• Worried about political polarization in the U.S.? Most people identify as neither Republican nor Democrat, give more money to charities than to political organizations, and don’t watch polarizing news. Axios.
• 175 nations agreed last week to fast-track a treaty to curb plastic pollution. Bloomberg Green.
• Denver has expanded the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program, which dispatches licensed mental health professionals instead of police for certain 911 calls. 9News Denver.
• Delaware is shrinking racial gaps in cancer death. NPR.
• An oral medication shows benefits treating Type 1 diabetes for at least two years after diagnosis. UAB.
• Nanorobots propelled by magnets can be used repeatedly without fuel, offering a sustainable and cost-effective way to clean up industrial wastewater. NewScientist.
• Target is raising its minimum wage to as much as $24 an hour. NPR.
• Saudi Arabia has eliminated trachoma. WHO.
• Japan’s 10-year cancer survival rate increased to 58.9%. Nippon.
• Large-scale treatment decreases prevalence of Schistosomiasis by 60% among school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa. WHO.
• U.S. adopts rules easing path to green cards for abused, neglected minors. Reuters.
• Britain pardons all men convicted under historical laws that criminalized being gay. Global Citizen.
• New Zealand’s brown kiwi no longer threatened as population swells to 20,000. Stuff.
• Humpback whales no longer listed as endangered after major recovery. ABC News.

For more good news, check out The Progress Network, and Future Crunch.