new study found that cave art can preserve the genetic traces of people who touched, painted, and interacted with the walls thousands of years ago.
Churches across New York City are turning their unused parking lots into places for affordable housing. Part of a larger, nationwide “Yes In God’s Backyard” movement, one proposal in the city would replace existing church buildings and open space with roughly 800 income-restricted homes.
Australian fishermen saved a 220-pound loggerhead sea turtle from strangling in ropes. The ropes were connected to barnacle-covered buoys, and it was unclear how long the sea turtle had been struggling in the abandoned fishing gear, also known as “ghost gear.”
Music streaming platform TIDAL prevents fully AI-generated music from making money on its platform. TIDAL says it is also using automated tools to remove AI-generated music that attempts to impersonate an artist or a group.
North Carolina just voted to protect animals in the Great Smoky Mountains with a historic $10.2 million investment in wildlife crossings. Advocates say it will “improve safety for both people and wildlife” across the area.
For the past 10 years, England national team players have donated their World Cup match appearance fees to charity. The effort has raised approximately £15 million since it first started, which has been distributed to charity partners like UNICEF, Help for Heroes, and the Bobby Moore Fund.
A mystery donation to a Santa Rosa thrift store turned out to be a quilt handmade in New Jersey in 1888. Realizing its historical significance, the shop sent it to the Hoboken Historical Museum in hopes that the maker’s descendants would see it.
A new solar power breakthrough in China could make desalinated seawater cheaper than bottled water. The technology decreases the energy consumption for solar thermal evaporation by nearly 50%.
A team of Los Angeles County first responders returned after helping with recovery efforts in Venezuela. Seventy-one members and six K-9 teams are back home after spending 11 days in Venezuela, sifting through debris and searching for survivors.
Against all odds, zookeepers in Cuba are celebrating the birth of endangered Bengal tiger babies. The Cuban National Zoo welcomed four tiger cubs, a small miracle on an island stifled by shortages of fuel, medicine, and days-long power outages.
