Good News Headlines 1/27/2025
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Scientists Discover Enormous Aquifer Beneath Oregon Cascades Mountain Range
by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes, EcoWatch
The largest mountain range in Oregon, the majestic Cascades stretch from British Columbia, Canada, to Northern California. Scientists from University of Oregon (UO) and partners recently discovered a hidden gem beneath the Cascade range that is desperately needed in the West: water in volumes much higher than had previously been estimated. After mapping the amount of water underneath volcanic rocks that lie at the central crest of the mountain range, the scientists discovered an aquifer many times bigger than was once believed — a minimum of 81 cubic kilometers, or nearly three times the full capacity of Lake Mead.
NYC Council Launches Direct Cash Program For Dozens Of Homeless Families
by David Brand, Gothamist
Dozens of low-income New York City families will soon begin receiving regular cash payments through a new program funded by the City Council. The initiative is run by the Bridge Project, an organization that will provide 161 pregnant New York City mothers who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or attempting to flee domestic violence with ongoing cash assistance over the next three years. The City Council passed a measure last year greenlighting the program before allocating $1.5 million to fund it in the current budget. Program participants will receive a $2,500 stipend prior to giving birth, followed by $1,000 a month for the first 15 months of the program.
Leonard Peltier Is Finally Going Home
by Peoples Dispatch Staff
After 49 years and 11 months, Leonard Peltier will finally leave prison. Peltier’s life sentence was commuted by outgoing-President Joe Biden on Monday, hours before Donald Trump was sworn in. Peltier, the longest-held political prisoner in the United States, is 80 and suffers from multiple, severe health ailments due to his nearly half-century of incarceration. Peltier will spend his remaining days in home confinement, as he was not pardoned for the crimes which he has insisted for over 50 years that he did not commit. The news of the commutation of his sentence was widely celebrated as a victory for those who have fought for decades for Peltier’s release.
Record Test Scores Buoy School Where Failing Students Put Phones Away
by Andy Corbley, Good News Network
A high school in East London where teachers have convinced students to delete social media accounts and hand in their phones is seeing test scores soar. Cumberland Community School in London’s Newham is ranked among the most consistently improving institutions year over year in the whole of the UK. The percentage of students who achieved a GPA of 3.0 and above in their English and math exams is also well above the national average. It seems undeniably the result of an initiative started back in 2023 during the end-of-year exam period when teachers convinced students to give up TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram for two months.
New Green Jobs Listings Available
by The Environmental Magazine
Looking for a job working for an environmental group or contributing to the clean energy economy? These and other green jobs not only allow you to earn a living but also to contribute to the health and well-being of the planet and its inhabitants.
