• China reduced air pollution in 7 years as much as US did in three decades. Bloomberg.
• The number of homeless people in Houston has been cut by 63 percent since 2011 by moving more than 25,000 homeless people directly into apartments and houses. The New York Times.
• The percentage of youths referred to adult courts dropped from 8% in 2010 to 2% in 2019. AP News.
• People of Gaza swim in ‘crystal blue’ sea again, as sewage pollution reaches its lowest rate in years due to sewage treating facilities stepping up their operations. Euronews.
• Local efforts have cut plastic waste on Australia’s beaches by almost 30% in 6 years. CSIROscope.
• In Bali, bird sellers help endangered mynah make a comeback. AP News.
• Golden lion tamarin conservation efforts have been successful, growing the population from a one-time low of 200 animals to more than 2,000 today. Mongabay.
• Rats fitted with tiny backpacks are being trained to help earthquake survivors. Study Finds.
• Australia’s minimum wage earners to get $40 a week pay rise. The Guardian.

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

• More than 250 self-declared gun enthusiasts in Texas have signed on to an open letter supporting efforts at bipartisan gun reform legislation. The Texas Tribune.
• The collective wealth of the bottom 50% of households in America has nearly doubled in two years. Bloomberg.
• These Republican states are passing clean energy bills in the name of freedom and economics. Grist.
• How an experimental service in a library prevents incarceration. Next City.
• Monarch butterflies saw a resurgence in Mexico. The Verge.
• Breast cancer drug trial results in ‘unheard-of’ survival. The New York Times.
• German lawmakers approve €12 minimum wage. DW.
• Togo eliminates trachoma as a public health problem. WHO.

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

• Bipartisan lawmakers target addiction crisis by boosting non-opioid pain management. The Hill.
• Pfizer to offer all its drugs not-for-profit to 45 lower-income countries. The Guardian.
• Plastic packaging might be biodegradable after all, say German scientists. DW.
• The living coffin that transforms your body into compost. Positive News.
• Ban has prevented 2 million surprise medical bills so far, insurers say. Axios.
• Four new states will extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months. The 19th.
• ‘Mind blowing’ ancient settlements uncovered in the Amazon. Nature.

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

• Benin, Uganda and Rwanda eliminate sleeping sickness as a public health problem. WHO.
• Happier employees, higher profits: Restaurant owners spend more, and it pays off. The Counter.
• Wild mammals are making a comeback in Europe thanks to conservation efforts. Our World in Data.
• Electric vehicles displaced roughly 1.5 million barrels per day of oil last year, new analysis shows, an amount slated to grow as EV sales keep rising. Axios.
• Conservation win for Bangladesh as efforts to halt vulture decline pay off. Mongabay.
• It was a toxic wasteland. Now it’s a national park. National Geographic.
• Waste wood chemically recycled to produce material stronger than steel. NewScientist.
• Hawaii-based startup unveils world’s first ocean carbon-removing machine. Optimist Daily.
• Cancer deaths among Black people drop, but still higher than other groups. STAT.
• Workers’ leverage is here to stay. Axios.
• Morocco extends paid paternity leave from 3 to 15 days. Morocco World News.
• Alcohol use among young people has declined in many western countries over the past two decades. Addiction (PDF link).
• US citizens are eating less meat—and that’s driven a 35% decrease in dietary carbon emissions over 15 years. Anthropocene.

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